Controller

Our client is a full-service design, engineering, and manufacturing company serving the entertainment and live production industry. Our client supports the design, engineering, manufacture, and implementation of turn-key scenic builds utilizing both custom or stock automation equipment alongside their proprietary show control software platform for use in the live events industry and beyond.

Position Summary

Our client is seeking a hands-on Finance Director / Controller to lead the company’s day-to-day accounting, financial operations, QuickBooks Online structure, monthly close, cash flow tracking, AP/AR oversight, payroll coordination, purchasing controls, and finance team management. This role is designed for a finance and accounting professional who can bring additional structure, accuracy, and discipline to a growing project-based fabrication company.

The ideal candidate has strong accounting fundamentals, hands-on QuickBooks Online experience, supervisory ability, and comfort improving financial processes in a fast-moving operational environment. The Finance Director / Controller will help the company move from ownership-dependent financial management to a more organized, reliable, and scalable finance function. This person will own the financial operating rhythm: accurate books, clean reporting, clear finance team roles, timely close, reliable reconciliations, AP/AR discipline, cash visibility, and project-level financial tracking.

The Controller will work in partnership with a fractional CFO. The fractional CFO will support ownership with financial strategy, executive interpretation, financing decisions, scenario analysis, and higher-level decision support. The Controller will own the accounting execution, reporting preparation, team management, and day-to-day financial controls that make that strategic work possible.

Essential Responsibilities

1. Finance & Accounting Operations

• Lead company's daily finance and accounting operations, ensuring recurring work is completed accurately, consistently, and on schedule.
• Supervise, train, and support the Finance Associate and AP/Purchasing Clerk.
• Maintain clear finance routines, documentation, and accountability so financial processes are organized and not overly dependent on any one person

2. QuickBooks Online, Close & Reporting

• Own day-to-day maintenance of QuickBooks Online, including the approved chart of accounts, class structure, customer/project setup, vendor records, and coding standards.
• Own the monthly close process, including review of bank accounts, credit cards, loans, AP, AR, payroll, sales tax, fixed assets, liabilities, and key balance sheet accounts.
• Prepare or supervise preparation of the monthly reporting package for review by ownership and the fractional CFO, including notes on material changes, unusual items, cash concerns, margin changes, or issues needing attention.

3. Cash Flow, AR/AP & Payroll Oversight

• Monitor day-to-day cash needs, expected collections, vendor obligations, payroll, debt payments, credit cards, taxes, and upcoming project-related cash requirements.
• Oversee customer invoicing, recurring rental invoices, deposits, progress billing, statements, payment application, and collections follow-up.
• Oversee payroll coordination, ensuring payroll inputs, time sheets, approvals, and coding are complete, accurate, and submitted on time.

4. Purchasing, Job Costing, Inventory & Project Profitability

• Oversee the AP/Purchasing Clerk’s work related to purchase orders, vendor documentation, bill entry, receipts, PO matching, vendor follow-up, and AP packet preparation.
• Support project-level cost tracking and reporting, including labor, materials, subcontractors, freight, overtime, rework, change orders, equipment usage, rentals, and project-specific purchases.
• Collaborate with operations and production management to improve visibility into inventory, purchasing activity, project costs, and profitability by project, rental, customer, or job type.

5. Banking, CPA, Tax & External Coordination

• Maintain accurate records for credit cards, loans, equipment financing, partner loans, payment schedules, amortization schedules, and related balance sheet activity.
• Coordinate with the CPA on monthly close questions, year-end tax support, sales tax tracking, and accounting classification questions.
• Support financing, grant, loan, banking, insurance, workers’ compensation, and lender-related requests by gathering accurate financial data and documentation.

6. Team Leadership, Controls & Cross-Functional Partnership

• Maintain and improve internal controls, financial SOPs, policies, and checklists for recurring finance and accounting processes.
• Work closely with ownership, production management, operations, internal departments, CPA, bankers, lenders, and the fractional CFO to ensure business activity is properly reflected in the accounting system and financial reporting.
• Translate financial information into clear, practical language and escalate financial risks early with supporting information.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business administration, or a related field.
• 5 years of progressive accounting or finance experience.
• Strong hands-on experience with QuickBooks Online or a comparable small/mid-sized business accounting platform.
• Strong understanding of accounting operations, including general ledger, chart of accounts, balance sheet, P&L, AP, AR, payroll coordination, reconciliations, sales tax, debt schedules, and month-end close.
• Experience preparing or managing monthly financial reporting packages.
• Experience improving accounting workflows, reporting processes, internal controls, or finance team procedures.
• Strong Microsoft Excel and Microsoft office skills.
• Ability to review financial data, identify errors, and explain financial information to nonfinancial leaders.
• Ability to work in a fast-moving business where processes are evolving.
• Ability to work onsite in Wayne, New Jersey as required.

Preferred / Ideal Qualifications

• Experience in a project-based business such as fabrication, manufacturing, construction, scenic production, live events, technical production, architecture/engineering, industrial services, or custom production.
• Experience with project costing, class tracking, job costing, project profitability reporting, or work-in-process reporting.
• Experience working with union payroll, hourly labor, overtime, workers’ compensation, or complex labor reporting.
• Experience improving purchasing, purchase order, AP, inventory, or PO-to-bill workflows.
• Experience coordinating with external CPAs, payroll providers, bankers, insurance advisors, and financing partners.
• CPA, CMA, MBA, or comparable accounting/finance credential preferred but not required.

This role is a strong fit for someone who enjoys building structure, improving systems, and helping a growing project-based company strengthen its financial foundation.