Controller

Position Overview

Pioneer Equity Partners is seeking a highly capable, detail-oriented, and proactive Controller to help oversee the financial, reporting, compliance, HR, and administrative functions of Pioneer and support financial oversight across its portfolio companies and diverse investments.

This person will be a key member of the Pioneer team and will help ensure that Pioneer’s financial reporting, portfolio monitoring, advisor management, HR administration, and compliance processes are accurate, timely, disciplined, and professional. The ideal candidate will combine strong accounting and finance skills with excellent communication, exceptional judgment, a high sense of urgency, and a practical, hands-on approach.

This role is well suited for someone who takes ownership, follows through, holds others accountable, and believes deeply in “110% compliance, 110% of the time.”

Key Responsibilities

Pioneer Financial Reporting and Administration

• Manage Pioneer Equity Partners’ internal accounting, financial reporting, budgeting, cash flow tracking, and related financial processes.
• Prepare timely, accurate, and well-organized financial reports for Pioneer’s leadership team.
• Monitor accounts payable, accounts receivable, reimbursements, payroll-related items, and other financial administration needs.
• Support tax, audit, banking, insurance, compliance, and investor-related reporting processes.
• Maintain organized financial records, documentation, schedules, and reporting packages.
• Help improve systems, processes, dashboards, and controls as Pioneer continues to grow.

Portfolio Company Financial Monitoring

• Help monitor the financial functions, reporting quality, controls, KPIs, and results of Pioneer’s portfolio companies.
• Review portfolio company financial statements, budgets, forecasts, cash flow reports, and performance dashboards.
• Identify trends, risks, inconsistencies, and opportunities for improvement across portfolio company financial reporting.
• Help ensure portfolio companies are maintaining appropriate financial discipline, reporting cadence, and compliance standards.
• Partner with portfolio company finance teams and outside advisors to improve reporting quality, timeliness, and accountability.

Investment and Asset Management Support

• Help manage and track a range of diverse investments, including direct investments, portfolio company interests, and other investment-related assets.
• Maintain investment records, ownership schedules, capital activity, distributions, reporting files, and related documentation.
• Support diligence, closing, onboarding, and ongoing monitoring processes for new investments.
• Assist with special projects related to acquisitions, financing, investor communications, and portfolio company support.

Outside Advisor Management

• Manage, coordinate, and hold accountable outside advisors, including accountants, tax advisors, payroll providers, legal advisors, insurance brokers, benefits providers, lenders, consultants, and other service providers.
• Ensure advisors are clear on expectations, deadlines, deliverables, and quality standards.
• Review advisor work product for accuracy, completeness, and responsiveness.
• Help Pioneer get high-quality service and strong value from its professional advisor network.

HR Administration and Oversight

• Manage Pioneer’s HR administration function, including payroll coordination, employee records, benefits administration, onboarding, offboarding, policies, and related documentation.
• Monitor HR-related processes and compliance needs for Pioneer and, as appropriate, portfolio companies.
• Help ensure employee-related records, compensation arrangements, benefits, reimbursements, and policies are handled accurately and professionally.
• Work with outside HR, payroll, benefits, legal, and tax advisors as needed.
• Support the development of scalable HR and administrative processes as Pioneer and its portfolio companies grow.

Compliance, Controls, and Process Discipline

• Promote a culture of “110% compliance, 110% of the time.”
• Help ensure deadlines are met, filings are completed, reports are accurate, and documentation is maintained.
• Identify control gaps, process weaknesses, and compliance risks before they become problems.
• Develop checklists, calendars, dashboards, and recurring processes to improve accountability and reduce risk.
• Maintain a high standard of confidentiality, discretion, and professionalism.

AI, Systems, and Continuous Improvement

• Use AI and technology tools thoughtfully to improve productivity, accuracy, reporting, analysis, workflow management, and decision support.
• Bring strong AI intuition and curiosity, including an interest in pushing the limits of what AI can do to support Pioneer and its portfolio companies.
• Help identify opportunities to automate repetitive financial, reporting, administrative, HR, and compliance tasks.
• Evaluate and improve tools, templates, dashboards, workflows, and reporting systems.

Qualifications

Required

• Strong accounting, financial reporting, and controls experience.
• Experience managing financial reporting processes, outside advisors, and recurring deadlines.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Exceptional attention to detail, follow-through, organization, and sense of urgency.
• Strong judgment, discretion, and commitment to confidentiality.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities across Pioneer, portfolio companies, advisors, and investments.
• Comfortable working in a fast-moving, entrepreneurial investment environment.
• Strong proficiency with accounting systems, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office, and modern business productivity tools.
• Demonstrated commitment to compliance, accuracy, documentation, and accountability.
• Exceptional references.

Preferred

• CPA strongly preferred.
• Experience and/or interest in doing business overseas. Sensitivities to cultural differences and communication styles. 
• Experience in private equity, independent sponsor investing, family office, investment management, franchising, multi-unit businesses, or portfolio company reporting.
• Experience working with founder-led, entrepreneurial, or lower-middle-market businesses.
• Familiarity with payroll, HR administration, benefits coordination, tax reporting, banking, insurance, and compliance processes.
• Experience personally using AI tools to improve finance, accounting, reporting, analysis, administration, or workflow efficiency.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The right candidate will be:

• Highly accountable and comfortable holding others accountable.
• Detail-oriented without losing sight of the broader business picture.
• Fast, responsive, organized, and deadline-driven.
• Clear, professional, and direct in communication.
• Comfortable managing both internal responsibilities and external advisors.
• Practical and hands-on, with no hesitation to roll up their sleeves.
• Curious about technology and AI, but grounded in sound judgment and strong controls.
• Deeply committed to compliance, accuracy, and doing things the right way.