Controller

Nearly 23 years ago, 23-year-old Matthew Dicken grew frustrated with the issues plaguing the financial services industry and set out on a mission to change the industry standard and prioritize clients in retirement planning. What started as a small two-person team in a 1,200 sq. ft. office in Louisville, KY, has evolved into the Strategic Wealth Designers we now know, with 18 locations across the U.S. and almost 100 employees. As we continue to grow, we're looking for passionate individuals to help take us to even greater heights.

At Strategic Wealth Designers (SWD), we don’t hire to fill seats. We hire people who move the needle. We set a high bar and expect you to raise it. We measure ourselves by results and build systems that scale rather than excuses that justify misses. We value discipline, extreme ownership and real outcomes.

Titles don’t impress us. Outcomes do.

The Mission

You’re not here to simply close the books.

You’re here to build and protect the accounting foundation that allows the business to scale confidently.

You will build an accounting function that:

1. Produces accurate, trusted financial reporting
2. Creates disciplined and repeatable close processes
3. Strengthens internal controls and operational accountability
4. Improves systems, workflows, and financial visibility
5. Supports leadership with timely, decision-useful financial information

This is not a maintenance account role.

This is an ownership role.

If the numbers are clean, reconciliations are trusted, close processes scale, and leadership has confidence in the financial data, you did your job.

If controls break down, reconciliations become unreliable, or accounting processes create unnecessary risk or chaos, you own it, diagnose it, and improve it.

What Winning Looks Like

You’ll know you’re winning when:

• Monthly close is accurate, timely and repeatable
• Financial statements are GAAP-compliant and trusted
• Reconciliations are complete, reviewed, and properly documented
• NetSuite and related workflows operate cleanly and efficiently
• Revenue, commissions, cash and expenses are properly controlled
• Manual accounting work is reduced through process and system improvements
• Leadership has reliable accounting visibility to support planning and decision-making

We don’t build account processes to create bureaucracy.

We build them to create trust, visibility and scalability.

What You’ll Be Responsible For

The Controller will be responsible for leading the company’s accounting operations, close process, financial reporting integrity, internal controls, and accounting process discipline.This role reports directly to the Head of Finance and serves as the operational owner of accounting accuracy and financial reliability.

The ideal candidate is highly detail-oriented, systems-minded, process-driven, and comfortable operating hands-on in a growing private company environment. This role requires someone who can operate deep in the details while continuously improving the account infrastructure behind the business.

Accounting Operations and Close Management

• Own monthly, quarterly, and year-end close processes
• Establish and maintain close calendars, workflows, deadlines and review procedures
• Ensure reconciliations, accruals, journal entries, and account analyses are accurate and timely
• Review financial statements for completeness, consistency, and reliability
• Improve close efficiency while maintaining accounting quality and control discipline
• Identify and resolve recurring close or reporting issues before they become operational problems

You don’t just close the books. You improve the process behind the close.

GAAP Reporting and Accounting Policy

• Maintain GAAP-compliant financial reporting and accounting consistency
• Develop and maintain account policies across key financial areas
• Ensure consistent accounting treatment across entities, service lines and reporting periods
• Support audit, tax and external reporting requirements
• Document accounting judgements, reconciliations, and reporting support schedules

Accuracy is expected. Consistency is required.

Revenue, Commission, and Transaction Integrity

• Oversee accounting processes tied to revenue and commission activity
• Improve reconciliation processes between operating systems and accounting records
• Ensure data integrity between source systems, workflows, and NetSuite
• Reduce operational risk tied to high-volume transactions and manual processing
• Partner cross-functionally with operations, advisor support, compliance, and systems teams

You are responsible for making sure the numbers tie together because the systems behind them are reliable.

NetSuite and Process Improvement

• Serve as a key accounting owner for NetSuite workflows, reporting structures, and accounting configurations
• Improve system workflows, approvals, chart of accounts structures, and data mapping
• Reduce spreadsheet dependency and manual workarounds
• Partner with finance leadership and IT resources to improve finance systems infrastructure
• Build scalable accounting processes capable of supporting future growth

You don’t maintain broken processes. You improve them.

Internal Controls and Governance

• Build and maintain strong internal controls across accounting and reporting functions
• Establish approval workflows, documentation standards, and review procedures
• Maintain proper segregation of duties within a lean finance environment
• Identify control gaps and implement practical solutions
• Strengthen accountability and process discipline throughout the accounting function

Strong controls create trust. Weak controls create surprises.

Financial Reporting and Leadership Support

• Prepare monthly financial reporting packages and supporting analysis
• Provide variance explanations and account-level reporting support
• Support budgeting, forecasting, margin analysis, and cash planning activities
• Identify unusual trends, balance sheet risks, and recurring reporting issues
• Improve financial visibility across departments, locations, and service lines

Leadership should never have to guess whether the numbers are reliable.

Team Leadership and Development

• Lead, coach, and develop accounting staff
• Clarify responsibilities, deadlines, and quality expectations
• Build repeatable processes that reduce dependency on tribal knowledge
• Help scale the accounting organization as the company grows
• Foster a culture of accountability, ownership, continuous improvement, and operational discipline

You build a team that operates with consistency, clarity, and accountability.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field
• CPA required
• 7 years of progressive accounting experience
• Prior Controller, Assistant Controller, Accounting Manager, or senior accounting leadership experience
• Strong GAAP accounting and financial statement preparation experience
• Experience managing close processes, reconciliations, accruals, and financial reporting
• ERP experience required; NetSuite strongly preferred
• Strong understanding of accounting controls, workflows, and process design
• Strong Excel and financial analysis skills
• Ability to communicate accounting issues clearly across finance and non-finance teams
• Comfortable operating hands-on in a lean, fast-growing organization

Preferred Experience

• Financial services, wealth management, insurance, professional services, or other transaction-heavy industries
• Multi-location or multi-entity organizations
• High-growth private company environments
• Accounting process improvement and ERP optimization
• Revenue reconciliation and commission accounting
• FP&A, budgeting, forecasting, or management reporting support
• Cross-functional collaboration with operations, compliance, HR, IT, and advisor support teams

Who you are

• You take ownership of the numbers and the process behind them
• You value accuracy and reliability over shortcuts
• You improve systems instead of working around them
• You communicate clearly and directly
• You’re comfortable operating both strategically and tactically
• You build processes that reduce chaos and improve accountability
• You thrive in environments where systems, controls, and discipline matter

You don’t just maintain accounting operations. You strengthen the financial foundation behind the business.

Who This is Not For

This is not for someone who:

• Only wants to process transactions
• Avoids accountability for accounting quality or reporting accuracy
• Accepts broken processes instead of improving them
• Relies on spreadsheets instead of scalable workflows
• Struggles to operate in both the details and the bigger operational picture needs

Position Details

Compensation: Starting salary range is $140,000 - 155,000, plus a generous benefits package and bonus dependent upon firm profitability and growth in revenue generated from ancillary services.

Benefits: We offer a comprehensive benefit package designed to support your health, family and growth. Some key offerings:

• Employer sponsored Medical, Dental & Vision plans along with additional ancillary options
• Employer match program for 401(k), eligible for both Tradition and Roth accounts
• $2,500 annual Professional Development budget to support your growth
• Generous Paid Time Off package and Company-wide Holidays

Our Core Values:

• Absolute Ownership: We take full responsibility for outcomes, follow through on our commitments, and solve problems without passing the buck.
• Selflessness: We put the team and clients first, collaborate openly, and measure success by shared wins, not individual credit. We recognize that our strength lies in unity.
• Tenaciously Driven: We pursue excellence relentlessly, push past obstacles, and refuse to settle for the status quo.
• Coachable Mindset: We stay open to feedback, committed to learning, and focused on continuous improvement no matter how skilled or experienced we are.
• Compassionate Honesty: We speak the truth with empathy, delivering clear, respectful feedback that strengthens trust and relationships.