Controller Location: Decatur, Georgia – On-Site Job Type: Full-Time, W-2, In-Person Position Summary Better Planet and Warehouse Sales & Services is seeking an experienced Controller to lead and oversee the company's accounting, financial reporting, cost accounting, inventory accounting, financial controls, and overall financial operations across multiple companies. This is a hands-on financial leadership position requiring strong experience in manufacturing accounting, cost accounting, inventory valuation, financial statement preparation, general ledger management, budgeting, cash flow management, internal controls, and financial analysis. The Controller will be responsible for ensuring the accuracy, integrity, and timeliness of all financial records and reports while providing management with meaningful financial information to support operational decisions, business planning, profitability, and organizational growth. The ideal candidate must understand how financial activity flows through a manufacturing and distribution environment, including purchasing, raw materials, inventory, work-in-process (WIP), production labor, manufacturing overhead, finished goods, sales, cost of goods sold (COGS), and ultimately the company's financial statements. The Controller will oversee the accounting function and establish appropriate financial procedures, reporting standards, reconciliation processes, and internal controls. This individual will work closely with the CEO, management, Production, Purchasing, Warehouse, Inventory Control, and other departments to ensure that financial activities are properly recorded, monitored, analyzed, and reported. This position requires more than general accounting or bookkeeping experience. The successful candidate must possess the ability to manage the accounting function, identify financial risks, investigate discrepancies, understand manufacturing economics, and translate financial data into actionable business insights. The Controller will also oversee accounting personnel and coordinate with external accountants, tax professionals, auditors, banking institutions, and other financial service providers as needed.
Key Responsibilities
- Financial Leadership & Accounting Oversight – Core Responsibility
- Lead and oversee the company's overall accounting and financial operations across multiple business entities.
- Establish and maintain accounting policies, procedures, financial reporting standards, and internal controls.
- Provide financial leadership and direction to the accounting function, ensuring accuracy, accountability, and timely completion of all accounting activities.
- Oversee the general ledger, accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll accounting, inventory accounting, cost accounting, and financial reporting.
- Ensure all financial transactions are properly classified, recorded, supported, and reconciled.
- Review accounting activities and financial records to identify errors, unusual transactions, inconsistencies, and potential financial risks.
- Establish appropriate accounting workflows, approval requirements, and segregation of duties.
- Ensure accounting personnel follow established policies, procedures, and reporting deadlines.
- Oversee the preparation and maintenance of accurate financial records for all company entities.
- Provide financial guidance to the CEO and management regarding company performance, financial risks, spending, profitability, and operational decisions.
- Identify opportunities to strengthen financial discipline, improve accounting processes, and enhance financial visibility.
- Ensure accounting activities are conducted in accordance with applicable accounting standards, company policies, and regulatory requirements.
- Financial Statements & Management Reporting
- Oversee the preparation, review, and presentation of monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements.
- Ensure the timely completion of month-end, quarter-end, and year-end closing processes.
- Review and approve journal entries, accruals, prepaid expenses, depreciation, amortization, and other financial adjustments.
- Review balance sheets, income statements, cash flow statements, and supporting financial schedules.
- Analyze financial results and identify significant fluctuations, unfavorable trends, and discrepancies.
- Prepare monthly financial reports for executive management.
- Provide financial analysis comparing actual results against budget, forecast, and prior periods.
- Monitor revenue, expenses, gross profit, operating income, EBITDA, and other relevant financial performance indicators.
- Ensure balance sheet accounts are properly reconciled and supported by appropriate documentation.
- Review general ledger activity to ensure transactions are accurately recorded in the appropriate accounting periods.
- Establish and maintain a consistent financial reporting calendar.
- Ensure financial statements accurately reflect the company's financial position and operating performance.
- Explain financial results, variances, and trends to management in a clear and understandable manner.
- Develop financial dashboards and management reporting tools to improve visibility into business performance.
- Manufacturing Cost Accounting & Profitability
- Oversee the company's manufacturing cost accounting function, including direct materials, direct labor, manufacturing overhead, WIP, and finished goods.
- Ensure accurate accounting for the complete manufacturing cost flow from purchasing raw materials through production and final product sales.
- Establish and maintain appropriate product costing methodologies, including standard costing, actual costing, job costing, or work-order costing as applicable.
- Review and analyze manufacturing costs to ensure materials, labor, and overhead are properly captured and allocated.
- Monitor production costs and identify opportunities to reduce manufacturing expenses and improve operational profitability.
- Review material usage variances, purchase-price variances, labor variances, production variances, and overhead variances.
- Ensure work orders and production transactions are properly reflected in the accounting records.
- Monitor cost-of-goods-sold (COGS) and gross margin performance.
- Analyze product-level and customer-level profitability where information is available.
- Review product costing and pricing structures to support profitable sales and purchasing decisions.
- Identify products, production activities, or customer projects generating unfavorable margins.
- Evaluate the financial impact of production inefficiencies, scrap, rework, waste, downtime, and material losses.
- Work with Production and Purchasing to identify cost-saving opportunities and improve manufacturing cost controls.
- Review the financial impact of changes in material costs, supplier pricing, labor rates, production processes, and overhead expenses.
- Ensure manufacturing cost accounting procedures are documented, consistently applied, and regularly reviewed.
- Provide management with financial insights into manufacturing efficiency and profitability.
- Inventory Accounting & Financial Controls
- Oversee inventory accounting and valuation for raw materials, components, work-in-process, finished goods, and other inventory categories.
- Ensure inventory balances are accurately reflected in the general ledger and financial statements.
- Establish and monitor inventory accounting procedures and controls.
- Oversee reconciliation of physical inventory, operational inventory records, and accounting records.
- Review and approve inventory adjustments, write-offs, reclassifications, and other material inventory transactions.
- Ensure inventory adjustments are properly documented, justified, authorized, and recorded.
- Monitor inventory accuracy through cycle-count and physical-inventory reporting.
- Review inventory discrepancies and require appropriate investigation and resolution.
- Monitor excess, obsolete, damaged, and slow-moving inventory.
- Evaluate inventory valuation risks and recommend appropriate reserves or write-downs when necessary.
- Work with Warehouse, Inventory Control, Purchasing, and Production to strengthen inventory accuracy and accountability.
- Establish appropriate financial controls over inventory receipts, transfers, consumption, production, and shipments.
- Investigate unusual inventory movements and identify root causes of discrepancies.
- Monitor inventory turnover, carrying costs, and working capital tied up in inventory.
- Ensure inventory-related accounting practices are consistent with applicable accounting standards.
- Budgeting, Forecasting & Financial Planning
- Lead the development and coordination of annual operating budgets across the company.
- Work with department leaders to develop departmental budgets, expense projections, and financial targets.
- Prepare financial forecasts based on revenue expectations, production requirements, labor costs, material costs, and operating expenses.
- Monitor actual financial performance against approved budgets and forecasts.
- Identify unfavorable variances and work with department leaders to understand the underlying causes.
- Develop financial models to support business planning and management decisions.
- Evaluate projected cash requirements, capital expenditures, operational spending, and working capital needs.
- Monitor departmental spending and identify potential budget overruns.
- Provide management with recommendations regarding cost management, expense control, and resource allocation.
- Support financial planning for new products, equipment purchases, facility expansions, and operational changes.
- Establish appropriate financial performance indicators and reporting mechanisms.
- Provide regular updates to management regarding financial outlook and projected business performance.
- Cash Flow, Treasury & Working Capital Management
- Oversee daily cash management and monitor the company's cash position.
- Prepare and maintain cash flow forecasts to ensure adequate liquidity for operational requirements.
- Monitor cash receipts, disbursements, bank balances, and short-term cash requirements.
- Oversee bank account reconciliations and investigate outstanding or unusual transactions.
- Monitor accounts receivable aging, collections, and customer payment trends.
- Oversee accounts payable processes and ensure vendor obligations are properly managed.
- Monitor working capital, including inventory, accounts receivable, and accounts payable.
- Identify opportunities to improve cash conversion cycles and working capital efficiency.
- Review payment schedules and cash requirements in coordination with management.
- Maintain appropriate banking relationships and coordinate with financial institutions as needed.
- Monitor financing arrangements, loans, interest expenses, and debt-related obligations.
- Evaluate the financial impact of significant expenditures and cash commitments.
- Provide management with regular cash flow updates and identify potential liquidity risks.
- Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable & Revenue Oversight
- Oversee accounts payable and accounts receivable processes across company entities.
- Ensure vendor invoices are accurately coded, approved, documented, and processed.
- Establish appropriate controls over vendor setup, payment authorization, and disbursements.
- Monitor outstanding customer balances, aging reports, collections, and credit exposure.
- Review customer billing, invoicing, credit memos, and adjustments.
- Ensure revenue and related expenses are recorded in the appropriate accounting periods.
- Monitor customer payment terms and identify collection issues.
- Review vendor statements and investigate discrepancies.
- Ensure accounts payable and receivable balances are regularly reconciled.
- Monitor customer and vendor account activity for unusual or unauthorized transactions.
- Work with Sales, Purchasing, and Operations to resolve billing, pricing, receiving, and payment discrepancies.
- Multi-Company & Intercompany Accounting
- Oversee accounting operations and financial reporting across multiple legal entities.
- Ensure accurate recording of intercompany transactions, expenses, reimbursements, and allocations.
- Establish consistent intercompany accounting procedures.
- Review and reconcile intercompany balances regularly.
- Ensure intercompany billing and supporting documentation are accurate and complete.
- Monitor intercompany transactions to ensure appropriate account classifications and reporting.
- Coordinate intercompany reconciliations and eliminations as applicable.
- Ensure transactions between related entities are properly documented and supported.
- Review financial results across entities and provide consolidated reporting where applicable.
- Maintain appropriate financial records and controls for each business entity.
- Tax Compliance, Audit & Regulatory Reporting
- Coordinate with external CPAs, tax advisors, auditors, and other financial professionals.
- Oversee preparation and timely submission of required financial and tax documentation.
- Coordinate annual tax preparation and provide supporting schedules and accounting records.
- Support federal, state, and local tax compliance activities, including applicable sales and use tax obligations.
- Oversee preparation and support of 1099 reporting and related documentation.
- Maintain appropriate records for tax filings, business registrations, and regulatory requirements.
- Coordinate external financial audits, reviews, and other requested examinations.
- Prepare and organize supporting documentation for audits and financial reviews.
- Ensure audit findings and recommendations are appropriately addressed.
- Monitor changes in accounting standards and financial reporting requirements that may affect the company.
- Maintain corporate financial records, leases, contracts, banking documents, and other required financial documentation.
- Ensure accounting records are organized, complete, and audit-ready.
- Accounting Systems, QuickBooks Online & ERP Oversight
- Oversee the accuracy and integrity of accounting records maintained in QuickBooks Online across applicable company entities.
- Maintain and review the chart of accounts, accounting classifications, and financial reporting structure.
- Oversee accounting system processes, user access, approval permissions, and financial controls.
- Ensure accounting transactions are properly entered, categorized, supported, and reconciled.
- Review deleted, voided, modified, or otherwise unusual transactions.
- Maintain accounting master data and reference files.
- Evaluate opportunities to improve accounting system functionality, automation, and reporting.
- Work with operations and IT personnel to improve integration between accounting and operational systems.
- Oversee the financial accuracy of transactions flowing between ERP, inventory, production, purchasing, and accounting systems.
- Support and oversee financial reporting and reconciliation processes involving NetSuite or other applicable ERP platforms.
- Ensure system-generated financial reports are accurate and consistent with the general ledger.
- Identify system-related discrepancies and coordinate appropriate corrective action.
- Internal Controls, Risk Management & Process Improvement
- Develop, implement, and maintain effective internal financial controls.
- Establish financial approval limits and appropriate authorization procedures.
- Monitor compliance with accounting policies, procedures, and financial controls.
- Identify financial risks, control weaknesses, and potential exposure to errors or unauthorized transactions.
- Implement appropriate segregation of duties across accounting and financial activities.
- Review financial transactions for accuracy, completeness, authorization, and supporting documentation.
- Establish procedures for bank reconciliations, account reconciliations, journal entries, expense approvals, and financial reporting.
- Investigate suspected financial irregularities and significant accounting discrepancies.
- Develop and maintain accounting SOPs, work instructions, financial templates, and documentation standards.
- Identify opportunities to streamline accounting processes and improve operational efficiency.
- Establish accountability for timely completion of financial responsibilities.
- Ensure financial records are maintained in a consistent, secure, and organized manner.
- Recommend corrective actions to address identified weaknesses and prevent recurring discrepancies.
- Financial Partnership with Operations & Executive Management
- Work closely with the CEO and management team to provide financial guidance and support business decisions.
- Partner with Production, Purchasing, Warehouse, Inventory Control, Sales, and other departments to understand operational performance and financial implications.
- Translate operational activity into meaningful financial information.
- Provide financial analysis regarding production costs, labor utilization, material consumption, inventory levels, and operational spending.
- Evaluate the financial impact of production delays, material shortages, scrap, rework, and operational inefficiencies.
- Support management in evaluating capital investments, equipment purchases, facility expenses, and other significant business expenditures.
- Participate in management meetings and provide financial updates as needed.
- Challenge unsupported expenditures and identify areas where stronger financial discipline is required.
- Communicate financial expectations and reporting requirements to department leaders.
- Help establish financial accountability across the organization.
- Provide timely, accurate, and objective financial information to support management decisions.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a closely related field required.
- CPA, CMA, MBA, or other relevant advanced professional qualification preferred.
- 10 + years of progressive accounting and financial management experience.
- At least 5–7 years of experience in a Controller, Assistant Controller or comparable financial leadership position preferred.
- Strong hands-on manufacturing accounting and cost accounting experience required.
- Demonstrated experience overseeing accounting operations and financial reporting.
- Strong knowledge of manufacturing cost structures and the full manufacturing cost flow.
- Advanced understanding of general ledger management, financial statements, and month-end/year-end closing.
- Strong knowledge of inventory accounting, inventory valuation, WIP, finished goods, and COGS.
- Experience with standard costing, actual costing, job costing, or work-order costing.
- Demonstrated experience with budgeting, forecasting, financial analysis, and management reporting.
- Strong knowledge of internal controls, account reconciliations, and financial risk management.
- Experience managing cash flow, accounts payable, accounts receivable, and working capital.
- Experience with multi-company and intercompany accounting.
- Experience coordinating external audits, tax preparation, and regulatory reporting.
- Advanced proficiency in QuickBooks Online.
- Knowledge of NetSuite ERP or other manufacturing ERP systems preferred.
- Advanced Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Office skills.
- Ability to analyze complex financial information and identify the underlying causes of discrepancies.
- Strong leadership, communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to communicate financial information effectively to non-financial personnel.
- Ability to independently manage multiple priorities and meet strict financial reporting deadlines.
- Demonstrated ability to establish accounting procedures, implement controls, and improve financial processes.
- Must reside in Georgia and be available to work on-site, in person, on a full-time basis.
- Must be eligible and willing to work as a W-2 employee.
Preferred Manufacturing & Financial Leadership Experience
Strong consideration will be given to candidates with experience in:
- Manufacturing financial management and accounting oversight.
- Manufacturing cost accounting and product costing.
- Standard costing and actual costing methodologies.
- Job costing and work-order costing.
- Inventory valuation and reconciliation.
- Raw materials, WIP, and finished-goods accounting.