Financial Controller

Corporate Controller

Private-equity-backed structural steel platform | South Central Indiana

Industry: Structural steel fabrication

Ownership: Private equity sponsor, post-platform-acquisition

Stage: Early operational transformation

Location: South Central Indiana, on-site

Reports to: President and PE sponsor, with Board exposure

Scope: Hold Co with three operating companies

A structural steel fabricator headquartered in central Indiana, backed by an experienced private family office sponsor and is in the early stages of a multi-year operational transformation.

The Controller will own the day-to-day accounting and finance function across the group of operating companies. This is a hands‑on role. The right candidate is comfortable doing the work, not just supervising it. A CFO will be added later as the platform grows into M&A and exit preparation.

• Own the general ledger across both legal entities. Maintain a clean trial balance and reconciled balance sheet.
• Lead the monthly close. Target business-day‑15 in the first 90 days, business-day‑10 within six months, and business-day‑7 by year‑end.
• Perform or supervise account reconciliations, journal entries, accruals, and intercompany eliminations between the operating companies.
• Oversee AP and AR processes, vendor onboarding, customer billing, and collections in coordination with the accounting team.

• Own job‑cost accounting across all active fabrication projects. Track estimated cost, actual cost, and estimate‑to‑actual variance by job.
• Maintain work‑in‑process accounting and percentage‑of‑completion revenue recognition. Reconcile WIP monthly with full over and under billings analysis.
• Coordinate with project managers and operations leadership to ensure shop‑floor data (Power Fab production status, outside‑processor costs, station throughput) and field data (Project Site) is captured accurately in financial reporting.
• Track inventory across raw steel, in‑process, and finished goods. Run cycle counts and physical inventory procedures.

• Own all lender deliverables: monthly financial reporting packages, covenant compliance certificates, borrowing‑base certificates, and audit and field‑exam coordination.
• Prepare the monthly sponsor reporting package including P&L, balance sheet, cash flow, KPIs, and 13‑week cash forecast.
• Maintain the borrowing‑base calculation. Accuracy here is non‑negotiable. Borrowing‑base errors put the credit facility at risk.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for the annual financial statement audit, working with outside auditors on requests, schedules, and adjustments.

• Manage daily cash positioning across operating and real‑estate entity bank accounts. Maintain the 13‑week cash flow forecast.
• Manage benefits accruals and employer tax filings.
• Coordinate with outside tax advisors on federal, state, and local tax compliance, including multi‑state nexus, sales and use tax on fabricated materials, and any applicable credits or incentives.

• Maintain the current accounting system and own data integrity across the GL, job‑cost ledger, and AP/AR subledgers.
• Participate actively in the evaluation and implementation of a manufacturing‑grade ERP. The Controller will be the finance lead on the ERP project, working alongside operations and the eventual CFO.
• Document accounting policies, close procedures, and internal controls. Build the playbook a successor or expanding team can follow.
• Maintain clean separation between the operating companies, including intercompany journal entries and consolidated reporting.

• 10+ years of progressive accounting experience in a manufacturing, construction, or project‑based business, including at least 3 years as a Controller or Assistant Controller.
• Hands‑on expertise in job‑cost accounting, WIP, and percentage‑of‑completion revenue recognition. Structural steel, heavy fabrication, machining, or industrial construction experience strongly preferred.
• Direct experience with lender reporting, covenant compliance, borrowing‑base…