Controller, Finance & Banking, Financial Reporting

Own the day-to-day finance operations of a Michigan-based private equity firm — cash, controls, and reporting — and be the finance function the whole firm relies on.

Controller

Managing Director (Founder)

Grand Rapids, MI (in-office)

Blackford Capital is a Michigan-based private equity firm focused on control buyouts of lower middle market industrial, manufacturing, distribution, and business services companies. We partner with founders, entrepreneurs, and management teams of high-quality, differentiated businesses to accelerate growth, drive operational improvement, and execute disciplined value-creation initiatives.

We target companies with revenue of $20 million to $200 million and EBITDA of approximately $2 million to $20 million. Our approach emphasizes hands-on operational engagement, strategic add-on acquisitions, and long-term partnership with management teams to build scalable platforms.

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Blackford Capital is hiring a Controller to own the firm’s day-to-day finance operations. The role runs accounting, banking, expense processing, and internal reporting for Blackford Capital and its affiliated entities, and coordinates with the firm’s external tax, insurance, and fund administration partners.

This role is the operational core of Blackford’s finance function. You will own bank operations, expense processing through Concur, Quick Books entries for AR and AP, bank and credit card reconciliations, and quarterly management fee invoicing. You will run the annual 1099 process, coordinate the insurance renewal cycle, and support tax preparation with the firm’s outside tax advisors. Internal financial reporting to leadership — cashflow, P&L, balance sheet — runs through this seat.

The right person is meticulous, discreet, and comfortable owning a finance function end to end at a small firm. You bring strong accounting fundamentals, sound judgment on internal controls, and the discipline to close each cycle cleanly. You are comfortable being the person the firm relies on for reliable numbers, and comfortable coordinating with external partners on the specialized work that sits outside the day-to-day.

Blackford is a small, collegial firm, so this role carries real visibility and real ownership — you will work directly with the Founder and senior leadership and have a tangible impact on how the finance function operates every day.

• Own Quick Books day-to-day for Blackford Capital and affiliated entities — post transactions, maintain the chart of accounts, and keep the books current and accurate.
• Run accounts receivable — including quarterly management fee invoicing (fixed and EBITDA-based) and reimbursable expense invoicing to portfolio companies.
• Run accounts payable — post vendor invoices, allocate reimbursements to portfolio companies or transactions, and manage vendor payment timing in coordination with the Director of Operations.
• Reconcile accounts monthly, ensuring transactions are properly categorized and allocated to the correct entity or portfolio company.
• Handle confidential financial information with discretion, and act as a liaison between the firm and its bank, tax advisors, insurance broker, and fund administrator.

• Serve as the firm’s primary contact and administrator at banks, including initiating and approving wires and ACH under the firm’s two-factor approval protocol, and reviewing daily positive pay exceptions.
• Manage check disbursements, including preparing checks for the Founder’s signature and stamping, and coordinating the review workflow with the Founder or Director of Operations.
• Own the expense reimbursement process through Concur — approving and processing employee expenses, allocating them correctly in Quick Books, and onboarding new employees to the system.

• Produce weekly cashflow reporting and monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements — P&L, balance sheet, and supporting schedules — for the Founder and leadership.
• Maintain and continuously evaluate internal control systems, flagging gaps and recommending improvements…