Controller- Small Business

Hands-On Controller:
Build and Lead the Financial Function of a Rapidly Growing Company

Location:

Morristown, New Jersey

Employment Type:

Full-Time, On-Site
Compensation: $100,000–$120,000 annually, based on experience, plus company performance-based bonus

Reports To:

Ownership and Executive Leadership

Alpine Tree Service is seeking an experienced, highly motivated Hands-On Controller to build the financial infrastructure required to support a rapidly growing business. This is not a traditional corporate Controller position overseeing an established accounting department. Alpine is an entrepreneurial, operationally complex field-service company. As the business continues to grow, we need a financial leader who can bring greater structure, accuracy, visibility, and accountability to the organization.

This position is for a builder. It is not a fit for someone who requires an established accounting team, fully developed systems, narrowly defined responsibilities, or support staff to handle transactional accounting.

The Controller will take ownership of Alpine’s accounting and financial operations, including:

• The complete monthly and year-end financial close process
• General ledger accuracy and integrity
• Accounts payable and vendor management
• Customer invoicing, accounts receivable, and collections
• Bank and credit-card reconciliations
• Payroll review, labor allocation, and coordination
• Cash management and cash-flow forecasting
• Financial statement preparation and management reporting
• Annual budgeting and rolling financial forecasts
• Balance-sheet reconciliations
• Expense coding and transaction review
• Journal entries and accounting adjustments
• Job-costing and departmental profitability reporting
• Internal controls and financial policies
• Coordination with outside accountants, tax professionals, banks, insurance providers, and financial partners
• Financial preparation for tax filings, audits, financing requests, and future growth initiatives

During the first year, no accounting responsibility will be considered beneath this position.

The successful candidate must be equally comfortable reconciling an account, resolving a billing issue, reviewing payroll, building a financial model, challenging an expense, presenting results to ownership, and designing the systems that will eventually allow transactional responsibilities to be delegated.

In addition to managing Alpine’s existing accounting responsibilities, the Controller will be responsible for developing a scalable financial operating system.

This includes building and improving:

• A disciplined and timely monthly closing process
• Accurate monthly financial statements
• Clear management reporting for ownership and leadership
• Cash-flow forecasting and working-capital management
• Annual budgets and rolling forecasts
• Departmental, service-line, crew, and job-level profitability reporting
• Job-costing and labor-cost analysis
• Accounts receivable and collections procedures
• Accounts payable and purchasing controls
• Payroll review and labor-allocation procedures
• Fleet, equipment, fuel, repair, and capital-expenditure reporting
• A chart of accounts that accurately reflects how the business operates
• Documented accounting policies and procedures
• Financial dashboards and key performance indicators
• Internal controls that protect company assets and improve accountability
• Accounting technology, automation, and reporting systems
• A staffing plan for the future finance and accounting department

We are not looking for someone who will wait for ownership to identify every problem or assign every task.

We need someone who can examine the business, identify financial weaknesses and opportunities, determine what needs to be done, and take ownership of getting it done.

• Manage the full accounting cycle
• Process and review accounts payable
• Oversee customer billing and accounts receivable
• Lead collections efforts and monitor aging reports
• Complete bank and credit-card reconciliations
• Maintain the general ledger
• Prepare and post journal entries
• Complete balance-sheet reconciliations
• Review payroll and labor allocations
• Review expense coding and transaction…