Controller, Accounting, Financial Reporting

CAROLINA PRG has partnered with an established manufacturing organization seeking an experienced Controller to lead the accounting and financial reporting functions for one of its key operations. This is a hands-on leadership position with responsibility for the full accounting cycle, financial reporting, cost and inventory accounting, budgeting and forecasting, internal controls, and oversight of the accounting team.

Reporting into senior leadership, the Controller will serve as a key financial partner to the business, providing accurate and timely financial information while working closely with operations to understand manufacturing performance, identify cost and margin opportunities, and support strategic decision-making. The position offers a strong combination of accounting leadership and operational finance exposure and is well suited for someone who enjoys working closely with the business rather than operating solely within a traditional corporate accounting function.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the day-to-day activities of the accounting department, including oversight and development of the accounting team and establishment of effective policies, procedures, and controls.
• Own the monthly, quarterly, and annual close processes, ensuring timely and accurate financial reporting.
• Oversee general ledger accounting, journal entries, account reconciliations, AP, AR, payroll-related accounting, bank reconciliations, fixed assets, and inventory accounting.
• Prepare and analyze financial statements, management reporting, operating metrics, and other financial information used by leadership to evaluate business performance.
• Lead the annual budgeting and forecasting processes, including budget-to-actual analysis and communication of significant variances and business trends to management.
• Maintain and enhance the organization's accounting policies, procedures, chart of accounts, financial systems, and internal control environment.
• Take ownership of manufacturing and cost accounting, including product costing, inventory roll-forwards, direct cost allocations, cost of goods manufactured, and margin analysis.
• Analyze raw materials, labor, overhead, purchase price variances, yields, inventory, and other manufacturing costs to provide leadership with greater visibility into operational performance and profitability.
• Compare actual manufacturing costs against standards, budgets, and expectations to identify variances, trends, and opportunities for improvement.
• Partner closely with plant and operational leadership on pricing decisions, capital investments, cost management, inventory, and other strategic business initiatives.
• Maintain accurate perpetual and annual inventory accounting, including inventory reconciliations and variance analysis.
• Coordinate annual financial and tax audits and serve as a primary point of contact for external auditors.
• Ensure compliance with applicable GAAP, tax, regulatory, and financial reporting requirements.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen accounting processes, reporting capabilities, financial systems, and internal controls as the business continues to evolve.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting required.
• 5+ years of progressive accounting experience, ideally within a manufacturing environment.
• Strong understanding of GAAP and full-cycle accounting, including month-end close, financial statement preparation, general ledger accounting, reconciliations, and internal controls.
• Hands-on experience with manufacturing and/or cost accounting, including inventory, product costing, cost of goods manufactured, standard/actual cost analysis, and manufacturing variances.
• Experience with budgeting, forecasting, financial analysis, and management reporting.
• Prior experience leading or supervising an accounting team strongly preferred.
• Strong financial systems and Microsoft Office/Excel skills.
• Ability to work effectively with both accounting and operational leadership and translate financial information into meaningful business insights.