Senior Controller

HARVEST PRIME FOODS – Controller (Senior)

Syracuse, NY | Full-Time | On-Site

Location:

Syracuse, NY (On‑Site)

Employment:
Full‑Time

Experience:

8+ Years (Controller or Senior Finance Leader)

Harvest Prime Foods is a PE‑backed food distribution holding company built on the belief that good food, delivered with integrity, can strengthen communities and support the people who grow it. Backed by Talus Group Holdings, Harvest Prime brings together a portfolio of purpose‑driven food distribution companies serving the Northeast, including Antonucci Foods, Hudson Harvest, and Syracuse Banana. The platform connects farms, producers, and suppliers to retail, restaurant, and institutional customers, operating with the rigor of a professionally managed portfolio company and the values of a family‑built business.

Syracuse Banana, one of the platform's core brands, is a family‑founded produce distributor serving Central and Upstate New York since 1966. From its 28,000‑square‑foot refrigerated, HACCP‑compliant facility in Syracuse, the company serves 500+ customers with a full line of fresh and value‑added produce, in‑house ripening capabilities, and a dedicated fleet.

Harvest Prime is seeking an experienced Controller to own the full accounting and finance function at the operating company level, with primary focus on Syracuse Banana. This is a senior hire designed to establish permanent, professional finance leadership at a company that has operated with a family‑office accounting structure through its acquisition and early integration period. The Controller will report directly to the Harvest Prime platform leadership, partner closely with the Syracuse Banana management team, and serve as the primary accounting owner as the platform continues to grow through additional acquisitions.

The ideal candidate brings deep Controller‑level experience in food distribution or a comparable operationally intensive industry, a strong command of GAAP financial reporting, and the credibility to lead organizational change in a family‑founded environment. This is not an entry point into the Controller function; it is the permanent, senior‑most accounting leader for a growing PE‑backed food platform, and the right candidate will have the track record and professional presence to match that responsibility.

• Own the full monthly, quarterly, and annual close process, producing timely and accurate GAAP financial statements
• Maintain a controlled, audit‑ready accounting environment at all times
• Prepare and review account reconciliations, journal entries, and supporting schedules
• Coordinate with external auditors and tax preparers, managing the annual audit and tax compliance process
• Develop and maintain a consistent close calendar with clearly defined milestones and deliverables
• Produce management reporting packages that give platform leadership and operators clear visibility into financial performance

• Lead the accounting integration of acquired businesses, including Day 1 opening balance sheet setup under ASC 805
• Reconcile and validate opening balance sheets against purchase agreement representations, identifying discrepancies requiring adjustment
• Manage the working capital determination process, including construction of the formal determination workbook, variance analysis, and documentation of adjustments
• Interface with sellers and their representatives in post‑closing settlement discussions, providing clear, well‑supported positions backed by the accounting records
• Assess accounting implications of purchase agreement mechanics, including NWC targets, earn‑out provisions, indemnification escrows, and seller note structures
• Coordinate with legal counsel and the Talus deal team on formal delivery of post‑close determinations and dispute resolution procedures

• Design, document, and enforce a robust internal controls framework appropriate for a multi‑entity food distribution operating company
• Establish and maintain accounting policies and procedures, ensuring consistent application across…