Financial Controller

About the role

Nelsen Corporation, a family-owned business established over 70 years ago, is seeking a proactive, detail-oriented Controller to lead its Accounting Team. Reporting to the Company President, the Controller will oversee financial operations, ensure accurate and timely reporting, maintain strong internal controls, and provide strategic financial analysis to senior leadership. The role involves managing month-end and year-end close, cash and working-capital management, budgeting, forecasting, and profitability analysis across multiple locations.

Responsibilities

• Lead the accounting function, including general ledger, accounts payable, payroll accounting, fixed assets, and related activities; maintain financial oversight of accounts receivable aging, collections trends, and reserves.
• Manage monthly, quarterly, and annual close processes and ensure accurate and timely financial statements and management reporting.
• Prepare, review, and present financial statements, management reports, cash-flow reporting, and other financial information for leadership.
• Develop, maintain, and enforce accounting policies, procedures, approval controls, segregation of duties, and other internal controls to protect company assets and ensure accurate financial reporting.
• Ensure accurate accounting for inventory, cost of goods sold (COGS), freight, rebates, accruals, commissions, and other significant business activities; maintain balance sheet through reconciliations and reserve reviews.
• Coordinate audits, tax support, sales tax compliance, and other external financial reporting requirements; oversee expense reporting and corporate credit card reconciliation processes.
• Lead the annual budgeting process and maintain periodic financial forecasts in partnership with senior leadership.
• Analyze gross margin and profitability by location, customer, product, and category; develop and maintain financial KPIs, dashboards, and management reporting.
• Partner with Sales, Operations, and Purchasing to identify opportunities to improve profitability, vendor-rebate capture, freight performance, inventory investment, and operational efficiency; provide leadership and oversight of pricing processes.
• Provide financial analysis and decision support for major investments, contracts, new locations, and strategic initiatives, including tax, registration, licensing, and regulatory compliance requirements.
• Monitor and manage cash flow, liquidity, and working capital; prepare short-term cash forecasts and analyze A/R aging, collections trends, and other working-capital metrics.
• Partner with Operations and Purchasing to improve inventory accuracy, valuation, turns, and cycle count integrity; support analysis and management of excess and obsolete inventory.
• Support banking relationships, cash-management activities, lender reporting, and covenant compliance; assist with insurance and benefit plan renewals, including financial analysis and reporting.
• Lead and develop Finance and Accounting team members; oversee pricing and data analytics functions; improve accounting and financial systems, processes, reporting, and automation.
• Support acquisitions through financial due diligence, accounting analysis, and post-acquisition financial and systems integration.
• Perform additional duties as assigned; travel up to 20% to company branch and business locations.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field required.
• 7+ years of progressive accounting and finance experience, including responsibility for financial reporting and month-end close.
• 3+ years of leadership or supervisory experience preferred.
• Strong knowledge of GAAP, financial reporting, internal controls, and accounting best practices.
• Strong financial analysis and business acumen with the ability to connect financial results to operational performance.
• Deep understanding of inventory, COGS, gross margin, working capital, and the financial drivers of an inventory-intensive business.
• Ability to lead pricing and data analytics functions and use financial and operational data to improve profitability and business decision-making.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills and strong proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite.
• High degree of integrity, sound judgment, confidentiality, and accountability.
• Must pass a background check and drug screen.
• Experience in a multi-location distribution, manufacturing, wholesale, or inventory-intensive environment strongly preferred.
• Experience with ERP systems required; Epicor Prophet 21 experience a plus.
• Experience with business intelligence and financial reporting tools preferred.
• CPA or CMA designation preferred, but not required.
• Experience supporting acquisitions, due diligence, or business integrations is a plus.

Benefits

• Health and wellness benefits eligibility, including medical, dental, vision, 401k, company-paid short/long term disability, and life insurance.
• 80 hours paid time off (PTO) in the first year (prorated), 120 hours the following year.

Pay

$100,000 – $130,000 per year; pay commensurate with experience and skills.

Schedule

Full-time, Monday through Friday, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm, at the Medina, OH branch location.