Senior Controller

About the role

Syracuse Banana, one of the platform's core brands, is a family-founded produce distributor serving Central and Upstate New York since 1966. 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.

Responsibilities

• 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

• Cook up 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

• Cook up 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 acquired entities during integration

• Oversee revenue recognition, AR/AP management, payroll accounting, and cash management practices

• Manage compliance with food industry regulatory requirements as they intersect with financial operations, including HACCP documentation, supplier payment terms, and perishable goods accounting

• Manage sales tax compliance and any applicable business licensing obligations across operating geographies

• Serve as the primary owner of the company's accounting and ERP systems, ensuring proper configuration, data integrity, and chart of accounts alignment

• Evaluate and lead the implementation of system upgrades or new platforms as the business scales, with a focus on automating manual processes and improving close efficiency

• Support integration of acquired companies' accounting systems and data migration into the platform standard

• Build, mentor, and develop an accounting team capable of sustaining the platform's financial infrastructure as it scales

• Partner with the Syracuse Banana General Manager and operations leadership, translating financial performance into actionable insight

• Partner with the Harvest Prime platform leadership and the Talus finance team on budgeting, forecasting, and performance reporting

• Represent the finance function with credibility and judgment in interactions with lenders, auditors, insurers, and other external stakeholders

• Provide ad hoc financial analysis and decision support to leadership as needed

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field; CPA strongly preferred

• 8+ years of progressive accounting experience, with a minimum of 3 years in a Controller or equivalent senior accounting leadership role

• Demonstrated history of owning the full accounting function independently, not in a supporting or deputy capacity

• Experience in food distribution, wholesale produce, food manufacturing, or a comparably complex, operationally intensive industry

• Hands-on experience with acquisition accounting under ASC 805, including opening balance sheet preparation and reconciliation

• Demonstrated experience with post-closing purchase price adjustment or working capital determination processes, including seller-facing settlement communications

• Deep familiarity with GAAP financial reporting for privately held operating companies

• Strong command of accounting for common M&A deal structures, including asset purchases, stock purchases, and earn-out arrangements

• Experience managing or coordinating an annual financial statement audit

• High proficiency in Excel, including financial modeling, reconciliation workbooks, and data analysis across large transaction populations

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present technical accounting positions clearly to non-accountants and to counterparties in a negotiation context

• Executive presence and professional credibility to lead organizational change in a family-founded business environment