Senior Accounting Manager

Senior Accounting Manager / Corporate Controller

Full Time Direct Hire

Base Salary is ~$140-170k and bonus

Itasca, IL 60143 and travel to Milwaukee, WI

Required:

Qualifications

• Strong progressive accounting/finance experience, including experience in a Controller or Senior Accounting Leadership role
• Accounting for a Manufacturing and/or distribution company
• Strong knowledge of GAAP, internal controls, and audit management
• Proven track record managing and developing accounting teams, including hiring and building teams
• Demonstrated experience with product costing, standard costing, or job costing
• ERP system expertise
• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or similar

Desired:

• Experience supporting company growth initiatives, M&A integration, or entity consolidation a strong plus
• Multi-entity and Multi-site experience
• Experience leading or heavily participating in an ERP implementation strongly preferred
• CPA or CMA

Summary:

The position is a hands-on financial leader responsible for the accounting operations and financial integrity of 2 businesses under 1 brand. This position reports to the Fractional CFO with an opportunity to grow in the head of Accounting/Finance over time. Working with the CFO, this role owns the accuracy and timeliness of financial reporting, the strength of internal controls, and the discipline of the month-end close process across both sites.

Responsibilities:

Financial Reporting & Close

• Own the monthly, quarterly, and annual close process for both locations, ensuring deadlines are met with accurate, GAAP-compliant financials
• Prepare and review consolidated and entity-level financial statements, ensuring consistency in methodology and presentation across both sites
• Oversee all balance sheet reconciliations, ensuring accounts are clean, supported, and reviewed on a consistent schedule
• Support the financial integration of the 2 companies as the businesses move toward legal combination

Accounts Payable & Accounts Receivable

• Oversee AP and AR functions at both locations, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and strong vendor/customer relationships
• Monitor cash flow implications of AP/AR performance and partner with leadership on working capital management

Internal Controls & Compliance

• Design, implement, and maintain a strong internal controls environment across both locations, safeguarding company assets and ensuring accurate reporting
• Serve as the key point of contact for external audits, ensuring documentation, schedules, and compliance requirements are met on time
• Identify and lead continuous process improvement initiatives to increase efficiency, reduce risk, and standardize practices across both sites

Team Leadership & Development

• Directly manage and develop the Accounting Manager at one operating company, driving accountability, growth, and operational excellence
• Recruit, hire, onboard, and develop a strong Accounting Manager for the other operating company, building out a capable, sustainable accounting function in Milwaukee
• Establish consistent processes, expectations, and communication rhythms across both teams to ensure alignment despite the physical distance between sites
• Foster a culture of accuracy, accountability, and continuous improvement across the combined accounting organization

Revenue Growth & Strategic Finance

• Partner directly with the CFO to identify and support revenue growth opportunities across both locations
• Provide financial modeling and analysis to support pricing strategy, new business decisions, and margin improvement initiatives
• Deliver strategic financial insights and recommendations to ownership on trends, risks, and opportunities across both entities
• Serve as a key financial thought partner as the business scales and evolves

Planning, Forecasting & Analysis

• Lead the annual budgeting process and ongoing rolling forecasts for both locations
• Develop and maintain product costing models, ensuring cost accuracy supports pricing, margin analysis, and operational decision-making
• Build and deliver KPI reporting and dashboards that give leadership real-time visibility into financial and operational performance

ERP Project Leadership

• Serve as a key finance stakeholder and project leader for the company's new ERP implementation, targeted for completion within the next year
• Ensure the new system is configured to support accurate costing, reporting, and controls across both locations
• Partner with IT, operations, and outside implementation consultants to drive the project timeline and ensure a smooth transition
• Own ongoing ERP system integrity for accounting functions post-implementation

Company:

Well-established, privately held, manufacturing company headquartered in Itasca, IL with operations in Milwaukee, WI with approximately 80 employees. Founded over 125 years ago and led by a fifth-generation family ownership, they manufacture water treatment, industrial water heating, and industrial laundry equipment serving national markets.

Benefits:

• Matched 401k
• Medical, Dental, and Vision (multiple plans)
• FSA
• PTO and Holidays
• Long-term and short-term disability, Life Insurance, AD&D
• Tuition Reimbursement