Founded in 1999, our customer is a profitable, $10-$30 million per year (dependent upon the size and number of projects contracted for), industry leading, engineering and custom manufacturer of large machinery. The majority of the company’s customers are in the United States – so effective foreign exchange hedging skills are an important requirement from this Controller position.

Please note, until the incoming Controller hires a Staff Accountant/A/P person, the Controller is the only Accountant on staff . Therefore, at least initially, this is a 100% hands-on role. Beyond maintaining accurate and timely financial reporting and analysis requirements, cost accounting, KPI/Metric develop, ad-hoc reporting and foreign exchange/hedging skills/knowledge are also of significant importance. Applicants must at least know the fundamentals of cost accounting and foreign exchange and be personally be able to quickly learn and apply that knowledge, hands-on.

The salary range for this Controller position is $115,000 to $145,000 plus a discretionary, performance-based, bonus, benefits – including payment of annual CPA and/or CFA membership & training/P.D. fees.

The Controller position reports to the P. Eng, EVP, Operations and works very cooperatively with the General Manager and the Owner/President as a supportive and valued member of the senior leadership team.

If you are or know of a CPA or CFA with a manufacturing or other production background, one who has strong technical accounting, financial reporting, hedging and Microsoft Excel (V Look Ups & Pivot Tables) hands-on knowledge & skills for operational KPI/Metrics development, please arrange for a resume to be sent to  client1201@financialinterviewer.com email subject line: Concord Controller Application by June 9.

Please see job description details below. No agencies please.

Position Behaviours

*Until a Staff Accountant is hire by the incoming Controller, be able to work independently within accounting and financial reporting and, wherever possible, continuously improve the quality of the services and/or reporting provided.

*Communicate regularly and effectively and support all decisions made as a valued member of senior leadership team. While maintaining the confidentiality of the Owner’s/companies financials, via KPI/Metrics development, regularly and accurately communicate where successes occur and improvements are required and, whenever possible, contribute to the potential solutions under consideration by operations leaders on the senior management team.

*Generate and personally provide specialist and/or administrative services which benefit the organization which generate a high level of both internal and/or external (bank/external auditor/CRA) satisfaction.

*As a member of the senior management team, freely give support and care in terms of both practical advice and action in areas where financial professional competence, knowledge and experience are required.

*Develop competencies and expertise in both self and staff (Receptionist/Admin. Person, and to be hired Staff Accountant to take over A/P) in order to gain a satisfactory standard and deliver results within agreed timelines.

*Be persistent in problem solving, seeking solutions through expertise of both self and others, researching facts and figures with care and resolving problems in a timely and thorough manner.

*Set clear objectives for self and the Accounting/Finance & Admin department and staff, monitor progress, take corrective action and control performance levels.

*Continually seek out opportunity to serve and improve companywide performance, practising and encouraging a culture of strategic excellence and continuous improvement via effective KPI/Metrics communications.

*Apply a systematic and logical approach in order to get things right and help grow the culture via appropriate information sharing and being supportive once senior leadership team decisions are made.

*Provide the best possible solutions in terms of quality and cost.

*As an important and valued member for the senior leadership team, retain a formal and professional manner, reflect on difficult situations and stand back from people and remain unemotional in order to resolve problems/challenges.

*Have drive, assertion and the persistence to see each job through to a conclusion.

*Be respectfully tenacious, structured, methodical, organized, inquisitive, factual, cautious, systematic, shrewd in the positive sense of the word, hard working and have a strong need to maintain quality and achieve worthwhile results.

*A probing, questioning to be helpful and objective approach is also called for with the position.

*Be comfortable regularly coming out of the office onto the production floor to communicate, obtain information and perspective and become as knowledgeable as possible regarding the business, it’s custom products, current projects and related parts.

*Be systematic and logical in approach to the work, and financial analysis, ensuring that all the necessary facts and information are available and accurate and the decisions taken by the President and/or team of Owners are astute and carefully considered.

*Provide methodical, dependable, timely and objective services at a high level for both internal and external customers (owners/banks/external auditors/gov’ts).

*Set your own clear work objectives and operating procedures, self-monitor progress, take corrective action and control performance levels so deadlines are consistently met.

*Able to work effectively within a multi-tasking environment where work interruption occurs but still maintain accuracy, attention to detail and timeliness.

*Hands-on manufacturing accounting experience is required because a beyond-audit understanding of manufacturing is vital to success within this rather independent financial professional position.

*Proven effective interpersonal skills and abilities to both give and take direction and introduce new or alternative ideas/methods/approaches.

*Flexibility and a team player’s DNA so business needs and urgent demands are met while effectively managing the everyday tasks of an independent, hands-on, financial manager.

*Excellent oral and written communications skills (English).

*Strong, positive, business values and ethics and able to implement and/or maintain controls appropriate for an entrepreneurial, owner managed, business environment.

*Work effectively with the President/Owner, the P.Eng. EVP, Operations and General Manager as an important and valued member of the senior leadership team.

*Hands-on, effective use of, or able to very quickly learn, MS Excel. Linked spreadsheets, V Look Ups, complicated formulas evaluating data and SQL data import from JobBoss to Excel skills are required.

*Quickly learn and effectively use JobBoss ERP software solution. And, assist the wider team in expanding the use of the available, non-Accounting, modules.

*Effectively utilize or very quickly learn Crystal Reports for ad hoc custom reporting after personally pulling information/data out of JobBoss.

Position Responsibilities

Upon arrival, working hands-on, ensure that the accounting, invoicing, payroll , A/R & A/P and US currency hedging functions continue to run accurately and efficiently. And, learn how to use and manage the JobBoss ERP system and the Crystal Reports report writing software for KPI/metrics development and custom analysis and reporting purposes.

Perform some Human Resources functions such as new employee set up and run the weekly ADP payroll.

Within 30 days, develop a broad understanding of the manufacturing processes, and the customer’s manufacturing processes.

Begin, and then complete, the process of hiring an Accountant and then segregate the A/P and A/R functions. Once hired, develop and train the Accountant so they perform effectively and grow their professional knowledge and skills so they will be able to take on more and more functions as the company evolves and grows.

Monitor and manage the company’s finances, cash and consistently deliver accurate financial reporting and also annually report for the two holding companies.

Personally look after A/R Collections and Credit applications and/or train the experienced Receptionist to take on some of these responsibilities while/when the receiving tasks are moved to the Receiver.

Begin establishing a positive, trust based, two-way rapport with the General Manager who likes to rapidly action ideas and improvements. And, whenever possible, assist the Sales Manager to maintain positive and profitable customer and prospective customer business relationships.

After approximately 60 days, under the guidance of the EVP, Operations, start to mesh with and act as a team member and understand where the Controller role can, and will, add valued business information beyond accounting (KPI/Metrics development).

Personally deliver timely and accurate monthly and quarterly financial reports for management and the bank.

Liaise with the bank and provide corporate banking compliance and routine reporting, maintenance of bank accounts and daily banking requirements.

Monthly, and upon request, Cash Flow Management and reporting.

Maintain supplier credit terms and aged payables.

Approval and maintenance of customer credit terms and aged receivables.

Under the supervision of the President/Owner, effectively manage foreign currency exchange and learn how forward contracts are monitored and wisely executed. Most sales are to customers in the United States.

Within 90 days, with ongoing guidance/supervision from the President/Owner, administer the Foreign Exchange Hedging.

Meet, liaise with and provide the external auditors everything they require for the year-end full audit (Sept. year-end) and the annual corporate tax return compliance performed by the outside accounting firm.

Implement and maintain an effective Cost Accounting System for each project utilizing the JobBoss ERP system. The company engineers and builds large, custom, machines that take months to build. WIP (Work in Progress) can be large but, will fluctuate. Accurate costing is essential for margin analysis and effective cash flow management.

Within 120 days, implement more frequent project progress financial update reports and introduce new KPIs/Metrics so the General Manager and EVP, Operations can take early steps to reduce project specific costs where and when appropriate.

Provide administrative support for the Parts/Customer Service department. An effective information exchange is required so purchases can be effectively allocated back to specific jobs.

Maintain the JobBoss ERP system, including system updates, backups and problem solving – along with outsourced IT staff and the ERP help desk.

After 150 days, after becoming a JobBoss power user, train other users on the JobBoss ERP system with a focus on making full use of the ERP and ensuring accurate data entry – with the assistance of the other members of the senior leadership team.

Generate ad hoc reports. Some knowledge of Crystal Reports or other SQL database reporting will be an asset.

Annually, provide accurate financial information to the external accountants for tax compliance administration purposes.

During the annual inventory, working in cooperation with the external auditor(s), the Owner and the Controller walk around the plant together so the Owner can explain what the modules do, and the stage of completion. WIP is the only inventory the company has on the books.

In cooperation with the other members of the leadership team, assist in cleaning up the ERP database by first correction and then maintaining data entry process efficiencies.

At, or before, 365 days, be a valued and trusted member of the leadership team who delivers as required and have made significant in-roads to developing the Receptionist’s and Accountant direct reports’ skills and performance and begin to prepare, when it makes financial sense for the company, to transition towards a Director, Finance & Administration role.