Controller

LHH · Fort lee, United States

Controller / Head of Finance (Temp-to-Perm)

Fort Lee, NJ | 100% On-Site | Temp-to-Perm Permanent Salary: $160,000 - $175,000

Our client, a well-established and growing distribution company, is seeking a hands-on Controller / Finance Leader to take ownership of the entire accounting and finance function. This is not a role for someone looking for a quiet environment. The organization moves quickly, personalities are strong, and the successful candidate will need to be confident, resilient, and comfortable navigating challenging situations while maintaining financial discipline and accountability.

This opportunity is ideal for a finance professional coming from a distribution, wholesale, inventory-driven, or high-volume transactional environment who enjoys solving problems, leading teams, and driving operational improvements.

What You'll Be Doing

Financial Leadership & Reporting

• Own the monthly, quarterly, and annual close process.
• Prepare accurate GAAP and tax-basis financial statements.
• Deliver monthly reporting packages with meaningful analysis and business recommendations.
• Analyze profitability, margins, freight, rebates, commissions, customer programs, and other key business drivers.
• Ensure accuracy of revenue, COGS, inventory, and operating expense reporting.

Budgeting, Forecasting & Strategic Support

• Lead annual budgeting and ongoing forecasting processes.
• Partner with operational leaders to improve performance and accountability.
• Provide financial analysis for pricing decisions, vendor agreements, customer programs, capital investments, and growth initiatives.
• Support ownership, lenders, external accountants, and business transactions as needed.

Cash Flow & Treasury Management

• Own weekly cash flow forecasting and liquidity planning.
• Manage banking relationships, reconciliations, payment controls, and covenant reporting.
• Drive improvements in working capital across receivables, payables, and inventory.

Accounts Receivable, Credit & Collections

• Establish and enforce credit policies and collection procedures.
• Monitor aging, DSO, customer risk, deductions, and bad debt exposure.
• Partner with sales leadership to address collection challenges and protect cash flow.

Accounts Payable & Vendor Programs

• Oversee AP operations, approval workflows, and payment controls.
• Manage vendor rebates, allowances, freight programs, returns, and supplier-related accounting.
• Ensure strong vendor relationships while optimizing payment terms.

Inventory & Cost Accounting

• Maintain accurate inventory valuation and landed cost accounting.
• Oversee physical inventories, cycle counts, warehouse reconciliations, and reserve calculations.
• Analyze inventory trends, shrinkage, obsolescence, and margin performance.

Payroll, Benefits & Compliance

• Oversee payroll, commissions, bonus calculations, and related reconciliations.
• Coordinate benefit programs and payroll tax compliance.
• Ensure proper accounting for compensation-related liabilities.

Audit, Tax & Internal Controls

• Coordinate audits, tax filings, insurance reviews, and lender requirements.
• Strengthen internal controls, policies, and procedures.
• Maintain an audit-ready finance operation.

Systems & Process Improvement

• Serve as the finance lead for NetSuite and related business systems.
• Improve reporting, automation, workflows, and financial visibility.
• Ensure data integrity across accounting, warehouse, EDI, e-commerce, and banking platforms.

Team Leadership

• Lead and develop a small accounting team.
• Establish accountability, performance expectations, and process ownership.
• Partner cross-functionally while maintaining independent financial judgment.

What We're Looking For

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field.
• CPA highly preferred but not required.
• 10+ years of progressive accounting and finance experience.
• Prior experience as a Controller, Assistant Controller, or senior finance leader.
• Experience within distribution, wholesale, inventory-intensive, supply chain, manufacturing, or high-volume transactional environments.
• Strong understanding of inventory accounting, landed costs, freight, rebates, and working capital management.
• Experience leading close, reporting, budgeting, forecasting, cash management, audits, and internal controls.
• NetSuite experience strongly preferred.
• Advanced Excel skills.
• Strong leadership presence with the confidence to challenge, influence, and drive accountability when necessary.
• Hands-on mentality with the ability to operate effectively in a demanding and fast-paced environment.

Why This Opportunity?

• Visible leadership role with direct exposure to ownership and executive leadership.
• Ability to make a meaningful impact on processes, controls, and business performance.
• Opportunity to transition into a permanent leadership position.
• Competitive permanent compensation package of $160,000-$175,000 .
• Stable company with a complex, dynamic operation where strong finance leadership can truly make a difference.

This position is 100% on-site in Fort Lee, NJ and is best suited for a confident, hands-on finance professional who thrives in challenging environments and enjoys leading through complexity and change.

For immediate consideration please email resumes to:

Benefits

Benefit offerings include medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short-term disability, additional voluntary benefits, EAP program, commuter benefits, and 401K plan. Our program provides employees the flexibility to choose the type of coverage that meets their individual needs. Available paid leave may include Paid Sick Leave, where required by law; any other paid leave required by Federal, State, or local law; and Holiday pay upon meeting eligibility criteria.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled

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The Company will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records in accordance with federal, state, and local laws and/or security clearance requirements.