CONTROLLER / SENIOR ACCOUNTANT [212682]

Join a leading flexible packaging manufacturing business at the forefront of innovation, dedicated to delivering high-quality solutions to its diverse clientele. Our company prides itself on a hands-on approach, fostering a collaborative environment where every team member contributes to our success and growth. We are seeking passionate individuals who are ready to make a tangible impact and grow with us.

Are you a seasoned financial professional ready to make a significant impact? We’re seeking a highly motivated and hands-on individual to step into a pivotal role, driving the day-to-day financial operations of our dynamic manufacturing environment. This is an exceptional opportunity to directly influence our financial health, optimize processes, and contribute to strategic decision-making, setting the stage for your own professional growth and increased management responsibility within our financial management team.

About the Role

This critical position offers the chance to take ownership of routine accounting functions, financial reporting, reconciliations, payroll, compliance, and crucial cost analysis. You will work closely with senior financial management, allowing existing leadership to focus more on strategic financial planning and broader senior-management responsibilities. You will be instrumental in ensuring the accuracy and integrity of our financial data, providing insights that drive business decisions, and contributing to the continuous improvement of our financial processes. This role is designed for a self-starter who thrives in a fast-paced, hands-on manufacturing setting and is eager to collaborate across departments to achieve collective goals.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage and/or oversee the company’s day-to-day accounting activities, including accounts payable, accounts receivable, general ledger, payroll, cash transactions, and related accounting functions.
• Perform and support monthly, quarterly, and year-end closing activities accurately and on schedule.
• Prepare journal entries, account reconciliations, accruals, and supporting schedules.
• Reconcile accounting discrepancies, investigate unusual transactions, and resolve inaccuracies or imbalances.
• Maintain accurate financial records in the company’s accounting/ERP system.
• Assist with preparation and review of financial statements and management reports.
• Monitor accounts receivable, customer payment activity, credit issues, and collections as necessary.
• Review accounts payable and vendor transactions for accuracy, proper authorization, and appropriate accounting treatment.
• Coordinate with outside CPA, tax advisors, banks, insurance providers, and other professional service providers as required.
• Assist with annual financial reviews, audits, tax preparation, and other financial reporting requirements.
• Maintain appropriate accounting procedures, documentation, and internal controls.
• Coordinate and maintain compliance with applicable federal, state, and local financial reporting and tax requirements.
• Prepare or coordinate required tax filings, information returns, sales/use tax reporting, payroll reporting, and related documentation.
• Manage or oversee payroll processing and ensure payroll records are complete and accurate.
• Maintain financial and payroll records in accordance with company policy and applicable record-retention requirements.
• Support management in maintaining effective financial controls and compliance procedures.
• Analyze profitability by customer, job, order, product, and other relevant business segments.
• Review actual manufacturing costs against quoted or estimated costs and identify significant variances.
• Work with operations and management to understand material, labor, waste, freight, and other manufacturing cost drivers.
• Maintain and periodically update material, labor, overhead, and other cost information used in the company’s quotation and costing systems.
• Assist management and sales with customer quotation and pricing analysis when needed.
• Identify opportunities to improve margins, control costs, and improve the accuracy of product costing.
• Prepare quarterly and annual sales and profitability reviews by customer, account, salesperson, product, or other relevant categories.
• Develop financial reports and analyses to assist management with business decisions.
• Monitor significant changes in revenue, gross margin, expenses, working capital, inventory, and cash flow.
• Provide management with timely identification of financial issues, trends, risks, and opportunities.
• Support budgeting, forecasting, and other financial planning activities as the role develops.
• Assist with periodic inventory review, reconciliation, and valuation.
• Work with purchasing and operations to help identify excess, obsolete, slow-moving, or insufficient inventory.
• Assist with financial analysis related to major material purchases and supplier decisions.
• Support sourcing and evaluation of domestic and overseas film and material suppliers when financial or cost analysis is required.
• Assist management with vendor negotiations and renewal of business service agreements, including telecommunications, software/ERP, equipment leases, credit services, and other recurring contracts.
• Help ensure purchasing and inventory decisions are supported by accurate cost and financial information.
• Provide administrative support for selected Human Resources functions in coordination with management and outside HR/benefit providers.
• Assist with employee onboarding documentation and benefit enrollment.
• Maintain confidential employee personnel and benefit records.
• Assist with workers’ compensation claim reporting and related administrative documentation.
• Assist with COBRA administration and maintenance of applicable benefit-provider systems.
• Maintain appropriate confidentiality regarding employee, payroll, financial, and company information.
• Serve as a key accounting resource for senior management and other departments.
• Help establish and improve accounting procedures, reporting processes, and internal controls.
• Identify opportunities to streamline processes, improve accuracy, and increase efficiency within the Accounting Department.
• Provide guidance and support to accounting personnel and assist with training and work review as appropriate.
• Develop the capability to assume increasing responsibility for the daily management of the Accounting Department.
• Support senior management with financial analysis, operational initiatives, and special projects.
• Perform other related duties consistent with the position and business needs.

Qualifications

Must-Have Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field; equivalent relevant experience may be considered.
• Minimum 5 years of progressive accounting experience, preferably including senior accountant, assistant controller, accounting manager, or similar responsibilities.
• Experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Experience with cost accounting, inventory accounting, and job/order profitability analysis.
• Strong knowledge of generally accepted accounting principles and standard accounting practices.
• Strong understanding of general ledger, accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, account reconciliations, accruals, and month-end/year-end closing.
• Strong analytical ability with excellent attention to detail.
• Ability to analyze financial information and communicate findings clearly to non-financial managers.
• Strong Microsoft Excel skills.
• Ability to learn and understand manufacturing costing, inventory, purchasing, and operational workflows.
• Strong organizational, prioritization, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage multiple deadlines and responsibilities with limited supervision.
• Strong written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills.
• High level of integrity and discretion when handling confidential financial, employee, customer, and company information.
• Professional proficiency in English.

Nice-to-Have Qualifications

• Experience supporting payroll and employee benefits administration.
• Previous supervisory or accounting department leadership experience.
• CPA or CMA designation.
• Experience with similar accounting/ERP systems.
• Bilingual ability in Mandarin Chinese or Cantonese is highly desirable due to communication with certain suppliers and business partners in Asia.
• Other relevant Asian/Pacific Rim language skills.

Key Attributes for Success

The successful candidate will be:

• Hands-on: Willing and able to perform detailed accounting work rather than only supervise it.
• Accountable: Takes ownership of assignments and follows through to completion.
• Accurate: Maintains a high standard of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Analytical: Looks beyond the numbers to identify the cause of variances and business issues.
• Proactive: Identifies problems and recommends solutions before issues become significant.
• Collaborative: Works effectively with accounting, sales, customer service, purchasing, production, management, customers, and vendors.
• Adaptable: Comfortable working in a dynamic, privately held manufacturing environment where responsibilities may cross traditional departmental boundaries.
• Growth-oriented: Interested in developing into a larger financial and management role as the company and position evolve.

Position Development

This position is designed to become an increasingly important member of the company’s financial management team. Initially, you will work closely with existing financial leadership to learn our accounting systems, customers, vendors, costing practices, inventory procedures, and internal processes. As proficiency and trust are established, you are expected to assume greater ownership of the day-to-day Accounting Department, including closing, reconciliations, financial reporting, payroll, accounts payable/receivable oversight, costing, and routine accounting administration.

Working Relationships

You will interact regularly with:

• Senior Management
• Director of Finance and Business Services and Accounting Department
• Sales and Sales Support/Customer Service
• Purchasing and Production
• Customers and Vendors
• Banks, Insurance Providers, Benefit Providers, and Other Business Partners
• Outside CPA, Tax, Payroll, and Professional Service Providers

About Aquent Talent:

Aquent Talent connects the best talent in marketing, creative, and design with the world’s biggest brands.

Our eligible talent get access to amazing benefits like subsidized health, vision, and dental plans, paid sick leave, and retirement plans with a match. We also offer free online training through Aquent Gymnasium. More information on our awesome benefits!

Aquent is an equal-opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other legally protected characteristics. We’re about creating an inclusive environment-one where different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives are valued, and everyone can contribute, grow their careers, and thrive.

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