Controller

Description Job Title: ControllerLocation: Buffalo, NYEmployment Type: Direct HireCompensation: $120,000 - $130,000Schedule: HybridWhy You'll Love Working Here: Our client is a fast-growing holding company that is scaling quickly across their operating companies. Why This Opportunity is Exciting: The Controller is a strategic financial partner to the CEO and the person who makes sure the books close cleanly every month. This is a builder's seat at a company that's scaling fast. You'll inherit a small, capable team that already handles the majority of day-to-day transactional work. Your job is to lead them and build the financial infrastructure a multi-entity roll up needs to keep growing. Our client is seeking someone who's a thought leader on strategy and capital but who will also roll up their sleeves and get the day-to-day done.What You'll Do: Finance Strategy & Accounting
• Serve as the CEO's primary financial partner on strategy, capital allocation, and pricing
• Build and own FP&A: budgeting, forecasting, cash-flow planning, and unit economics our businesses Manage banking, lending, and debt relationships; optimize working capital across inventory-heavy businesses
• Run accurate, timely financials — P&L, balance sheet, and cash flow at both the entity and consolidated level
• Maintain strong internal controls, intercompany accounting, and a clean audit trail
• Translate numbers into decisions: tell us where we're making money, where we're not, and what to do about it
• Oversee AP, AR, payroll, and tax coordination
• Manage inventory accounting and costing across distribution, auction, and 3PL operations
• Drive the financial side of acquisitions — diligence, valuation, deal structuring, and post-close integration as we continue to roll up the space
• Own the monthly close, consolidations, and reporting across 4–6 legal entities
Treasury & Cash Flow
• Own weekly cash visibility across all entities and bank accounts, and maintain short-term cash-flow forecasts
• Track LOC usage, debt service, and liquidity risk — flagging funding needs and timing issues to leadership early
• Support financing requests, credit applications, and lender reporting
Revenue & Margin Analysis
• Analyze revenue and gross margin by channel
• Surface margin compression, channel-mix shifts, and pricing issues
• Connect financial results to actual inventory movement and sell-through
Tax, Compliance & Insurance
• Oversee sales tax reporting, remittance, and exemption certificates across applicable states
• Coordinate multi-entity tax planning and filings with outside CPAs
• Manage insurance renewals, certificates of insurance, claims, and audits
• Serve as the primary financial point of contact for audit, insurance brokers, lenders, and banks
Team & systems
• Lead and develop the existing small, capable finance team
• Choose, implement, and improve the financial systems
• Build the repeatable processes and reporting cadence that a growing roll up depends on Job Requirements What You'll Bring: • Proven experience as a Controller, or Director of Finance, ideally having done both strategic and hands-on accounting work
• Startup or high-growth experience — you've operated where things are unfinished and built structure from scratch
• Multi-entity accounting and consolidation experience
• Genuinely hands-on: comfortable in the GL and the spreadsheets, not just the boardroom
• Strong command of cash management and working capital in an inventory- or asset-heavy business
• The scrappy, get-it-done mindset that matches how we operateWhat Sets You Apart:• CPA designation
• Experience in distribution, wholesale, logistics/3PL, manufacturing, or another inventory-intensive industry
• M&A / integration experience (diligence, deal structuring, folding acquired companies into the parent)
• Experience managing remote and/or offshore team members