Controller

Location Atkins, Arkansas (on-site)

Reports to Chief Financial Officer

Department Accounting & Finance

Direct reports Accounting staff (AP, AR, payroll, cost/inventory)

Employment Full-time, exempt

The Company

Cowell Steel Structures is a pre-engineered metal building (PEMB) manufacturer and custom steel fabricator based in Atkins, Arkansas. From two dedicated production facilities - a fabrication shop producing built-up structural (red iron) steel and a trim shop producing roll-formed panels, purlins, girts, and trim - the company engineers, manufactures, and ships complete building packages, moving roughly 14 million pounds of steel per year.

This is a hands-on manufacturing environment where accurate job costing, disciplined inventory control, and timely reporting directly drive the bottom line. We are seeking a Controller to own the accounting function, strengthen our financial and cost controls, and serve as a trusted right hand to the CFO and ownership.

Position Summary

The Controller is responsible for the day-to-day accounting operations of the business and for the integrity of the company's financial records. Reporting to the CFO, this role leads the accounting team, owns the monthly close, and produces reliable, on-time financial statements and management reporting. Beyond the numbers, the Controller partners with operations to sharpen job costing, standard costs, and inventory accuracy across the fabrication and trim shops, and helps translate financial data into decisions that improve margin and cash flow.

Key Responsibilities

• Financial close & reporting - Own the monthly, quarterly, and annual close; deliver accurate, timely financial statements and management reporting to the CFO and ownership.
• Job & project costing - Maintain and improve job-cost accounting across PEMB projects and fabrication work orders - tracking materials, labor, burden, and outside processing against estimates, and analyzing variances by job and shop.
• Inventory & cost control - Oversee perpetual inventory and standard costing for raw steel, coil, WIP, and finished goods; drive cycle counts, reconcile inventory to the GL, and investigate shrinkage and cost variances.
• Team leadership - Supervise and develop the accounting staff covering accounts payable, accounts receivable, billing, payroll, and general ledger; set priorities, review work, and build bench strength.
• Cash & working capital - Manage cash, billing and collections, and vendor payment timing; support borrowing-base and lender reporting and help forecast working-capital needs.
• Controls & compliance - Establish, document, and enforce internal controls and accounting policies; safeguard company assets and ensure GAAP-consistent treatment across the ledger.
• Tax & external accountants - Coordinate sales-and-use tax, property tax, 1099s, and related filings; serve as the primary contact for external CPAs on the year-end review/compilation and tax preparation.
• Budgeting & analysis - Lead annual budgeting and periodic forecasts; build and maintain the reporting and KPI package the leadership team uses to run the business (margin by job, throughput, cost per pound, overhead absorption).
• Systems & process - Administer and improve the ERP/accounting system and its integration with production and estimating; champion better data, cleaner processes, and useful dashboards.
• Business partnering - Support the CFO on financing, capital-expenditure analysis, and special projects, and provide the analysis behind pricing, make-vs-buy, and investment decisions.