Controller

Primary Function

The Corporate Controller is the senior accounting leader for our client, a private equity–owned industrial services company operating one U.S. site in Texas and two sites in Canada. The role is responsible for multi-site, multi-currency financials, robust project accounting, and accurate, timely reporting across all locations using Epicor Kinetic as the core ERP system. The Controller is hands-on, partnering closely with operations and the PE sponsor to support growth, EBITDA expansion, and disciplined working capital management in a fast-paced environment. This Corporate Controller position is the senior finance leader and a member of the Company's executive management team. As the Company grows, this position may evolve into a more traditional CFO role.

Key Responsibilities

Financial Accounting and Reporting

• Own the monthly, quarterly, and annual close across all three sites, ensuring accurate US GAAP financial statements and alignment with local Canadian requirements where applicable.
• Maintain the consolidated general ledger structure, including site-level segments and multi-currency books within Epicor Kinetic, to support both local and consolidated reporting. Prepare and review journal entries, account reconciliations, intercompany eliminations, and multi-currency revaluations for Canadian entities.
• Produce monthly management reporting packages (by site, customer, project, and consolidated), including variance analysis and KPI dashboards for senior management and the private equity sponsor.
• Support year-end audits and reviews, coordinating with U.S. and Canadian external auditors as needed.

Epicor Kinetic, Multi-Site, and Project Accounting

• Serve as the functional owner of Epicor Kinetic Financials for all companies/sites, ensuring consistent configuration for chart of accounts, segments, and posting rules across Texas and Canadian locations.
• Own Epicor Project Accounting/Advanced Project Management setup, including Work Breakdown Structures, project budgets, time and expense capture, project billing, and revenue recognition (e.g., percentage-of-completion, cost-to-cost).
• Ownership of financial and operational dashboards within Epicor (e.g., project margin by site, backlog, WIP aging, utilization) to support branch leaders and project managers.
• Lead or support ERP initiatives such as new module rollouts, integrations, and process standardization across all three sites, including data integrity and master data governance.

Budgeting, Forecasting, and Performance Management

• Lead the annual budget process for each site and the consolidated business, including revenue, project margins, SG&A, capex, and cash flow.
• Maintain rolling forecasts (P&L, balance sheet, cash flow), tying assumptions to operational drivers like utilization and backlog.
• Analyze site-level and project-level performance versus budget and forecast, identify root causes of variances, and work with operations leaders to implement corrective actions.
• Support pricing, contract reviews, and bid/proposal economics using actual cost and margin data from Epicor Kinetic's project and job costing modules.

Internal Controls, Compliance, and Risk Management

• Design and maintain internal controls over multi-site financial reporting, project accounting, purchasing, disbursements, payroll, inventory, and fixed assets.
• Ensure compliance with US GAAP and coordination with Canadian statutory/tax requirements, working with external advisors as needed.
• Implement and enforce standard accounting policies, procedures, and closing calendars across all locations to drive consistency and shorten close timelines.
• Oversee and improve controls over multi-currency transactions, exchange rate maintenance, and FX gain/loss recognition in Epicor Kinetic.

Working Capital, Cash, and Treasury Support

• Oversee AR, billing, and collections processes for U.S. and Canadian customers, managing credit risk, terms, and DSO by site. Manage AP and vendor payments, balancing DPO optimization with supplier relationships in both countries.
• Monitor and forecast cash, including intercompany funding, line-of-credit usage, and covenant compliance, with visibility into FX impacts on Canadian cash flows.
• Direct inventory, WIP, and project cost control within Epicor, including cycle counts/physical counts and reconciliation to the GL.

Team Leadership and Cross-Border Partnership

• Lead and develop a lean accounting team responsible for all accounting cycles and spanning the three sites setting clear expectations, metrics, and development plans.
• Act as a business partner to the Executive Team, translating financial results into operational actions and educating non-financial leaders on key metrics.
• Support the private equity sponsor with timely reporting, lender packages, board materials, and analytics for value-creation initiatives, add-on acquisitions, and integration planning.

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Qualifications

Education and Credentials

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field required.
• CPA strongly preferred; equivalent Canadian designation (e.g., CPA Canada) helpful due to cross-border operations.

Experience

• 8+ years of progressive accounting/finance experience, including 3–5 years in a Controller or similar leadership role in a multi-site environment.
• Experience in industrial services, field services, construction, or project-based manufacturing is strongly preferred.
• Prior experience in a private equity–backed or highly leveraged, metrics-driven company is highly desirable.
• Hands-on Epicor Kinetic experience (or Epicor ERP) including multi-site, multi-currency, and project accounting, is strongly preferred.

Technical Skills

• Deep understanding of US GAAP; familiarity with Canadian statutory and tax frameworks is a plus.
• Strong command of Epicor Kinetic Financials, Project Accounting/APM, and multi-site/multi-company capabilities.
• Advanced Excel skills and comfort with building models, dashboards, and ad hoc analyses; BI or data visualization tools experience is a plus.

Competencies and Attributes

• Hands-on working style suited to a lean, entrepreneurial environment. This is a hands-on leadership role, combining some required individual contributor responsibilities with overall finance team leadership.
• Strong leadership, communication, and cross-cultural collaboration skills across U.S. and Canadian teams.
• Process- and systems-improvement orientation, with a track record of tightening close cycles, improving data quality, and enhancing available management information.
• High integrity, ownership mentality, and urgency aligned with private equity timelines and value-creation goals.

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Reporting Structure and Location

• Reports to the Company's CEO and private-equity sponsor finance lead.
• This is an on-site position, primary base of Mansfield, Texas is strongly preferred. But consideration could be made for Edmonton, AB or Kitchener, ON for the right candidate. Potential for partial virtual participation once the hired person is fully integrated and through the learning curve. Periodic travel required to other sites and to PE sponsor/board meetings as required.
• Direct reports include a mix of U.S. and Canadian accounting staff, including some personnel with shared responsibilities outside of the finance organization.