Director of Finance & Business Operations/Controller

Responsibilities

Accounting, AR and Cash Flow

• Personally own and complete the monthly financial close
• Prepare and review financial statements, journal entries, accruals, reconciliations and supporting schedules
• Maintain an accurate general ledger and reliable balance-sheet accounts
• Oversee manufacturing accounting, including inventory, WIP, job costing, labor, overhead and margin analysis
• Build and maintain the weekly cash-flow forecast
• Own AR reporting, customer collections and cash-receipt forecasting
• Maintain visibility into AP, payroll, taxes and upcoming cash requirements
• Prepare weekly reporting for the President covering cash, collections, margins, tax liabilities and upcoming obligations
• Complete or review bank, payroll, credit-card and balance-sheet reconciliations
• Administer Ramp, including cards, spending limits, receipts, coding, approvals and expense compliance
• Lead budgeting, forecasting, audits, lender reporting and accounting-cleanup projects
• Identify discrepancies, cash risks, margin problems and control failures and drive them to resolution

Routine AP processing and vendor-payment inquiries are supported separately. The Director will oversee the process and maintain visibility into upcoming disbursements without becoming the primary vendor-inquiry desk.

Purchasing, Inventory and Supply Chain

• Lead purchasing, materials planning, inventory control and vendor management
• Manage and develop purchasing and supply-chain personnel
• Ensure materials are ordered in time to support production schedules and customer delivery requirements
• Work closely with operations, planning, engineering and sales to align purchasing with production priorities
• Monitor material shortages, overdue purchase orders, supplier performance and critical delivery risks
• Improve purchase-order controls, approval processes and purchasing accountability
• Negotiate vendor pricing, payment terms, credit limits and supply arrangements
• Establish clear reporting for open purchase orders, shortages, vendor commitments and inventory exposure
• Improve inventory accuracy, cycle-count procedures, material controls and working-capital efficiency
• Develop alternative sources for critical materials and reduce dependence on weak vendors
• Balance production requirements against cash constraints and payment priorities
• Hold the supply-chain team accountable for cost, availability, accuracy and follow-through

Tax and Compliance

• Personally maintain the company’s tax and compliance calendar
• Track federal, state, local, payroll, sales-and-use, property and other tax liabilities
• Prepare the schedules, reconciliations and supporting records required for tax filings
• Coordinate technical filings and tax positions with the company’s outside CPA
• Track tax notices, filings, payment plans, deadlines and payment confirmations through completion
• Provide the President with clear reporting on current and upcoming tax obligations
• Maintain licenses, permits, registrations, insurance certificates and renewal requirements

HR, Payroll and Benefits Administration

• Oversee Rippling and ensure employee information remains accurate
• Manage payroll inputs, timekeeping, PTO, deductions, reimbursements and employee-status changes
• Oversee benefits enrollment, terminations, employee questions and carrier coordination
• Ensure onboarding, offboarding, background checks, I-9s, equipment and systems access are completed properly
• Maintain confidential personnel files, acknowledgments, job descriptions and required documentation
• Oversee the HR inbox and routine employee-administration questions
• Coordinate workers’ compensation, leave and employment documentation
• Support recruiting administration, offer letters and new-hire preparation
• Partner with the company’s HR consultant on employee relations, investigations, discipline, terminations and complex California compliance matters
• Handle sensitive employee, financial, legal, lender and ownership information with complete confidentiality

Business Operations and Leadership

• Serve as a trusted business partner and direct liaison to the President
• Translate financial and operational information into clear recommendations and action items
• Build documented processes, controls, reporting tools and management routines
• Take loosely defined business problems, determine what needs to happen and carry the work through completion
• Hold employees accountable for approvals, documentation, deadlines and financial controls
• Support projects involving lenders, insurance, systems, advisors and future acquisitions
• Build repeatable financial and operational infrastructure that can support additional Metal Solutions Holdings businesses
• Develop employees while remaining close enough to the details to verify the quality of their work

Work Style and Availability

This is a demanding, hands-on leadership role in a growing manufacturing business. Longer hours will sometimes be required, particularly during month-end close, audits, critical cash-flow periods, systems projects and operational issues. The Director must also be available to work occasional weekends when business needs require it.

The right person has a strong bias toward completion. They maintain a clear task list, establish priorities, follow through without repeated reminders and do not allow reconciliations, filings, employee matters, vendor issues or other responsibilities to accumulate.

We need someone who takes personal responsibility for getting important work finished accurately and on time.

Who Will Succeed Here

The right candidate:

• Is a hands-on manufacturing finance leader who wants broad operational responsibility
• Thinks like an owner and understands how accounting, purchasing, inventory and operations affect cash flow
• Can lead a team while personally performing critical work
• Consistently closes the loop and prevents unresolved work from piling up
• Is willing to handle both high-level and routine responsibilities without ego
• Can move between detailed accounting work and plant-level operational problems
• Enjoys bringing structure and accountability to an entrepreneurial business
• Communicates directly and raises problems before they become emergencies
• Is resourceful, persistent and comfortable making decisions with imperfect information
• Exercises strong judgment and complete confidentiality
• Wants direct access to leadership and visible responsibility for results

Desired Experience

• 10+ years of progressive accounting, finance or business-operations experience
• Experience as a Plant Controller, Controller, Director of Finance, Finance Director or senior manufacturing Accounting Manager
• Demonstrated ownership of monthly close, financial statements and cash forecasting
• Strong knowledge of inventory, WIP, job costing, standard costing and manufacturing margins
• Experience overseeing purchasing, materials, inventory control or supply-chain functions
• Experience managing payroll, benefits or HR administration
• Manufacturing, aerospace, metal fabrication, industrial services, distribution or construction experience strongly preferred
• Strong working knowledge of ERP systems and operational reporting
• Experience with QuickBooks, Ramp, Rippling or comparable systems preferred
• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance or a related field preferred
• Must be available to work onsite five days per week

This is an opportunity for a senior, entrepreneurial operator who wants meaningful authority, direct access to leadership and responsibility for strengthening and scaling a growing manufacturing business.