Lead Senior Accountant in Overland Park, Kansas at Overland Park Garden Center

FAMILY TREE NURSERY | JOB DESCRIPTION

Lead Senior Accountant

Employment Type: Full Time, Exempt

Location: Overland Park, KS – in person

Department: Corporate

Who We Are

Family Tree Nursery started in 1964 when the Nelson family decided to take a chance on a small, bankrupt garden center in Overland Park. Six decades later, Family Tree Nursery is one of the top garden centers in the nation — three retail locations, two growing facilities, and a team of passionate horticulturalists who take great pride in what they grow and sell.

We are still family-owned and locally operated. We grow a significant portion of what we sell right here in Kansas City. We know our guests by name. And we believe that connecting people to plants, to beauty, and to one another is work worth doing well.

Our corporate team in the middle of a meaningful transformation — modernizing our operations, building our team, and putting the structure in place that will carry this business confidently into its next 60 years. This role is critical to that work.

The Role

The Lead Senior Accountant is responsible for strengthening the financial foundation of Family Tree Nursery — building structure, improving processes, and bringing clarity and accountability to how work gets done across the accounting function.

This is not a maintenance role. This is a building role.

You will step into a business that has grown quickly, where systems and processes have not always kept pace. You’ll bring order where it’s needed, without disrupting what makes this place special. You’ll oversee core accounting functions including payables, receivables, and financial reporting, while managing and developing a small team.

This role sits at the center of the business — partnering with corporate leadership, retail stores, and farm operations to ensure financial processes are accurate, timely, and aligned. You’ll be hands-on early, learning the business from the ground up, while gradually building a more scalable, consistent accounting function.

Family Tree Nursery is a seasonal, retail-driven business. The rhythm of the work changes throughout the year. The busy season is intense. The off-season is when we build. This role requires someone who understands that balance and shows up accordingly.

You'll THRIVE in This Role if…

You’ve walked into a messy process before and didn’t flinch. You mapped it, fixed it, and left it better than you found it.You know the difference between structure that helps and structure that suffocates, and you build the kind that people actually follow.You can zoom out and see the big picture, but you’re just as comfortable rolling up your sleeves and fixing what’s right in front of you.You’ve worked in a business where operations and finance didn’t always speak the same language — and you became the bridge.You value relationships. You’re patient, conversational, and approachable, but you can also set clear expectations and follow through.Every time you walk into Family Tree Nursery, you feel something. You recognize that this is more than a retail business, and you want to help build what it becomes next.

What You'll OWN

Accounting Operations & Process Development

Own and oversee day-to-day accounting operations including accounts payable, accounts receivable, and general ledger activityBuild, document, and implement scalable accounting processes that improve accuracy, consistency, and efficiency across the businessCreate true process ownership across the team — moving from task-based execution to clear accountability for outcomesIdentify gaps, inefficiencies, and areas of risk — and take initiative to address them with practical, sustainable solutionsTake the time to understand why current processes exist before changing them — preserving what works while improving what doesn’tSupport month-end and year-end close processes, working toward amore structured and timely close cadenceEnsure financial data integrity across systems including QuickBooks, POS, and internal reporting toolsProvide backup support for payroll processing, ensuring continuity and accuracy; prior payroll experience is a plus

Team Leadership & Development

Manage and develop a small team of direct reports, providing clear expectations, accountability, and supportCreate structure within the team — defining roles, responsibilities, and workflows that allow each person to do their best workLean into team dynamics — coaching through resistance where needed and building on strengths already in placeFoster a culture of ownership, follow-through, and continuous improvement

Corporate & Operational Leadership

Support retail operations by building and reinforcing financial and operational processes that enable stores to run effectivelyDoes this statement seem moreaccurate? Partner across corporate office, retail stores, and farm teams to improve communication, financial visibility, and execution of company initiativesPartner with leadership to help drive forward organizational structure and operational improvementsIntroduce structure without disrupting the culture — balancing accountability with the relational, people-first nature of the business

What You Bring

5+ years of accounting experience, with exposure to operational or retail environments strongly preferredExperience building or improving accounting processes in a growing or changing businessPrior experience managing or mentoring team membersStrong working knowledge of accounting systems (QuickBooks preferred), Excel, and financial reportingComfort operating in environments that are not fully built — able to create structure where it doesn’t yet existStrong communication skills — able to work with diverse teams and all levels of the organization.A grounded, practical approach — able to balance getting things done with getting them done rightExperience processing payroll is a plus

Additional Information

Job descriptions are written for the ideal — and the ideal candidate rarely exists on paper, exactly as described. If this role sounds like you, but you don’t check every box, apply anyway. We care far more about how you think, what you’ve built, and whether you genuinely enjoy this kind of work than we do about your resume hitting every line item.

This is a salaried, exempt role. We measure success by the strength of our processes, the clarity of our financials, and the effectiveness of our team. Our business is highly seasonal, and expectations flex with the rhythm of the year.