CONTROLLER at Yanmar Compact Equipment North America, Inc. – Grand Rapids, Minnesota

"Yanmar One" Controller – YCENA (Grand Rapids, MN)

ROLE OVERVIEW

The Controller will play a critical leadership role in strengthening the financial foundation of YCENA, ensuring disciplined execution, transparency, and governance across all accounting and financial operations.

This role goes beyond traditional accounting oversight. The Controller will be responsible for building, enforcing, and sustaining a best-in-class financial control environment, addressing legacy gaps, and driving a culture of accountability and operational excellence aligned with our One Yanmar philosophy.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Financial Governance & Control

• Establish and enforce robust financial controls, policies, and compliance frameworks across YCENA
• Identify, escalate, and resolve legacy gaps in accounting practices, reserves, and reporting accuracy
• Ensure full compliance with US GAAP and Yanmar global standards
• Act as a guardian of financial integrity and transparency

2. Financial Reporting & Accuracy

• Own the accuracy, completeness, and timeliness of financial statements
• Oversee general ledger, sub-ledgers, and reconciliations with zero tolerance for unsupported balances
• Lead variance analysis with clear root cause identification and actionable insights (not just reporting)

3. Operational Finance Partnership

• Partner cross-functionally (Operations, Supply Chain, Commercial, Parts) to improve financial visibility and decision-making
• Translate operational performance into financial impact and risk
• Drive accountability across the organization for financial outcomes

4. Audit, Compliance & Risk Management

• Lead all internal and external audits with a proactive, no-surprises approach
• Strengthen internal controls to mitigate financial and operational risk
• Ensure readiness and documentation standards meet audit expectations at all times

5. Working Capital & Cash Discipline

• Oversee AR, AP, and cash application processes with strong controls and visibility
• Drive improvements in cash flow, inventory accuracy, and balance sheet integrity
• Eliminate process inefficiencies and aging issues

6. Fixed Assets & Capital Discipline

• Ensure full control and accuracy of fixed asset registers and depreciation
• Establish discipline around capital investment tracking, validation, and reporting

7. Team Leadership & Culture

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of 5 with clear expectations and accountability
• Build a high-performance culture grounded in:
  • Discipline
  • Ownership
  • Transparency
• Address performance gaps directly and constructively

8. Continuous Improvement & Transformation

• Identify and implement process improvements across accounting and finance
• Support ERP optimization (Epicor/YDS alignment where relevant)
• Drive standardization aligned with One Yanmar operating model

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance
• CPA designation (active or inactive)
• 5+ years progressive accounting experience
• Minimum 3 years leadership experience in the industry

Preferred

• Experience in manufacturing or assembly environment
• Experience working through business integration, turnaround, or transformation
• Strong exposure to inventory, cost accounting, and warranty/reserve structures
• ERP experience (Epicor strongly preferred)

CRITICAL CAPABILITIES (THIS IS WHERE YOU DIFFERENTIATE THE HIRE)

• Strong financial judgment — not just reporting, but decision-making
• Ability to challenge the business constructively
• High level of ownership and accountability
• Comfortable operating in ambiguity and change
• Proven ability to identify issues others missed
• Strong backbone willing to push back when needed

SUCCESS PROFILE (WHAT GOOD LOOKS LIKE IN 6–12 MONTHS)

• No material audit surprises
• Clean, reconciled balance sheet with full transparency
• Clear understanding and correction of legacy accounting gaps
• Improved forecasting accuracy and variance explanations
• Strong partnership with operations and leadership
• A team that operates with discipline and accountability

The above Job Description is not intended to be an all-encompassing list of responsibilities, skills, efforts or working conditions associated with this position. It is intended to be a guideline reflecting the principal activities.

Worksite: Grand Rapids, MN Position: Controller

Job Type: Full Time FLSA: Exempt

Department: Operations Work Schedule: M-F

Starting Wage: Starting $120K and up DOQ with competitive benefits package; 15% of base bonus eligibility

This position offers the potential for discretionary bonus compensation up to 15% of base salary.

Benefits: YCENA currently offers a comprehensive benefits package including Medical, Dental, Vision, Basic Life & AD&D, Voluntary Term Life, Short & Long Term Disability, EAP, HSA, Medical & Dependent Care FSA, Accident Insurance, Critical Illness, and Hospital Indemnity, Paid Time Off, Paid Holidays, and a 401(K) plan with a company match of up to 4%.