Controller - WA State in Seattle, Washington at Emerald Auto LLC

LOCATION: Salt Lake City, UT
REPORTS TO: Chief Financial Officer
DIRECT REPORTS: 2 (Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable)

ABOUT THE ROLE: Emerald Auto Holdings is a growing, multi-location automotive services platform. We are seeking a highly capable, hands-on Controller to lead our accounting operations, strengthen financial controls, and build scalable processes to support continued growth.This is a role for someone who combines strong technical accounting skills with exceptional attention to detail, sound judgment, and a high degree of personal accountability.Our accounting infrastructure is evolving. The successful candidate will not simply inherit established processes and maintain them. They will be expected to identify gaps, build missing accounting schedules and reconciliations, establish disciplined close procedures, and take end-to-end ownership of the accounting function.We are looking for a proactive problem-solver who anticipates needs, follows issues through resolution, and operates with minimal day-to-day direction.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Month-End Close & General Ledger Accounting

• Own and execute the monthly close process, including establishing and maintaining a detailed close calendar, deliverables, and deadlines.
• Build, document, and maintain accounting schedules and supporting workpapers, including accruals, prepaids, fixed assets, depreciation, leases, and other material balance sheet accounts.
• Prepare and post recurring, adjusting, and month-end journal entries, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and appropriate support.
• Perform and oversee monthly balance sheet reconciliations, investigate discrepancies, and resolve outstanding items promptly.
• Establish consistent accounting policies, procedures, and internal controls.
• Ensure the general ledger is accurate, complete, and ready for monthly financial reporting.
• Identify and correct historical accounting issues and process deficiencies.

Cash Management & Treasury

• Own daily cash visibility, banking activities, and treasury operations.
• Develop, maintain, and continuously improve a rolling 13-week cash flow forecast based on actual expected receipts and disbursements.
• Monitor liquidity, payment timing, and working capital requirements.
• Manage bank reconciliations, cash transfers, and treasury-related controls.
• Proactively identify cash flow risks, timing issues, and opportunities to improve working capital.

Accounts Payable & Accounts Receivable

• Lead and supervise two accounting team members responsible for AP and AR.
• Establish clear processes, priorities, performance expectations, and accountability.
• Oversee vendor payments, payment terms, invoice processing, and vendor account reconciliations.
• Manage AR reconciliations, customer balances, collections, and cash application.
• Ensure accounting system integrations and transaction flows are accurate and complete.
• Take ownership of unresolved issues and drive timely resolution.

Rebates & Accounting Operations

• Own vendor rebate tracking, reconciliation, accruals, and collection.
• Establish controls to ensure rebates are accurately recorded and collected.
• Maintain accurate accounting records across multiple entities and locations.
• Coordinate recurring accounting-related tax filings and compliance requirements.
• Support acquisition integration, including opening balance sheet activities and the incorporation of acquired locations into established accounting processes.

Reporting & Cross-Functional Support

• Deliver a timely, accurate, and fully reconciled monthly trial balance and supporting accounting schedules to the CFO.
• Prepare limited recurring operational and accounting reports, including cash reporting, AR/AP aging, rebate tracking, and other assigned metrics.
• Investigate variances and provide clear explanations of accounting results.
• Partner with Payroll to ensure completed payroll is accurately recorded through journal entries, accruals, and liability reconciliations.
• Respond promptly and professionally to internal and external stakeholders, proactively communicating status, issues, and resolution timelines.

REQUIRED:

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance, with substantial accounting coursework.
• 7+ years of progressive accounting experience, including meaningful ownership of month-end close and general ledger accounting.
• Strong technical accounting knowledge, including accrual accounting, balance sheet reconciliations, and journal entry preparation.
• Demonstrated experience building accounting schedules, reconciliations, and processes—not simply reviewing or maintaining existing work.
• Hands-on cash management and cash flow forecasting experience.
• Experience supervising accounting staff and overseeing AP and AR functions.
• Strong Excel skills, including complex reconciliations, financial models, and data analysis.
• Exceptional attention to detail, organization, and follow-through.
• Ability to independently prioritize competing deadlines and drive issues through resolution.
• High proficiency in AI usage

PREFERRED:

• CPA designation.
• Experience in multi-location, multi-entity, or private equity-backed organizations.
• Experience integrating acquired businesses and standardizing accounting processes.
• Experience with QuickBooks Online, Bill.com, Ramp, or similar systems.
• Experience in automotive services or another decentralized, transaction-intensive industry.

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE:

Within the first 90 days, the successful candidate will have:

• Established and taken ownership of a structured monthly close calendar.
• Identified, developed, and documented missing balance sheet reconciliations and accounting schedules.
• Implemented a consistent process for journal entries, accruals, and general ledger review.
• Established a reliable, driver-based 13-week cash flow forecast.
• Taken effective ownership of AP, AR, rebates, and the two-person accounting team.
• Created clear visibility into outstanding accounting issues, priorities, and deadlines.
• Demonstrated proactive communication, sound judgment, and consistent follow-through.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

You are a hands-on accounting leader who takes pride in producing accurate work and building reliable processes. You are comfortable getting into the details, identifying problems others may have overlooked, and taking initiative to solve them.

You don't wait to be told what needs attention, and you don't consider an assignment complete until the underlying issue has been resolved.

You bring structure to ambiguity, hold yourself and your team accountable, and understand that responsiveness, professionalism, and sound judgment are essential to building a trusted accounting function.

SALARY: $135,000 to $145,000 Dependent upon Location and Experience