Business Unit Controller

Elliott International; Town of Texas (WI); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Elliott International is seeking a highly analytical Business Unit Controller to provide financial and operational oversight for a business unit within a large PE-owned organization. This hands-on role partners with operations leadership to drive profitability, cost control, and financial accuracy across labor costs, productivity, and budget adherence.

The ideal candidate will manage close processes, perform detailed P&L and balance sheet reviews, and translate financial results into actionable

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field.
• CPA or MBA.
• 5–10+ years of progressive accounting and finance experience, with operational or business-unit focus.
• Experience with month-end close, journal entries, reconciliations, and financial statement analysis.
• Strong ability to analyze P&L and balance sheet and identify misclassifications or aged balances.
• Experience with intercompany accounting, reconciliations, and eliminations.
• Proven ability to partner with operations leadership and non-finance stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead monthly, quarterly, and year-end close processes.
• Prepare and review journal entries, reconciliations, schedules, and financial statements.
• Conduct balance sheet reviews and ensure accuracy of key accounts.
• Perform granular P&L analysis and identify trends and variances.
• Own intercompany accounting, eliminations, and variance resolutions.
• Lead BU-level financial reviews with operations to explain P&L performance.
• Partner with operations to understand labor costs and cost drivers.
• Connect financial results to underlying operational activity and budgets.

Skills

Operational accounting

P&L analysis

Balance sheet reviews

Intercompany accounting

ERP systems

Advanced Excel

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance

CPA or MBA

Tools

Excel

ERP systems

Job description

We are seeking a highly analytical, hands-on Business Unit Controller to provide financial and operational oversight for a business unit within a large, PE-owned organization. This role is heavily focused on operational accounting, business-unit financial performance, and partnering directly with operations leadership.

The ideal candidate will have strong experience managing the close process, performing detailed P&L and balance sheet analysis, and working closely with operations to understand labor costs, operational cost drivers, budgets, productivity, and profitability. This person must be comfortable getting into the details of the financials, identifying and correcting issues, and translating financial results into actionable insights for operational and executive leadership.

This is not a purely corporate accounting role. The successful candidate will be a hands-on operational finance partner who can build credibility with operations teams, hold the business accountable to financial targets, and ensure financial information is accurate and meaningful before it reaches executive leadership.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and execute monthly, quarterly, and year-end close processes, ensuring accuracy and timeliness
• Prepare and review journal entries, account reconciliations, supporting schedules, and financial statements
• Conduct comprehensive balance sheet reviews, ensuring the integrity, accuracy, and proper reconciliation of key accounts
• Perform granular, detailed P&L reviews, identifying trends, variances, misclassified or inaccurate line items, and opportunities for improvement
• Identify and clean up aged, misclassified, or inaccurate balances and line items, improving overall financial integrity
• Own and manage intercompany accounting, including reconciliations, eliminations, and resolution of variances
• Lead business unit-level financial reviews, partnering with operations to analyze and explain P&L performance
• Build strong relationships with operations leadership, developing a deep understanding of labor costs, operational cost drivers, productivity, and accountability to budget
• Partner with operations to connect financial results to underlying operational activity, including labor, volume, revenue, productivity, and cost drivers
• Hold operations teams accountable to budget, forecast, and financial performance targets, providing analysis and recommendations for improvement
• Ensure financial results are thoroughly reviewed, accurate, and actionable before presentation to executive leadership, including COO-level stakeholders
• Identify opportunities to improve profitability, cost control, productivity, cash flow, and operational efficiency
• Support business-unit budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning processes
• Strengthen internal controls and ensure compliance with GAAP and company policies
• Support process improvements, system implementations, and other initiatives designed to improve financial reporting and operational performance
• Serve as a trusted financial partner to business unit leaders, operations, and executive management

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field
• CPA or MBA
• 5–10+ years of progressive accounting and finance experience, including significant operational or business-unit experience
• Proven experience with month-end close, journal entries, reconciliations, and financial statement analysis
• Strong experience performing detailed P&L and balance sheet reviews
• Demonstrated ability to identify and resolve misclassified, inaccurate, or aged financial balances
• Strong understanding of intercompany accounting, reconciliations, and eliminations
• Experience working directly with operations leadership and non-finance stakeholders
• Demonstrated understanding of labor costs, operational cost drivers, budgeting, and accountability to financial targets
• Experience supporting a multi-site, multi-location, multi-entity, or operationally complex organization preferred
• Ability to analyze operational KPIs and financial results together and translate findings into actionable recommendations
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to work effectively with operations leaders through executive/COO-level stakeholders
• Advanced Excel skills and experience with ERP systems

Ideal Industry Background

Candidates from operations-heavy environments are preferred, including:

• Industrial / Manufacturing
• Logistics / Transportation
• Construction
• Field Services
• Distribution
• Multi-site Services
• Other asset- or labor-intensive businesses

Experience in a private equity-backed or highly performance-driven environment is also highly desirable.

• Operational Finance & Accounting
• Business Unit Leadership
• P&L and Balance Sheet Ownership
• Labor & Cost Driver Analysis
• Budget Accountability
• Operational KPI Analysis
• Profitability & Cost Improvement
• Operations Partnership
• Executive-Level Communication
• Hands-On Problem Solving
• Private Equity / Performance-Oriented Environment