Controller

Acara Solutions, Inc.; Buffalo (NY); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Acara Solutions, Inc. seeks a seasoned Controller to partner with the CEO on strategy, capital allocation, and pricing. You will lead a small finance team, own FP&A, cash-flow planning, and the monthly close across multiple entities to support growth initiatives.

The role requires hands-on GL work, strong cash management, and experience in inventory-heavy environments. This is a builder role with broad scope across consolidation, tax, and risk management.

Qualifications

• Proven experience as a Controller or Director of Finance, with hands-on accounting and strategic leadership.
• Startup or high-growth experience building structure from scratch.
• Multi-entity accounting and consolidation experience.
• Hands-on in GL and spreadsheets, not just boardroom.
• Strong cash management and working capital in inventory-heavy businesses.

Responsibilities

• Serve as CEO’s financial partner on strategy and pricing.
• Lead FP&A: budgeting, forecasting, cash-flow planning, unit economics.
• Manage monthly close, consolidations, and reporting for 4–6 entities.
• Oversee AP, AR, payroll, tax coordination, and internal controls.
• Drive acquisitions: diligence, valuation, deal structuring, integration.
• Own weekly cash visibility across entities and bank accounts.
• Track debt, liquidity risk, and funding needs; support lender reporting.
• Analyze revenue and gross margin by channel; surface pricing issues.

Skills

Controller experience

Hands-on accounting

Multi-entity consolidation

Cash management

Inventory accounting

Startup experience

Education

CPA designation

Job description

Why You'll Love Working Here:Our client is a fast-growing holding company that is scaling quickly across their operating companies.

Why This Opportunity is Exciting:The Controller is a strategic financial partner to the CEO and the person who makes sure the books close cleanly every month. This is a builder's seat at a company that’s scaling fast. You’ll inherit a small, capable team that already handles the majority of day‑to‑day transactional work. Your job is to lead them and build the financial infrastructure a multi‑entity roll up needs to keep growing. Our client is seeking someone who’s a thought leader on strategy and capital but who will also roll up their sleeves and get the day‑to‑day done.

What You'll Do:

Finance Strategy & Accounting

• Serve as the CEO’s primary financial partner on strategy, capital allocation, and pricing
• Build and own FP&A: budgeting, forecasting, cash‑flow planning, and unit economics our businesses Manage banking, lending, and debt relationships; optimize working capital across inventory‑heavy businesses
• Run accurate, timely financials — P&L, balance sheet, and cash flow at both the entity and consolidated level
• Maintain strong internal controls, intercompany accounting, and a clean audit trail
• Translate numbers into decisions: tell us where we’re making money, where we’re not, and what to do about it
• Oversee AP, AR, payroll, and tax coordination
• Manage inventory accounting and costing across distribution, auction, and 3PL operations
• Drive the financial side of acquisitions — diligence, valuation, deal structuring, and post‑close integration as we continue to roll up the space
• Own the monthly close, consolidations, and reporting across 4–6 legal entities

Treasury & Cash Flow

• Own weekly cash visibility across all entities and bank accounts, and maintain short‑term cash‑flow forecasts
• Track LOC usage, debt service, and liquidity risk — flagging funding needs and timing issues to leadership early
• Support financing requests, credit applications, and lender reporting

Revenue & Margin Analysis

• Analyze revenue and gross margin by channel
• Surface margin compression, channel‑mix shifts, and pricing issues
• Connect financial results to actual inventory movement and sell‑through

Tax, Compliance & Insurance

• Oversee sales tax reporting, remittance, and exemption certificates across applicable states
• Coordinate multi‑entity tax planning and filings with outside CPAs
• Manage insurance renewals, certificates of insurance, claims, and audits
• Serve as the primary financial point of contact for audit, insurance brokers, lenders, and banks

Team & systems

• Lead and develop the existing small, capable finance team
• Choose, implement, and improve the financial systems
• Build the repeatable processes and reporting cadence that a growing roll up depends on

Job Requirements

What You'll Bring:

• Proven experience as a Controller, or Director of Finance, ideally having done both strategic and hands‑on accounting work
• Startup or high‑growth experience — you’ve operated where things are unfinished and built structure from scratch
• Multi‑entity accounting and consolidation experience
• Genuinely hands‑on: comfortable in the GL and the spreadsheets, not just the boardroom
• Strong command of cash management and working capital in an inventory‑ or asset‑heavy business
• The scrappy, get‑it‑done mindset that matches how we operate

What Sets You Apart:

• CPA designation
• Experience in distribution, wholesale, logistics/3PL, manufacturing, or another inventory‑intensive industry
• M&A / integration experience (diligence, deal structuring, folding acquired companies into the parent)
• Experience managing remote and/or offshore team members

Additional Information:

Aleron companies (Acara Solutions, Aleron Shared Resources, Broadleaf Results, Lume Strategies, TalentRise, Viaduct) are an Equal Opportunity Employer. Race/Color/Gender/Religion/National Origin/Disability/Veteran.

Applicants for this position must be legally authorized to work in the United States. This position does not meet the employment requirements for individuals with F-1 OPT STEM work authorization status.