Controller

Vernon Inc; Columbus (OH); On-site; USD 105,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401k Match

PTO 15 days

Paid Holidays

Bonus paid quarterly

Job summary

James Blinds is seeking a hands-on Controller to own the entire accounting function for a growing commercial construction subcontractor. You will perform day-to-day accounting, manage month-end close, and deliver accurate financial reporting.

This role requires strong organization, self-direction, and comfort moving between detailed data entry and strategic analysis. Location is in-person with potential hybrid transition; reports to the President.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of progressive accounting experience with full ownership of a month-end close
• Construction, subcontracting, or project-based industry experience strongly preferred
• Hands-on role including daily transactional entry, not yet a managed team
• CPA or CMA is a plus

Responsibilities

• Own the full accounting function: AP, AR, payroll, and job costing
• Manage month-end close, financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, and compliance
• Maintain WIP and project profitability analyses; provide insights to leadership
• Lead budgeting, rolling forecasts, and 13-week cash flow planning
• Oversee systems: QuickBooks Online Advanced and Paylocity; drive process improvements
• Support audits, lender reporting, and external CPA coordination

Skills

Month-end close ownership

Hands-on accounting

Organized

Self-directed

Analytical

Education

CPA/CMA (preferred)

Tools

QuickBooks Online Advanced

Excel/Google Sheets

Paylocity

Job description

Description

Controller – Job Description

Company: James Blinds

Location: In-person, with potential opportunity to convert to Hybrid

Reports To: President

About James Blinds:

James Blinds is a growing commercial construction subcontractor specializing in blinds and window treatments for commercial projects. We're at a stage where we're investing in a stronger accounting function, and this role is central to that — you'll work closely with the President and have real ownership over how the numbers are run.

Position Overview

The Controller owns the entire accounting function for James Blinds as a hands‑on, one-person department. This is a full‑stack seat with no support staff: the Controller personally performs the day-to-day transactional work — AP, AR, payroll, and job cost entry — while also owning the month‑end close, financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, cash management, and compliance. The role combines the discipline of a bookkeeper with the judgment of a financial leader, and requires someone who is comfortable moving between detailed data entry and strategic analysis on the same day. The right person is highly organized, self‑directed, and takes pride in owning the numbers end to end.

1. Day-to-Day Accounting Operations

Accounts Payable (AP)

• Enter all vendor bills with correct job coding, manage approvals, and pay on terms
• Set up and maintain vendors (W-9s, ACH information)
• Monitor cash outflows and flag unusual spend or duplicate charges

Accounts Receivable (AR)

• Invoice completed or milestone-based work and track collections by job and customer
• Follow up on overdue invoices with customers / GCs
• Coordinate lien waivers, pay apps, and closeout documentation

Payroll

• Run payroll accurately each pay period in Paylocity
• Submit certified payroll and compliance documentation to customer portals on time
• Allocate payroll expense by office, job, and labor category; record benefits, taxes, and accruals correctly

2. Job Costing & Project Financials

• Create projects in QBO with onboarding/offboarding protocols; code labor, materials, and other costs to the correct job and phase
• Partner with Ops + Estimating to compare estimated vs. actuals, identify margin erosion early, and flag problem jobs before they blow up
• Maintain WIP reporting (over/under billings) and lead post-job financial reviews

3. Month-End Close & Financial Reporting

• Own the monthly close end to end: reconciliations (bank, credit cards, payroll, AR/AP), accruals, prepaids, and inventory adjustments, on a fixed timeline
• Prepare and present monthly P&L by office, job profitability summaries, and cash flow report to the President
• Ensure leadership can trust the numbers — accurate and on time, not “whenever it gets done”

4. Budgeting, Forecasting & Cash Management

• Own the annual budget with the President and department leads
• Maintain rolling forecasts and update for backlog and pipeline changes
• Lead cash management: 13-week cash flow forecasting and line-of-credit usage
• Define and track company KPIs (gross margin by job type, backlog, overhead ratio, DSO/DPO)
• Model the financial impact of major decisions (new offices, hires, equipment, large contracts)

5. Compliance, Controls & Risk

• File sales tax; manage state and locality licenses and registration requirements
• Coordinate insurance certificates (including WC) with customers and agents; track OCIP/CCIP requirements on enrolled projects
• Maintain internal controls appropriate to a one-person department (bank alerts, President review of large disbursements, documented approvals)
• Lead audits, lender reporting, and insurance renewals; serve as primary contact for the external CPA

6. Systems & Process Ownership

• Serve as accounting system owner (QBO Advanced) and payroll system owner (Paylocity); improve workflows between Accounting and Ops, Procurement, and HR/Payroll
• Automate and streamline routine work to stay effective as a solo function (bank feeds, recurring entries, payment tools)
• Document processes with checklists and video SOPs so the function is not dependent on tribal knowledge — and so it is ready to scale when the team grows

Note on Growth

This role is scoped as a standalone Controller for at least the first year. As transaction volume grows, the company expects to add a Bookkeeper reporting to this role; the Controller is expected to build documented processes and controls that make that future handoff clean.

Compensation and Benefits

• Base salary: $105,000–$115,000
• Plus a target annual bonus of ~$10,000, paid quarterly (based on company and role performance)
• Total target compensation ~$120,000–$125,000
• 5% 401k Match
• 15 Days PTO
• 8 Paid Holidays

Requirements

Qualifications

• 5+ years of progressive accounting experience with full ownership of a month-end close; Controller or senior Accounting Manager experience preferred
• Construction, subcontracting, or project-based industry experience strongly preferred; solid working knowledge of job costing and WIP
• Comfortable being fully hands‑on — this is a working Controller role that includes daily transactional entry, not yet a role that manages a team
• Highly organized and self‑directed, able to prioritize independently and switch between detail work and analysis
• Experience with budgeting, forecasting, and cash management
• Strong QuickBooks Online (Advanced preferred) and Excel/Google Sheets skills; experience with Paylocity a plus; CPA or CMA a plus