Controller

Paul J. Ford & Company; Columbus (OH); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

Life insurance

Disability

Paid time off

401(k)

ESOP

Job summary

Paul J. Ford & Company in Columbus, OH seeks a seasoned Controller to lead accounting and finance functions, ensure robust internal controls, and drive strategic financial planning for a project-based engineering firm.

The role oversees general ledger, job costing, budgeting, forecasting, and audits, while managing tax, cash flow, and regulatory compliance. Strong ERP and Excel skills are essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting or finance is required.
• Master’s degree preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive finance/accounting experience, with at least 10 years in an architectural or engineering firm.
• Proven experience leading accounting close and financial reporting processes.
• Experience mentoring accounting staff.
• Experience with ERP/accounting systems.
• Strong Excel/financial modeling capability and comfort with reporting tools.
• Excellent internal and external communication.

Responsibilities

• Lead the firm’s accounting and finance functions with accurate financial reporting and strong internal controls.
• Direct general ledger, project accounting, budgeting and forecasting, billing and tax coordination.
• Serve as a strategic partner to leadership and provide financial insights for planning.
• Oversee accounting operations: general ledger, accounts receivable, accounts payable, job costing and related reconciliations.
• Manage year-end audit and tax reporting processes.
• Develop cash flow forecasts and working capital management.
• Improve billing accuracy, collections and financial processes.
• Lead ERP modernization and selection projects.

Skills

Financial reporting

Accounting

Budgeting

Forecasting

Cash management

Internal controls

Excel

Financial modeling

Education

Bachelor’s degree in accounting or finance

Master’s degree preferred

Tools

ERP systems

Excel

Job description

A roadmap for employee success and long-term commitment.

The formula is simple – support professional development, recognize successes, provide flexibility, offer exceptional perks, invest in cutting edge technology and create a fun workplace.
Culture establishes the reasons people want to work at a company. Happy employees are loyal employees. With an extremely low turnover rate, meaningful employee perks and an enjoyable atmosphere, Paul J. Ford & Company has been regularly recognized as a top place to work. When employees were surveyed and asked about company culture, they used the following words to describe it, family-oriented, fun, supportive, collaborative, teamwork, relaxed and community.

With a first-class benefits package and unmatched employee perks, the company promotes a fun atmosphere that treats employees well to facilitate success.

• Medical, dental and visioninsurance
• Company paid life insurance, short-term and long-term disability
• Paid holidays, vacation and sicktime
• Paid time off to volunteer
• Paid maternity/paternity leave
• 401(k) savings program
• Engineers are paid straight time for overtime
• Frequent social events and employee lunches
• Employee Assistance Program
• Jury Duty Leave
• Wellness Program
• Allstate Critical Illness, Accident and Cancer Insurance

Professional Development

As a professional services firm, we understand that clients don’t hire a company, they hire people. We recognize that our greatest asset is our employees, so we want to continually invest in them by offering:

• Paid professional license fee – the company pays for engineers to take the professional engineering exam and offers a monetary bonus when passed
• Paid professional membership dues – the company encourages and pays for memberships in professional associations
• Continuing education – the company provides educational resources and training to further knowledge for not only engineering practices but also business fundamentals
• Tuition reimbursement - the company reimburses tuition expenses up to 10% of employee's salary or $5,000 whichever is less with maximum lifetime reimbursement of $25,000
• Cross Training – the company encourages engineers to learn new specialized skills through cross-training among our three market groups

Employee Stock Ownership Plan

Working hard today should include planning for the future. Paul J. Ford & Company makes saving for retirement easy. Since 1994, the firm has been an ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) company and became 100% employee owned in 2015. As an ESOP, our employees have a direct stake in the company, a position that they do not take lightly. In the role of employee owners, we are empowered to react quickly and make decisions in the best interest of our clients.
Employees are automatically enrolled in the ESOP which is driven by the profitability of the company and not by employee contributions. Basically, employees get significant benefits at no cost to them.
Historically, ESOP funds have provided a higher rate of return than other retirement plans which means higher employee balances. Research has also shown that ESOP companies are more profitable, grow faster, have more productive employees and ultimately a lower employee turnover rate.

Position:Controller

Location: Columbus, OH

Job Id:322

# of Openings:1

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following: The Controller leads the firm’s accounting and finance functions, ensuring accurate financial reporting, strong internal controls, and sound cash and risk management for a project-based engineering company. This role directs general ledger and project accounting, budgeting and forecasting, billing and collections, and tax and audit coordination, while serving as a strategic partner to leadership.

Corporate and Departmental Reporting, Analysis, and Planning The preparation and presentation of financial statements and reports that provide a comprehensive overview of the entire company’s financial performance and position. Additionally, providing financial and operational insights specifically tailored to individual departments within the company.

Responsible for managing the staff and functions of the Accounting Department to include but not limited to:

• Oversee accounting operations including general ledger, accounts receivable, account payable, job costing, and all related reconciliations.
• Oversee sales and use tax filing and compliance.
• Developing financial reporting packages for senior leadership.
• Ensuring compliance with accounting standards, tax regulations and statutory compliance testing.
• Manage the year-end audit and tax reporting processes
• Forecasting, budgeting, metric reporting and control, variance analysis.
• Cash flow and working capital management.
• Risk management and insurance analysis, selection and renewals.
• Departmental performance metrics.
• Monthly, annual financial statement compilation, analysis and reporting, delivered by the 10th business day of each month.
• Provide agreed upon Corporate and departmental reports and analysis to operational leadership to help drive awareness and efficiency.
• Lead Corporate planning initiatives that contribute to or supports planning activities that affect the entire organization.
• Lead Department planning initiatives that include establishing specific goals, budgets, staffing plans, and timelines that align with the department’s objectives.
• Lead and develop the finance/accounting function, including setting and achieving departmental goals and objectives.
• Provide cash forecasting and working capital planning, including 13-week cash forecasting as needed.
• Establish clear processes, accountability, and firm-wide financial discipline.
• Strengthen the collections process to improve the cash conversion cycle.
• Discuss client aging reports with departmental leadership.
• Manage the ESOP and 401k, the consultants used for the plans and compliance with Federal laws.

Business Development – Marketing and Sales Provide crucial financial insights, analysis, and strategic support that drive growth.

• Create detailed budgets for sales initiatives, headcount, travel, resources, etc., ensuring they align with company financial goals.
• Provide input and methodologies for forecasting sales revenue pipelines, helping to make achievable targets.
• Track and analyze the return on investment (ROI) for specific marketing campaigns and lead generation efforts. This includes comparing costs with the revenue generated or leads acquired.
• Flag financial trends, opportunities, or risks related to marketing expenses and sales pipeline.
• Provide financial modeling and analysis to evaluate the viability and potential profitability of new market entries or service offerings.

Company Administration The oversight and management of the operational functions that keep the company running smoothly and efficiently.

• Create a culture of trust and partnership with the President, Vice President, Directors, Board of Directors, and firm.
• Define and document processes and procedures.
• Coordinate, organize, and support departmental leadership to ensure they have what is needed to perform their jobs.
• Focuses on administrative, documentation, and communication that enable teams to work efficiently and achieve objectives.
• Partner with Project Managers (PMs) to improve project forecasting, fee burn tracking, and margin outcomes.
• Improve billing accuracy and speed; monitor unbilled accounts receivable, write-offs, aging, and collections.
• Identify opportunities for process improvements and implement best practices to enhance financial operations efficiency.
• Maintain the highest ethical standards for the Accounting Department.
• Manage banking relationships and support the negotiation of credit facilities and terms.

Technology Application of technical knowledge and the use of specialized tools, software, or systems arerequired to perform job tasks efficiently and meet organizational goals.

• Ensure that accounting system and individual downtime are at an absolute minimum level.
• Ensure compliance with the equipment replacement standards
• Manage the Managed Service Provider (MSP) to ensure appropriate backup.
• Lead the selection and implementation of an upgraded Enterprise Resources Planning (ERP), accounting, and project management system.
• Drive requirements gathering, workflow design, reporting needs, and user adoption for new financial systems.
• Oversee data cleanup/migration, testing, training, and go‑live readiness for ERP modernization.
• Manage and optimize the use of financial software and ERP systems.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting or finance is required.
• A master’s degree is preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive finance/accounting experience, with at least 10 years in an architectural or engineering firm.
• Proven experience leading or owning accounting close and financial reporting processes.
• Experience managing and mentoring accounting staff.
• Demonstrated experience working with or implementing ERP/accounting systems.
• Strong Excel/financial modeling capability and comfort with reporting tools.
• Excels at active communication internally and externally.

Strongly Preferred: Experience in engineering, architecture, construction, or other professional services; project-based accounting, job costing, and WIP reporting; improving AR/collections and cash forecasting; negotiating with banks and managing credit facilities.

Enhancing society through innovative engineering solutions.