Controller

DAVIDS HYDRO VAC; Fort Snelling Unorganized Territory (MN); On-site; USD 115,000 - 125,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k)

Unlimited PTO

Company-sponsored benefits

Job summary

Davids Hydro Vac seeks a hands-on Controller to lead accounting, payroll, financial reporting, budgeting, and FP&A in Minnesota. You will own month-end close, reporting, and the weekly union payroll for ~130 employees, while building scalable processes and KPIs for leadership insight.

Experience in large union payrolls, QuickBooks/ADP, and a strong finance background are required. The role is on-site with competitive compensation and benefits, including performance-based bonus opportunities.

Qualifications

• Approximately 7 to 10 years of progressive accounting and finance experience, including roles like Controller, Assistant Controller, or Accounting Manager.
• Significant hands-on payroll experience, ideally in a large, complex or union payroll environment.
• Experience with budgeting, forecasting, financial analysis, and management reporting.
• Strong internal controls understanding and ability to develop KPI dashboards and reporting.
• Experience improving financial processes and systems within a growing organization.

Responsibilities

• Own the month-end close process, GL, and timely financial reporting.
• Partner with AP/AR to ensure accuracy, controls, and segregation of duties.
• Coordinate year-end reporting with external CPA.
• Take ownership of the weekly payroll for ~130 employees in a union environment.
• Develop budgeting, forecasting, and budget-to-actual reporting.
• Create KPIs, dashboards, and management reporting for leadership.
• Analyze financial results and translate into actionable insights.

Skills

Payroll management

Financial reporting

Budgeting & forecasting

KPIs & dashboards

Financial analysis

Independent work

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting/Finance

CPA or CMA preferred

Tools

ADP Workforce Now

QuickBooks

Excel

Job description

Davids Hydro Vac is an established and growing organization serving the Minnesota market with a strong reputation in the hydrovac and excavation industry. The company employs approximately 130 team members and is proud to have a union-strong workforce represented by the Local 49 Operating Engineers Union and Local 563 Laborers Union.

Built on a commitment to safety, reliability, quality service, and taking care of its people, Davids Hydro Vac has developed a strong foundation for continued growth. As the organization enters its next phase, leadership is investing in the financial infrastructure, reporting, systems, and processes needed to support a more scalable and sophisticated business.

Position Overview

The Controller will serve as the primary in-house finance and accounting leader for Davids Hydro Vac, with responsibility spanning accounting, payroll, financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, and financial analysis.

This is a hands-on role that blends traditional controllership responsibilities with operational finance and FP&A. The Controller will personally own key day-to-day activities while also helping the organization develop stronger reporting, processes, controls, and financial insights as the business continues to grow.

A significant initial focus will be learning and taking ownership of the company’s large, complex weekly payroll process. As the individual becomes established in the role, responsibilities will expand across month-end close, management reporting, budgeting and forecasting, KPI development, and broader financial decision support.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the month-end close process, general ledger, and preparation of timely and accurate financial reporting.
• Partner with team members supporting accounts payable and accounts receivable to ensure accuracy, appropriate controls, and segregation of duties.
• Coordinate year-end reporting, and other financial requirements with the company’s external CPA.

Payroll

• Take direct ownership of the company’s large and complex weekly payroll process for approximately 130 employees.
• Manage payroll within a multiple union environment, including the unique requirements, deductions, and processes associated with union employees.
• Ensure payroll is processed accurately, completely, and on time while maintaining strong documentation and controls.
• Utilize ADP Workforce Now for Construction and related systems to manage payroll activities and resolve payroll-related issues.
• Build an annual budgeting process and establish more consistent forecasting and budget-to-actual reporting.
• Develop meaningful KPIs, dashboards, and management reporting that provide leadership with greater visibility into business performance.
• Analyze financial results, trends, and variances and translate the information into clear, actionable insights for leadership.

Controls, Systems & Process Improvement

• Evaluate and strengthen internal controls, financial policies, documentation, and accounting processes.
• Identify opportunities to streamline or automate manual processes and improve the accuracy and accessibility of financial information.
• Serve as a key resource for financial systems, including QuickBooks and ADP Workforce Now for Constuction, and help develop processes that can scale with the organization.

Leadership & Business Partnership

• Serve as a trusted financial partner to company leadership and provide thoughtful financial guidance as the business continues to grow.
• Build strong relationships across the organization and help leaders understand how operational decisions impact financial performance.
• Bring a hands-on, solutions-oriented approach with the ability to move comfortably between detailed accounting work and higher-level financial analysis.

Qualifications

• Approximately 7 to 10 years of progressive accounting and finance experience, including experience as a Controller, Assistant Controller, Accounting Manager, or similar role.
• Strong accounting foundation with demonstrated ownership of month-end close and financial reporting.
• Significant hands-on payroll experience required, ideally within a large, complex, or union payroll environment.
• Experience with ADP Workforce or a comparable payroll platform preferred.
• Experience with budgeting, forecasting, financial analysis, and management reporting.
• Strong understanding of internal controls, segregation of duties.
• Ability to develop KPIs, dashboards, and reporting that translate financial information into meaningful business insights.
• Experience improving financial processes and systems within a growing organization.
• QuickBooks experience strongly preferred.
• Strong Excel, analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work independently and take ownership within a lean finance environment.
• Experience within construction, field services, manufacturing, distribution, or another operationally complex environment preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field required.
• CPA or CMA preferred, but not required.

This is a full-time position based primarily on-site at Davids Hydro Vac. The organization values having this individual embedded in the business and working closely with leadership and the broader team.

Limited flexibility may be available as the individual becomes established in the role. This position is not intended to be a remote role.

Davids Hydro Vac offers a competitive compensation and benefits package designed to attract an experienced, hands-on finance professional who can grow with the organization.

• Base Salary: $115,000 to $$125,000

• Annual Bonus: Performance-based annual bonus opportunity

• Benefits: Health insurance, 401(k), unlimited PTO, and additional company-sponsored benefits

Final compensation will be commensurate with experience, qualifications, and overall alignment with the role and organization.