Controller

OuterFactor; Galesburg (MI); Hybrid; USD 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

OuterFactor in Galesburg, Michigan is seeking a hands-on Controller to own the accounting, financial planning, and management reporting in a truly hybrid environment. You will lead the monthly close, general ledger, reconciliations, forecasts, budgeting, inventory costing, and develop scalable processes with a part-time accountant and external CPA.

Reporting to the CEO, this role offers a base salary of $80,000 to $120,000, plus a performance bonus, with growth potential toward CFO as the

Qualifications

• Progressive accounting experience with ownership of the close, balance sheet, and financial statements.
• Experience in startup, small company, or hands-on environment.
• Strong experience with inventory, product, manufacturing, or supply-chain accounting.
• Demonstrated experience implementing accounting processes and controls within an ERP.
• Strong knowledge of GAAP, accrual accounting, financial statements and cash flow.
• Experience building budgets, forecasts, financial models, and management reporting.
• Strong analytical and Excel skills.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Good judgment on controls vs. simplicity.
• Ability to explain financial issues to non-accounting stakeholders.
• Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, or related field.

Responsibilities

• Own the monthly close, general ledger, reconciliations, accruals, payroll accounting, A/P, A/R, and cash activity.
• Ensure audit-ready, well-supported financial statements.
• Lead budgeting, rolling forecasts, cash forecast, and recurring reporting.
• Provide forward-looking financials to support pricing, inventory, and growth decisions.
• Own inventory, product costs, landed costs, purchasing, receiving, fulfillment, and revenue recognition.
• Collaborate with Operations, Product, and Supply Chain to reflect business reality in the ERP.
• Identify risks, establish ownership, and implement sustainable controls.
• Improve ERP workflows and reduce manual work for a financial cadence.
• Oversee work by part-time accountant and coordinate with external CPA.
• Reduce CEO’s involvement in routine accounting while maintaining visibility.

Skills

Close ownership

Balance sheet

Cash flow

Inventory accounting

GAAP knowledge

Budgeting

Forecasting

Excel skills

ERP experience

Independent work

Education

Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, or related field

Tools

NetSuite

ERP systems

Job description

Controller

Location: Galesburg, Michigan | Hybrid, 2 to 3 days per week in office

Reports to: CEO initially

Base Salary: $80,000 to $120,000, based on experience

Additional Compensation: Performance bonus

About OuterFactor

OuterFactor develops enterprise and commercial mobile accessories and device-protection solutions. Our work spans product development, manufacturing, supply chain, inventory, and enterprise distribution.

Our vision is to become the most trusted partner in enterprise mobility for business. We are building the financial infrastructure needed to support that growth and are looking for a Controller who can make the finance function reliable, useful, and scalable.

The Role

The Controller will take hands-on ownership of OuterFactor's accounting, financial planning, and management reporting.

This is an individual-contributor leadership role. The Controller will personally own the close, reconciliations, analysis, forecasting, and process improvement. The role will initially be supported by a part-time accountant working approximately 10 hours per week on core bookkeeping and transaction processing, along with the company's external CPA.

The right person will be comfortable moving between accounting details and business decisions. On any given day, that could mean investigating a balance-sheet discrepancy, improving an ERP workflow, reviewing inventory costs, updating the cash forecast, or helping leadership evaluate a business decision.

Growth Opportunity

As OuterFactor grows, this role has the potential to develop into a CFO position. That progression is not automatic or tied to a fixed timeline. It will depend on the company's growth and the Controller's ability to first build a dependable accounting foundation, then expand into financial planning, capital strategy, financing, decision support, and broader leadership.

We are equally open to someone who wants to build a long-term career as a high-impact Controller.

Outcomes You Will Drive

Build a dependable close and trustworthy financial statements

Own the monthly close, general ledger, reconciliations, accruals, payroll accounting, accounts payable, accounts receivable, and cash activity. Maintain accurate, well-supported financial statements and organized, audit-ready documentation.

Leadership should be able to rely on the financial statements without requiring the CEO to investigate or reconstruct the underlying accounting.

Establish useful financial planning and reporting

Own the annual budget, rolling forecast, cash forecast, and recurring management reporting. Clearly explain actual results, variances, margins, expenses, cash requirements, and working capital.

Give leadership a current, forward-looking financial picture that supports decisions involving pricing, inventory, product investments, operating expenses, financing, and growth.

Create confidence in inventory and product-cost accounting

Own the accounting processes surrounding inventory, product costs, landed costs, purchasing, receiving, fulfillment, and revenue recognition. Reconcile inventory activity to the general ledger and improve visibility into inventory value, movement, aging, margins, and working-capital requirements.

Partner with Operations, Product, and Supply Chain to ensure the financial system reflects how the business actually operates.

Implement practical processes and controls

Identify the most important accounting risks and control gaps, then implement processes the company can sustain. Establish clear ownership, documentation, review standards, and supporting evidence for recurring financial work.

Improve ERP workflows, reduce manual work, and create a financial operating cadence that does not depend on one person's memory.

Build the foundation for the future finance function

Direct and review work completed by the part-time accountant and coordinate with the external CPA. Determine which activities should remain internal, be outsourced, or be added as the company grows.

Reduce the CEO's involvement in routine accounting while improving financial visibility, accountability, and decision support across the leadership team.

What We Are Looking For

• Progressive accounting experience with meaningful ownership of the close, balance sheet, and financial statements.
• Experience working in a startup, small company, or another hands-on environment.
• Strong experience with inventory, product, manufacturing, or supply-chain accounting.
• Demonstrated experience implementing accounting processes and controls within an ERP.
• Strong knowledge of GAAP, accrual accounting, financial statements, and cash flow.
• Experience building budgets, forecasts, financial models, and management reporting.
• Strong analytical and Excel skills.
• Ability to work independently, identify problems, and move work forward without extensive supervision.
• Good judgment about where controls are necessary and where simplicity is more valuable.
• Ability to explain financial issues clearly to people outside of accounting.
• Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, or a related field.

CPA certification is welcomed but not required. Relevant experience, technical competence, and ownership are more important.

Experience with NetSuite is strongly preferred. Candidates with demonstrated experience improving processes and controls in another capable ERP will also be considered.

Working at OuterFactor

This is a hybrid position requiring two to three days per week in our Galesburg office. Regular office presence is important because the Controller needs to understand the physical flow of inventory, work directly with the operating team, and ensure financial processes match operational reality.

OuterFactor is a lean, growing company. This role is best suited to someone who enjoys building systems, solving ambiguous problems, and seeing the direct impact of their work.