Controller: AI-Focus

Connexa Search Group; Birmingham (AL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Connexa Search Group is sourcing a Controller for a Birmingham-based professional services firm driving AI-powered accounting transformation. You will own the back-office finance function, ensuring a daily-close discipline, and building scalable processes under the CFO’s leadership.

You will design and implement AI workflows for transaction classification, reconciliation prep, and reporting, while managing an Accounting Assistant and collaborating with leadership on strategic initiatives.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of progressive accounting experience.
• Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance required.
• CPA or CPA-track strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience building or fixing close processes and internal controls, not just running existing ones.
• Multi-entity accounting experience and proficiency on a cloud accounting platform.
• Professional services experience strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Own the monthly close end to end on a disciplined calendar, including balance sheet reconciliations.
• Lead the development of AI-driven accounting processes: design workflows where AI handles classification, reconciliation prep, report drafting, and variance flagging, while you own review, exceptions, and controls.
• Manage day-to-day accounting operations across a multi-entity structure on a cloud accounting platform.
• Rebuild the credit card reconciliation and transaction classification process, evaluating and recommending software where it makes sense.
• Implement and maintain segregation of duties and internal controls within the firm's finance SOP framework.
• Produce timely, reliable financial reporting for the CFO, leadership, and outside parties including lenders and diligence requests.
• Manage and develop the Accounting Specialist.
• Support annual reconciliation, tax preparation handoff, and audit readiness.
• Continuously improve finance processes and systems as the firm scales.

Skills

Tech-savvy

AI in accounting

Process design

Close processes

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's in Accounting

CPA preferred

Tools

Cloud accounting platform

AI tools

Job description

Alex Hagen with Connexa Search Group is working with a Birmingham-based professional services company searching for a Controller to lead their ai-driven accounting processes. This will be a fun and rewarding role for someone who is tech-savvy and enjoys developing processes!

The Company

Our client is a Birmingham-based professional services company that has grown rapidly over the past several years and expects that growth to continue, including through acquisition. Leadership is actively investing in AI and automation inside the accounting function, and this hire is the person who will build and run it.

Summary

The Controller owns the entire back-office finance operation so the CFO can focus on M&A, strategy, and advisory work with leadership. This is a build-and-run role. You will take over the accounting , consolidate accounting responsibilities currently split across several people, and put a disciplined close, reconciliation, and controls framework in place. The standard is simple: the books are current every day, not just at month end, and any financial question from ownership can be answered quickly. The Controller reports to the CFO and manages an Accounting Assistant.

Why This Role

• There is a rough draft of design in place, however you will refine how AI and automation are used in this accounting function, not inherit someone else's setup.
• Direct access to the CFO and leadership, with real ownership of the finance function
• Fast-growing, firm where your work is visible and your process improvements stick
• This role can fit a an up and coming senior accountnat who has the confidence and drive to move to the next step in their career or someone who is already in accounting leadership who is tech savvy and wants to drive this process.

Responsibilities

• Own the monthly close end to end on a disciplined calendar, including all balance sheet reconciliations
• Lead the development of AI-driven accounting processes: design workflows where AI handles transaction classification, reconciliation prep, report drafting, and variance flagging, while you own review, exceptions, and controls
• Manage day-to-day accounting operations across a multi-entity structure on a cloud accounting platform
• Rebuild the credit card reconciliation and transaction classification process, evaluating and recommending software where it makes sense
• Implement and maintain segregation of duties and internal controls within the firm's finance SOP framework
• Produce timely, reliable financial reporting for the CFO, leadership, and outside parties including lenders and diligence requests
• Manage and develop the Accounting Specialist
• Support annual reconciliation, tax preparation handoff, and audit readiness
• Continuously improve finance processes and systems as the firm scales

Qualifications

• Confident, tech-savvy operator who is already using AI tools in accounting work or is eager to lead that adoption
• 5+ years of progressive accounting experience
• Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance required
• CPA or CPA-track strongly preferred
• Demonstrated experience building or fixing close processes and internal controls, not just running existing ones
• Multi-entity accounting experience and proficiency on a cloud accounting platform
• Professional services experience strongly preferred
• Structured and flexible in equal measure: keeps the core work current while absorbing urgent requests from ownership
• An owner, not a processor: brings problems forward with solutions attached