Controller (AZALEA WANG)

AKIRA; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Pet Insurance

Life Insurance

FSA/HSA

CTA transit benefits

401(k)

Employee discount

Job summary

Azalea Wang is seeking an experienced Controller to lead the accounting function for a fast-moving wholesale footwear and fashion business. This full-time onsite role based in Chicago requires ownership of the complete accounting cycle from daily transactions through month-end close, financial reporting, and audit readiness.

The ideal candidate has 7+ years in wholesale apparel/footwear, a track record of building processes, leading a team, and delivering accurate financials.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance required (CPA preferred but not required).
• 7+ years of progressive accounting experience in wholesale apparel, footwear, or retail with at least 2 years in a Controller or senior accounting leadership role.
• Demonstrated ownership of the full month-end close cycle.
• Hands-on experience with wholesale AR - retailer deductions, remittance reconciliation, and high-volume vendor management.
• Strong understanding of inventory accounting, COGS, and cost of goods in a wholesale environment.

Responsibilities

• Own and execute the full monthly, quarterly, and annual close cycle end-to-end.
• Prepare and review financial statements, supporting schedules, and variance analysis.
• Ensure timely and accurate revenue recognition, inventory accounting, and expense accruals.
• Maintain general ledger integrity and manage the chart of accounts.
• Deliver clean, audit-ready financials to leadership on a consistent close calendar.
• Support budgeting, forecasting, and cash flow planning.
• Manage accounts receivable for wholesale accounts including department stores and specialty retailers.
• Reconcile retailer remittances against open invoices and resolve deductions.
• Oversee AP operations including high-volume invoice processing and vendor reconciliation.
• Manage inventory reconciliations, reserves, and shrink/write-off analysis.
• Build and maintain internal controls and process documentation.
• Partner with IT/admin on system configuration, data integrity, and automation opportunities.
• Collaborate with operations, sales, merchandising, and logistics on financial reporting and planning.
• Support annual audit preparation and act as primary contact for external auditors.

Skills

Team leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Financial analysis

ERP systems

Advanced Excel

Communication

Audit readiness

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance

Tools

NetSuite

Excel

Job description

Controller - Wholesale Footwear & Fashion

At Azalea Wang, we move fast, think big, and work collaboratively. Everyone has a voice here, ideas are encouraged, and self-starters thrive. We're a tight-knit, high-energy team that shows up every day ready to push product forward together.

The Position: Controller (Wholesale Footwear & Fashion)

Location: Chicago, IL- Full-time Onsite

Position Overview

Azalea Wang is seeking an experienced Controller to lead the accounting function and serve as the primary finance leader for the business. This is a full-ownership role: you will be responsible for the complete accounting cycle, from daily transactional operations through month-end close, financial reporting, and audit readiness.

The right candidate has deep experience in fast-fashion, wholesale apparel or footwear, or a similarly high-velocity inventory-driven environment. You have led a close, built processes from scratch, managed a team, and understand the full scope of what it means to be the top accounting resource in a fast-moving wholesale business.

Key Responsibilities

Month-End Close & Financial Reporting

• Own and execute the full monthly, quarterly, and annual close cycle end-to-end
• Prepare and review financial statements, supporting schedules, and variance analysis
• Ensure timely and accurate revenue recognition, inventory accounting, and expense accruals
• Maintain general ledger integrity and manage the chart of accounts
• Deliver clean, audit-ready financials to leadership on a consistent close calendar
• Support budgeting, forecasting, and cash flow planning

Wholesale AR & Retailer Reconciliation

• Manage accounts receivable for wholesale retail accounts including department stores and specialty retailers
• Reconcile retailer remittances against open invoices - identify, dispute, and resolve deductions and short payments
• Maintain deduction aging reports and track recovery on disputed retailer deductions
• Partner with sales and operations on retailer compliance requirements and EDI-related billing issues
• Develop and document AR processes to reduce deduction exposure and improve cash application accuracy

Accounts Payable & Vendor Management

• Oversee AP operations including high-volume invoice processing, vendor reconciliation, and payment management across a large domestic and international vendor base
• Manage payment runs, vendor statement reconciliations, and dispute resolution
• Work directly with international and domestic vendors on payment timing, invoice discrepancies, and account cleanup
• Ensure accurate three-way matching and proper cut-off for accruals

Inventory & Cost Accounting

• Ensure accurate inventory accounting across wholesale channels and product categories
• Manage inventory reconciliations, reserves, and shrink/write-off analysis
• Oversee COGS accounting and gross margin reporting by channel and category
• Partner with merchandising and operations on inventory controls, costing, and landed cost accuracy
• Support seasonal inventory roll-forwards and physical count reconciliation

Systems, Controls & Process Improvement

• Serve as the accounting owner of the ERP system (NetSuite preferred) - including saved searches, reporting, and workflow optimization
• Lead or support system implementations, upgrades, or integrations as needed
• Build and maintain strong internal controls and process documentation
• Identify and drive process improvements that increase accuracy, efficiency, and scalability
• Partner with IT/admin on system configuration, data integrity, and automation opportunities

Team Leadership & Cross-Functional Partnership

• Manage, review, and develop accounting team members
• Collaborate with operations, sales, merchandising, and logistics on financial reporting and planning
• Serve as a key finance partner to leadership on ad hoc analysis, business decisions, and strategic initiatives
• Support annual audit preparation and act as primary contact for external auditors

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance; CPA preferred but not required
• 7+ years of progressive accounting experience in wholesale apparel, footwear, fast fashion, or retail, with at least 2 years in a Controller or senior accounting leadership role
• Demonstrated ownership of the full month-end close cycle
• Hands-on experience with wholesale AR - retailer deductions, remittance reconciliation, and high-volume vendor management
• Strong understanding of inventory accounting, COGS, and cost of goods in a wholesale environment
• NetSuite experience strongly preferred; proficiency in other ERP systems considered
• Advanced Excel skills - comfortable building and maintaining complex reconciliation workbooks
• Experience managing direct reports and building team capacity
• Proven ability to build, improve, and document accounting processes in a fast-moving environment
• Strong communicator with the ability to work cross-functionally and present to senior leadership

Benefits & Perks: We offer competitive benefits for full-time employees, including Medical, Dental, Vision, Pet Insurance, Life, LTD, FSA/HSA/Dependent Care FSA, Flex Transit (CTA), 401(k), and a generous employee discount. We're committed to internal growth, providing meaningful development and career advancement opportunities.

Job Type: Full-TimeWe are committed to fair and transparent compensation practices. Compensation for this position will be determined based on experience, qualifications, and other job-related factors. Additional compensation and benefits may also apply and will be discussed during the hiring process.

We may utilize AI-assisted and automated tools as part of the recruiting and hiring process. All employment decisions are made in compliance with applicable laws and without discrimination.