Controller-Supermarket Operations, Boston MA

Executive Leadership Solutions; Brockton (MA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Executive Leadership Solutions seeks a seasoned Controller for supermarket operations in the Greater Boston area. This senior, hands-on role owns accounting across 6 store locations and a central warehouse, managing the general ledger, payroll, AP, cash flow, and financial reporting.

You will drive weekly P&L cycles, margin analysis, vendor reconciliations, and multi-location reporting while partnering with store managers to optimize profitability and controls.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of accounting experience in supermarket/grocery retail environment
• Hands-on full-cycle bookkeeping and reconciliations
• Strong knowledge of grocery retail financials: shrink, margin analysis, weekly P&L
• Proficiency in Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, financial modeling)
• Bachelor's or Associate degree in Accounting/Finance or related field

Responsibilities

• Maintain and manage the general ledger across all store and warehouse entities
• Prepare and post journal entries including AR, retail adjustments, and accruals
• Perform monthly bank and credit card reconciliations
• Prepare weekly and monthly financial reports including P&L and balance sheets for all locations
• Analyze sales, payroll, markdowns, shrink, and gross margin to identify discrepancies and opportunities
• Provide actionable insights to improve profitability by vendor and department
• Oversee weekly cash flow planning and reporting
• Manage wire transfers, ACH, and portal payments
• Administer Positive Pay for fraud prevention
• Coordinate weekly check runs in line with budget
• Review and submit weekly payroll
• Run post-payroll reports and distribute to stakeholders
• Monitor payroll expenses and ensure alignment with store budgets
• Manage accounts payable and fixed expenses
• Develop and update monthly/quarterly budgets
• Track actual performance against budget and explain variances
• Support ownership in financial planning and strategic decisions
• Conduct financial reviews with each store location and partner with store managers
• Monitor KPIs across all locations and elevate concerns proactively
• Maintain internal controls and support audits

Job description

JOB DESCRIPTION

Controller – Supermarket Operations

Department Finance & Accounting

Reports To CEO

Scope Full-cycle accounting across 6 supermarket locations and central warehouse — Greater Boston area

About:

They are a family-owned, immigrant-founded grocery brand with deep roots in the Greater Boston area's Latino, Brazilian, and multi-ethnic communities. What started as a single store built on hard work, cultural pride, and a commitment to serving our neighbors has grown into a 6-location operation that remains as personal today as it was on day one.

Our stores are more than supermarkets — they are gathering places for communities that don't always see themselves reflected in mainstream retail. We carry the products, flavors, and brands that our customers grew up with, and we hire people who understand and celebrate that mission. Culture isn't a footnote here — it is the business.

We are proud of who we are, where we come from, and the communities we serve. The right person for this role will share that pride and bring genuine enthusiasm for what makes us different.

Position Summary

We are seeking an experienced Controller with a strong background in supermarket or grocery retail accounting to join our Finance team. This is a senior, hands‑on role responsible for owning all accounting operations — from general ledger management and reconciliations to financial reporting and cash management — across our 6 Greater Boston locations and central warehouse.

The ideal candidate brings deep familiarity with the financial rhythms of supermarket operations: weekly P&L cycles, shrink, margin analysis, vendor reconciliations, and multi‑location reporting. A key long‑term objective of this role is to absorb and internalize the full‑cycle accounting and reporting work currently handled by our third‑party accounting provider. Candidates with hands‑on experience at a supermarket company or a grocery‑focused accounting firm are strongly preferred.

What Makes This Role Unique

• Supermarket P&L dynamics — gross margin by department, markdowns, shrink, seasonal fluctuations
• Multi‑location reporting across 6 stores with store‑level accountability
• Vendor and trade reconciliations specific to grocery retail
• High‑volume, fast‑cycle weekly reporting tied to store operations
• A mission‑driven, community‑rooted culture where the work has real meaning

Key Responsibilities

1. Full‑Cycle Accounting & General Ledger
   • Maintain and manage the general ledger across all store and warehouse entities
   • Prepare and post journal entries including AR, retail adjustments, and accruals
   • Perform monthly bank and credit card reconciliations
   • Ensure accuracy and integrity of all accounting records
2. Financial Reporting & Analysis
   • Prepare weekly and monthly financial reports including P&L and balance sheets for all locations
   • Analyze sales, payroll, markdowns, shrink, and gross margin (GM%) to identify discrepancies and opportunities
   • Provide actionable insights to improve profitability by vendor and department
   • Deliver timely, accurate reporting to ownership and management
3. Cash Flow & Treasury Management
   • Oversee weekly cash flow planning and reporting
   • Manage wire transfers, ACH, and portal payments
   • Administer Positive Pay for fraud prevention
   • Coordinate weekly check runs in line with budget
   • Ensure proper handling and deposit of incoming checks
4. Payroll & Labor Oversight
   • Review and submit weekly payroll
   • Run post‑payroll reports and distribute to relevant stakeholders
   • Monitor payroll expenses and ensure alignment with store‑level budgets
   • Manage administrative expense reimbursements
5. Accounts Payable & Fixed Expenses
   • Manage recurring payments including rent, utilities, and vendor obligations
   • Ensure timely and accurate processing of all AP transactions
6. Budgeting & Forecasting
   • Develop and update monthly and quarterly budgets
   • Track actual performance against budget and explain variances
   • Support ownership in financial planning and strategic decision‑making
7. Store & Operational Partnership
   • Conduct financial reviews and regular meetings with each store location
   • Partner with store managers to identify and address financial performance issues
   • Monitor KPIs across all locations and elevate concerns proactively
8. Compliance & Internal Controls
   • Maintain adherence to internal controls and accounting policies
   • Support audits and documentation requests
   • Ensure compliance with applicable financial regulations

Requirements

Required

• Supermarket experience: 3+ years of accounting experience in a supermarket, grocery chain, or grocery retail environment
• Full‑cycle accounting: Hands‑on experience performing full‑cycle bookkeeping and reconciliations — not purely supervisory
• Industry fluency: Strong working knowledge of grocery retail financials: shrink, margin analysis, vendor reconciliations, weekly P&L
• Excel: Proficiency in Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, financial modeling)
• Education: Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field (or equivalent experience)

Strongly Preferred

• Experience with NetSuite or comparable ERP system
• Prior experience working with or at a supermarket‑specialized accounting firm
• Familiarity with multi‑location retail operations
• Experience with Positive Pay and bank portal systems

Nice to Have

• CPA or CPA candidate
• Experience migrating accounting functions from outsourced to in‑house

Key Competencies

• Ownership mindset — you treat the books as your own responsibility
• Detail‑oriented with high accuracy standards
• Strong communicator able to present financial data to non‑finance stakeholders
• Comfortable working in a fast‑paced, operationally driven environment
• Proactive problem‑solver who flags issues early and comes with solutions

A Note on Systems & Growth:

We currently use an external accounting provider with deep supermarket expertise for reconciliation and reporting. A primary long‑term goal of this role is to bring those functions fully in‑house under this Controller. This is a real opportunity to build something — to take ownership of the financial infrastructure of a growing, community‑driven brand and make it yours.

Experience with NetSuite is a plus but not required. What matters most is your knowledge of supermarket accounting and your ability to own the numbers end‑to‑end. System training will be provided.