Corporate Controller / pre-IPO $350mm+

Summit Executive Search Group; United States; On-site; USD 200,000 - 225,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

ESOP consideration

Job summary

Summit Executive Search Group seeks a Corporate Controller for a fast-growing Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex company. This player-coach role demands hands-on leadership of the accounting function, strong GAAP reporting, and readiness for potential IPO compliance.

The candidate will lead monthly close, strengthen internal controls, oversee consolidation and journal entries, and partner with executives on cash management, budgeting, and strategic financial decisions while building a scalable

Qualifications

• Progressive accounting leadership experience.
• Complex close process experience.
• Hands-on accounting leadership with willingness to work in detail.
• Demonstrated process improvement experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead monthly, quarterly, and annual close processes.
• Oversee consolidation, journal entries, and account reconciliations.
• Ensure GAAP-compliant financial reporting.
• Strengthen internal controls and financial reporting processes.
• Lead audit preparation and coordinate with auditors.
• Support IPO readiness, SEC reporting, and SOX readiness initiatives.
• Build accounting infrastructure and ERP optimization.
• Mentor and scale the accounting organization.
• Partner with leadership on cash management, budgeting, and forecasting.

Skills

Hands-on leadership

Close process

Process improvement

Public company accounting

Education

CPA (preferred)

Tools

ERP systems

Financial systems

Job description

Summit Executive Search Group is a retained executive search firm focused on identifying and placing high-impact leaders for growth companies, private equity-backed organizations, and businesses undergoing significant transformation.

Built on discipline and precision forged in the U.S. Marine Corps, the firm is known for searches that are fast, highly targeted, and designed for long-term impact. With more than 25 years of experience, Summit Executive Search Group has maintained a 100% search completion rate and a 97% retention rate beyond five years.

The firm's work spans C-suite, board, and critical functional leadership assignments across organizations ranging from emerging growth companies to substantial middle-market businesses. Summit has deep experience across executive and senior leadership functions, including extensive work within finance and accounting leadership.

Summit is typically engaged when the position is important enough that identifying the right leader, not simply generating candidates, is what matters.

The Opportunity

Summit Executive Search Group has been retained to identify a Corporate Controller for a rapidly growing, $350M+ revenue company in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex as it continues to scale and prepares its financial organization and infrastructure for potential public-company requirements.

The Corporate Controller will lead the accounting and financial control function and play a key role in building the accounting organization, processes, controls, and financial infrastructure required to support continued growth and future public-company readiness.

This is a true player-coach position. The successful candidate will bring public-company-level accounting sophistication while remaining deeply involved in the day-to-day details of the accounting function.

This individual must be comfortable getting into the details of the close, financial reporting, reconciliations, journal entries, technical accounting issues, internal controls, audit preparation, systems, and processes when necessary. This is not a role for someone accustomed to managing exclusively through a large, highly layered accounting organization.

The Corporate Controller will oversee the monthly close and consolidation processes, ensure accurate GAAP-compliant financial reporting, strengthen internal controls, and help build the accounting infrastructure required to support continued growth.

The Controller will partner closely with executive and operational leadership while working with tax, FP&A, external auditors, and other advisors on IPO readiness, SEC reporting requirements, PCAOB audits, SOX compliance, and other financial initiatives.

The successful candidate will also build, mentor, and scale the accounting team, optimize ERP and financial systems, and drive meaningful process improvements throughout the organization.

This is a full-time, on-site position in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex requiring close collaboration with executive leadership and key stakeholders.

Compensation: $200,000 to $225,000 base salary per year, plus bonus. Relocation assistance is available for the right candidate. The company is also evaluating the implementation of an ESOP as part of its future ownership and compensation strategy. Relocation assistance is available for qualified candidates.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and continually improve the monthly, quarterly, and annual close processes
• Maintain direct involvement in the details of the close and accounting operations
• Ensure accurate and timely GAAP-compliant financial reporting
• Oversee consolidation, journal entries, account reconciliations, and accounting operations
• Strengthen internal controls and financial reporting processes
• Lead audit preparation and coordinate with external auditors and advisors
• Help build the accounting infrastructure required for IPO and public-company readiness
• Support SEC reporting, PCAOB audit, and SOX readiness initiatives
• Partner with executive leadership on cash management, budgeting, forecasting, and financial decision-making
• Partner closely with operational leaders throughout the organization
• Support acquisition integration and continued organizational growth
• Implement, optimize, and improve ERP systems and accounting processes
• Identify and eliminate inefficient or inadequate accounting processes
• Recruit, develop, mentor, and scale the accounting organization
• Balance strategic leadership with direct hands-on execution when needed

REQUIRED

• Progressive accounting leadership experience
• Complex close process experience
• Highly hands-on accounting leadership experience, with the ability and willingness to work directly in the details of the close, financial reporting, reconciliations, controls, and accounting processes rather than managing exclusively through layers of staff
• Demonstrated process improvement experience

PREFERRED

• CPA, active or inactive
• Controller, Assistant Controller, or Senior Director of Accounting experience
• Inventory-intensive business experience
• ERP implementation or significant ERP optimization experience

The Right Candidate

The strongest candidate will combine the technical sophistication and financial discipline of a public-company accounting environment with the hands-on mentality required in a growing middle-market organization.

You should be equally comfortable discussing SOX, PCAOB, SEC requirements, and IPO readiness with senior leadership and rolling up your sleeves to solve a close, reconciliation, control, system, or accounting issue with your team.

For the right accounting leader, this is an opportunity to help build the financial foundation of a substantial growth company at an important point in its evolution.