Financial Controller

Graham Personnel Services; Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point (NC, NC, NC); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Graham Personnel Services is seeking a strong Controller to go beyond traditional accounting responsibilities and drive financial leadership for growth. The role reports to the President & Owner and oversees the accounting function, financial reporting, and planning to strengthen performance.

The ideal candidate will combine technical accounting expertise with strategic business sense, build a high-performing finance team, and partner with operations to improve profitability and cash flow.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field.
• 7–10+ years of progressive accounting/finance experience.
• 3–5+ years of leadership or supervisory experience.
• Strong month-end and year-end close, financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, and cash flow management.
• Experience supporting or coordinating audits and audited financial statements.
• Strong working knowledge of GAAP, internal controls, and financial reporting requirements.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills.
• Experience with accounting software and/or ERP systems.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze financial data and turn it into actionable business recommendations.

Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee all accounting operations, including general ledger, accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, fixed assets, cash management, and financial reporting.
• Own the monthly, quarterly, and annual financial close processes, ensuring timely and accurate results.
• Prepare and present financial statements and management reporting to executive leadership.
• Ensure financial reporting complies with GAAP and company accounting policies.
• Maintain the accuracy and integrity of the general ledger and financial systems.
• Establish accounting policies, procedures, and best practices that support a scalable organization.
• Lead the annual budgeting and financial planning process.
• Develop ongoing financial forecasts, cash flow projections, and financial models.
• Analyze actual results against budget and forecast and communicate meaningful variances to leadership.
• Translate financial data into actionable recommendations that improve profitability and operating performance.
• Partner with leadership on strategic planning, business initiatives, and long-term financial decisions.
• Maintain visibility into daily cash flow, liquidity, and working capital requirements.
• Manage banking relationships and support financing and debt-management activities.
• Identify opportunities to improve cash conversion, reduce costs, and increase profitability.
• Develop and monitor meaningful KPIs and financial dashboards that provide leadership with a clear view of business performance.
• Design, implement, and continuously improve internal accounting controls.
• Ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local tax and regulatory requirements.
• Coordinate external audits and serve as the primary accounting contact for auditors.
• Ensure accurate supporting documentation and resolve audit findings efficiently.
• Protect the organization's financial assets through strong controls, policies, and financial discipline.
• Lead, mentor, and develop the accounting team.
• Establish clear expectations, goals, processes, and performance standards.
• Build a culture of accountability, accuracy, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Identify opportunities to improve team effectiveness, automation, and workflow efficiency.
• Partner cross-functionally with operations and other business leaders to improve financial performance.
• Evaluate and optimize accounting and ERP systems, reporting tools, and financial processes.
• Identify opportunities to automate manual processes and improve reporting efficiency.
• Develop scalable workflows, controls, and reporting capabilities to support continued growth.
• Lead finance-related process improvement initiatives from concept through implementation.

Skills

Technical accounting

Financial leadership

Strategic thinking

GAAP expertise

Excel skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting/Finance

Tools

ERP systems

Financial reporting software

Job description

This is an opportunity for a strong Controller to go beyond traditional accounting responsibilities. The ideal candidate will bring a combination of technical accounting expertise, financial leadership, strategic thinking, and business acumen to help strengthen financial performance, improve processes, and support the company's continued growth.

Reporting directly to the President & Owner, the Controller will have meaningful visibility into the business and play a key role in financial decision-making. This individual will oversee the accounting function, lead financial reporting and planning, strengthen internal controls, manage cash flow, and develop a high-performing finance team.

What You'll Own

Financial Leadership & Accounting Operations

• Lead and oversee all accounting operations, including general ledger, accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, fixed assets, cash management, and financial reporting.
• Own the monthly, quarterly, and annual financial close processes, ensuring timely and accurate results.
• Prepare and present financial statements and management reporting to executive leadership.
• Ensure financial reporting complies with GAAP and company accounting policies.
• Maintain the accuracy and integrity of the general ledger and financial systems.
• Establish accounting policies, procedures, and best practices that support a scalable organization.

Financial Planning, Budgeting & Forecasting

• Lead the annual budgeting and financial planning process.
• Develop ongoing financial forecasts, cash flow projections, and financial models.
• Analyze actual results against budget and forecast and communicate meaningful variances to leadership.
• Translate financial data into actionable recommendations that improve profitability and operating performance.
• Partner with leadership on strategic planning, business initiatives, and long-term financial decisions.

Cash Flow & Business Performance

• Maintain visibility into daily cash flow, liquidity, and working capital requirements.
• Manage banking relationships and support financing and debt-management activities.
• Identify opportunities to improve cash conversion, reduce costs, and increase profitability.
• Develop and monitor meaningful KPIs and financial dashboards that provide leadership with a clear view of business performance.

Internal Controls, Compliance & Audit

• Design, implement, and continuously improve internal accounting controls.
• Ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local tax and regulatory requirements.
• Coordinate external audits and serve as the primary accounting contact for auditors.
• Ensure accurate supporting documentation and resolve audit findings efficiently.
• Protect the organization's financial assets through strong controls, policies, and financial discipline.

Leadership & Team Development

• Lead, mentor, and develop the accounting team.
• Establish clear expectations, goals, processes, and performance standards.
• Build a culture of accountability, accuracy, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Identify opportunities to improve team effectiveness, automation, and workflow efficiency.
• Partner cross-functionally with operations and other business leaders to improve financial performance.

Systems & Process Improvement

• Evaluate and optimize accounting and ERP systems, reporting tools, and financial processes.
• Identify opportunities to automate manual processes and improve reporting efficiency.
• Develop scalable workflows, controls, and reporting capabilities to support continued growth.
• Lead finance-related process improvement initiatives from concept through implementation.

What We're Looking For

We are looking for a proven accounting leader—not simply a strong accountant. The ideal candidate understands how financial information drives business decisions and can confidently move between detailed accounting issues and high-level strategic conversations.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field.
• 7–10+ years of progressive accounting/finance experience.
• 3–5+ years of leadership or supervisory experience.
• Strong experience with month-end and year-end close, financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, and cash flow management.
• Experience supporting or coordinating audits and audited financial statements.
• Strong working knowledge of GAAP, internal controls, and financial reporting requirements.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills.
• Experience with accounting software and/or ERP systems.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze financial data and turn it into actionable business recommendations.

Preferred

• CPA designation strongly preferred.
• Experience in a Controller, Assistant Controller, Accounting Manager, or similar senior-level finance leadership position.
• Experience in a growing or entrepreneurial organization where the Controller serves as a hands‑on business partner to ownership/executive leadership.
• Experience implementing ERP systems, improving accounting processes, or automating financial reporting.