Assistant Controller - Accounting Operations
Position Summary
Reporting to the North America Regional Controller, the Assistant Controller - Accounting Operations is responsible for leading transactional accounting operations, with primary responsibility for Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, billing, collections, and cash application across the region.
This role combines hands‑on operational leadership with people management, process improvement, internal controls, and cross‑functional partnership. The Assistant Controller will establish clear accountability, improve service levels and working capital performance, and develop scalable processes across AP and AR. The ideal candidate brings strong AP/AR expertise, accounting knowledge, demonstrated people leadership, and a track record of improving transactional accounting operations.
Key Responsibilities
1. AP/AR & Accounting Operations
- Lead Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, billing, collections, cash application, and related transactional accounting processes.
- Ensure timely, accurate, and complete processing of supplier invoices, customer invoices, receipts, credit memos, payments, and reconciliations.
- Monitor invoice approvals, payment runs, vendor setup, collections activity, dispute resolution, and customer account health.
- Analyze aging trends, unapplied cash, overdue balances, payment terms, and other drivers of working capital performance.
- Develop and monitor KPIs for AP and AR performance, including accuracy, cycle times, aging, collections, and service levels.
- Partner with Procurement, Operations, Sales, and Customer Service to resolve supplier and customer issues efficiently.
2. Controls & Process Improvement
- Maintain strong internal controls across AP, AR, billing, collections, cash application, and related processes.
- Review key reconciliations, accruals, reserves, aging reports, and other accounting schedules within assigned areas.
- Identify control gaps, operational risks, and process bottlenecks and drive practical solutions.
- Standardize and document procedures to improve consistency, strengthen controls, and reduce manual work.
- Drive automation and process improvements across transactional accounting activities.
- Support ERP enhancements, workflow redesign, testing, and implementation of finance tools.
3. Leadership & Team Management
- Lead, coach, and develop AP/AR and other assigned accounting team members.
- Establish clear roles, priorities, service expectations, and accountability across transactional accounting functions.
- Provide ongoing coaching, development, and performance feedback to build a high‑performing team.
- Foster a culture of accuracy, responsiveness, continuous improvement, and strong customer and vendor partnership.
- Support hiring, onboarding, organizational development, and succession planning within assigned areas.
4. Strategic & Operational Support
- Support monthly, quarterly, and annual close activities, with primary responsibility for AP/AR‑related accounts and accruals.
- Partner with the Controller, FP&A, IT, Operations, Procurement, Commercial, and other business leaders on cross‑functional initiatives.
- Provide reporting and analysis on AP/AR performance, working capital, service levels, and operational trends.
- Support internal and external audit requirements and ensure readiness of supporting documentation.
- Lead or support finance transformation initiatives and other projects impacting accounting operations.
- Partner effectively with shared services and other finance organizations to drive accountability, consistent processes, and issue resolution.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field.
- 7+ years of progressive accounting experience, including meaningful responsibility for AP and AR operations.
- 2+ years of people leadership or direct management experience preferred.
- Experience in an Assistant Controller, Accounting Manager, Senior Accounting Manager, AP/AR leadership, or similar role.
- Strong knowledge of accounting principles, month‑end close, reconciliations, internal controls, and transactional accounting.
- Demonstrated experience leading process improvements, automation, or system implementations.
- Experience with ERP systems and Microsoft Excel; experience with automated workflow tools is a plus.
- Manufacturing or other complex, multi‑site operating environment experience preferred.
- CPA or CPA‑track preferred but not required.
- Strong analytical problem‑solving, communication, collaboration, and project‑management skills.
- Ability to prioritize effectively and operate with accountability in a fast‑paced environment.