Onsite Manufacturing Controller - Build Finance Function

Forge Fire & Company; Bucyrus (OH); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Forge Fire & Company, based in Bucyrus, Ohio, seeks its first Controller to build and lead the accounting function from the ground up. This onsite role reports to the Owners and drives the monthly close, GAAP-compliant reporting, and scalable controls for a growing manufacturing business.

The ideal candidate brings 5+ years of manufacturing accounting, strong cost accounting, ERP/MRP experience, and exceptional communication to partner with operations and leadership.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or a closely related field.
• 5+ years of progressive accounting experience, including meaningful ownership of the monthly close and financial statement preparation.
• Manufacturing accounting experience with direct responsibility for inventory and cost accounting.
• Working knowledge of U.S. GAAP including percentage-of-completion accounting, general-ledger accounting, reconciliations, financial controls, and financial reporting.
• Demonstrated ability to improve accounting processes, resolve data discrepancies, and build structure in an evolving environment.
• Advanced Excel skills and experience using accounting and manufacturing/MRP systems.
• Clear communication, sound judgment, discretion, and the ability to work effectively with both shop-floor and executive-level partners.
• A hands-on approach and willingness to perform detailed work while also developing scalable processes and longer-term strategy.
• Ability and willingness to work onsite at the Company’s Bucyrus, Ohio manufacturing facility.

Responsibilities

• Financial close and reporting. Own the monthly and year-end close; establish a disciplined close calendar; prepare timely, accurate financial statements, management reports, account reconciliations, journal entries, and supporting schedules in accordance with GAAP.
• Accounting integrity and controls. Maintain the general ledger and chart of accounts; design and document practical internal controls, approval authorities, accounting policies, and repeatable workflows appropriate for a growing manufacturer.
• Manufacturing and cost accounting. Strengthen inventory valuation, bills of material, routings, labor and overhead rates, standard or actual costing, work-in-process, job costing, variance analysis, scrap, reserves, and gross-margin reporting.
• Inventory governance. Partner with production, purchasing, and operational leaders to improve transaction discipline, physical inventories, cutoffs, reconciliations, and the accuracy of raw material, WIP, and finished-goods records.
• Systems ownership and data quality. Optimize current systems, including our current QuickBooks Online environment,; establish clear ownership of financial master data; resolve data and process gaps; improve reporting reliability and reduce manual work.
• ERP strategy and implementation readiness. Assess business requirements, process maturity, and data quality; help evaluate and select a future ERP platform to eventually replace our current QuickBooks Online system; and play a leading and collaborative role in system design, migration, testing, controls, training, and adoption.
• Planning and decision support. Partner with the Owners and leadership team on budgets, forecasts, cash-flow visibility, capital planning, pricing and margin analysis, make-versus-buy decisions, and operating performance metrics.
• Working capital and cash controls. Monitor receivables, payables, inventory, and cash conversion; strengthen cash disbursement and banking controls; support treasury activity and lender reporting as assigned.
• Compliance and external relationships. Coordinate and act as the point of contact with the CPA firm, tax advisors, banks, insurers, and other outside partners; support tax filings, financial reviews or audits, sales and use tax, fixed-asset records, and other financial compliance requirements.
• Cross-functional leadership. Translate financial information for non-financial leaders, constructively challenge inconsistent practices, and build accountability across operations, purchasing, administration, and leadership.
• Team and function development. Define the future accounting organization, recommend staffing and role responsibilities, create appropriate segregation of duties and backup coverage, and train or lead accounting staff as the company grows.
• Payroll and benefits accounting. Partner with HR to ensure payroll and benefit-related entries, reconciliations, liabilities, and financial controls are complete and accurate; provide review without displacing HR’s operational ownership.

Skills

GAAP knowledge

Cost accounting

Advanced Excel

Process improvement

Cross-functional collaboration

Financial reporting

Education

Bachelor’s degree in accounting/finance

Tools

MRPeasy

QuickBooks Online

Job description

Forge Fire & Company, based in Bucyrus, Ohio, seeks its first Controller to build and lead the accounting function from the ground up. This onsite role reports to the Owners and drives the monthly close, GAAP-compliant reporting, and scalable controls for a growing manufacturing business.

The ideal candidate brings 5+ years of manufacturing accounting, strong cost accounting, ERP/MRP experience, and exceptional communication to partner with operations and leadership.