Senior Accountant, Inventory and Operations

Katalyst Group; Hinsdale (IL); Hybrid; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid Schedule

On-site 3 days/week in Western Suburbs

Job summary

Katalyst Group is hiring a Senior Accountant who will own inventory accounting processes, controls, and improvements. You will partner with accounting, finance, operations, and executives to translate operational activity into stronger financial controls and better decision-making.

You’ll lead cycle counts, ensure accuracy, and drive system enhancements while supporting month-end close, reconciliations, and audit needs. This role offers autonomy and visibility across the business.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting required.
• 3–5 years of accounting or audit experience.
• Public accounting/audit background is a plus for Senior level.
• CPA or progress toward CPA is a plus.
• Experience in inventory, manufacturing, distribution or inventory-intensive environments adds value.
• Solid understanding of U.S. GAAP, internal controls, and financial reporting.
• Strong Excel skills and comfort with ERP/operational systems.
• Process-improvement mindset and ability to translate operations into controls.

Responsibilities

• Own inventory accounting processes, controls, policies and procedures.
• Redesign and strengthen inventory processes end-to-end.
• Improve cycle counts, accuracy, reconciliations, testing procedures.
• Collaborate with warehouse/operations to connect operations to financials.
• Identify gaps in inventory visibility and reduce adjustments/losses.
• Evaluate and improve systems supporting inventory transactions, seeking automation.
• Lead cross-functional talks on new processes and train operations teams.
• Support month-end close, journal entries, reconciliations, variance analysis, reporting, and audits.
• Maintain strong internal controls and U.S. GAAP compliance.
• Gain exposure to senior leadership and impact the business.

Skills

Excel proficiency

Internal controls

GAAP knowledge

Financial reporting

Process improvement

Cross-functional communication

Independent ownership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting

CPA or CPA progress

Tools

ERP systems

Job description

This isn’t your typical Senior Accountant role.

Katalyst Group is partnering with a growing, privately held organization to hire a Senior Accountant who wants to do more than manage journal entries, reconciliations, and month-end close. This individual will have the opportunity to take real ownership of the company’s inventory accounting environment and help build and improve the processes, controls, and systems behind it.

The role offers significant autonomy and exposure across the business. You’ll partner directly with accounting, finance, operations, warehouse leadership, and senior executives, learning how the business operates from the ground up and helping translate operational activity into stronger financial controls and better decision-making.

What You’ll Do

• Take ownership of inventory accounting processes, controls, policies, and procedures.
• Evaluate existing inventory practices and help redesign and strengthen processes from end to end.
• Develop stronger cycle count, inventory accuracy, reconciliation, and testing procedures.
• Partner closely with warehouse and operations teams to understand what is happening operationally and connect it back to the financials.
• Identify breakdowns in inventory visibility and controls and develop solutions that can directly reduce unnecessary adjustments and losses.
• Help evaluate and improve the systems supporting inventory transactions, including identifying opportunities for better integration, automation, and longer-term system enhancements.
• Lead cross-functional conversations around new processes and help train operational teams on changes.
• Support core accounting responsibilities, including month-end close, journal entries, reconciliations, variance analysis, financial reporting, and audit support.
• Maintain strong internal controls and accounting policies in accordance with U.S. GAAP.
• Gain meaningful exposure to senior leadership while working on initiatives with a visible impact on the business.

What We’re Looking For

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting.
• Approximately 3-5 years of accounting or audit experience.
• Public accounting and/or external audit experience is highly attractive, particularly for someone who has operated at the Senior level.
• CPA or progress toward a CPA is a plus.
• Industry experience involving inventory, manufacturing, distribution, or other inventory-intensive environments is valuable but not required.
• Strong understanding of U.S. GAAP, internal controls, and financial reporting.
• Strong Excel skills and comfort learning and working across ERP and operational systems.
• A process-improvement mindset. You naturally ask“why?” and look for opportunities to build a better solution rather than simply following an existing process.
• Ability to communicate effectively with everyone from frontline operational employees to senior executives.
• Comfortable operating independently, taking ownership, and building structure where it doesn’t currently exist.

Base salary plus annual bonus

Hybrid Schedule - 3 days on site in Western Suburbs

If you’re an accountant who enjoys fixing processes, understanding how a business actually operates, and seeing a direct connection between your work and the bottom line, this is an opportunity worth exploring.