# Controller - Manufacturing #0610 > Keller Executive Search · Cincinnati, United States · Full-time · Posted 2026-03-11 **Salary:** USD 170,000–180,000 **Workplace:** on_site **Department:** R-CG ## Description Our client, a private equity-backed precision manufacturing business based in Ohio, serves the aerospace and industrial supply chain and is looking to appoint a Controller to lead the company’s full accounting and financial reporting function. This is a highly hands-on Controller position suited to a technically strong accounting professional who is comfortable operating in a lean manufacturing environment. The organization has a deliberately small team, so the successful candidate must be able to set direction while also executing the work directly. Our client is seeking someone with deep manufacturing accounting expertise, strong ownership of the close process, and a disciplined approach to accuracy, controls, and efficiency. This role is ideal for a Controller who leads by example, pays close attention to detail, and takes pride in delivering a clean, timely close. **Key Responsibilities** - Partner with operations and management to understand production costs, labor efficiency, material usage variances, and overhead absorption, translating shop floor activity into accurate financial results. - Lead the monthly, quarterly, and annual close process from start to finish, including journal entries, account reconciliations, intercompany eliminations, and preparation of accurate financial statements, including P&L, balance sheet, and cash flow statement. - Design, implement, and maintain effective internal controls across all accounting processes, identifying gaps and driving continuous improvement in procedures and documentation. - Manage inventory accounting in a manufacturing environment, including physical count coordination, variance analysis, WIP valuation, and standard cost reviews. - Support the CFO with cash flow forecasting, working capital management, and board and lender reporting. - Oversee transactional accounting activities, including accounts payable, accounts receivable, cash disbursements, invoicing and billing, customer credits and collections, and payroll. - Manage and maintain the job costing system, tracking costs by job, work order, and production run to support accurate cost-of-goods-sold and gross margin reporting at the product and customer level. - Prepare and distribute timely management reporting packages for the CFO and executive leadership, including budget-versus-actual analysis, variance commentary, and key operational metrics. - Lead the annual audit process as the primary day-to-day contact for external auditors, preparing audit schedules and support packages. - Drive a timely and accurate close cycle, continually identifying and removing bottlenecks to shorten the close timeline. - Calculate and record accruals, asset depreciation and amortization, interest expense, prepaid amortization, and other period-end entries accurately and on schedule. - Coordinate with external tax preparers to ensure tax workpapers, schedules, and filings are accurate and submitted on time. - Lead ongoing improvements to the ERP and finance system, taking ownership of system accuracy, chart of accounts integrity, and automation of manual accounting processes. - Maintain and reconcile the fixed asset subledger, including capital expenditure tracking, disposals, and depreciation schedules for manufacturing assets. - Manage and develop a small accounting team by setting clear expectations, providing hands-on coaching, and holding the team accountable for deadlines and accuracy standards. ## Requirements - Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance, with Accounting preferred. - Strong job costing experience, including the ability to set up, maintain, and analyze job cost structures within an ERP environment. - US Citizenship required. - Proven ERP experience as a hands-on system user, with the ability to improve accuracy and processes within the ERP environment. - Minimum of 7 to 10 years of progressive accounting experience, including at least 5 years in a Controller or Assistant Controller role. - Demonstrated ability to lead a small accounting team while staying fully involved in the work. - Solid manufacturing accounting background is required, with an understanding of cost flow through production, including raw materials, WIP, finished goods, labor, and overhead. - Experience with fixed asset accounting, capital expenditure tracking, and depreciation schedule management. - Demonstrated ownership of the complete monthly close cycle, including journal entries, account reconciliations, intercompany eliminations, financial statement preparation, and variance analysis. - A hard-working professional who takes pride in accuracy, owns deadlines, and holds themselves and their team to a high standard in a high-output, get-it-done environment. - Strong knowledge of GAAP and internal controls, with the ability to implement and maintain a sound control environment in a lean team setting. - Hands-on experience with inventory accounting, physical counts, WIP valuation, and cost variance analysis. - Experience in multi-entity manufacturing environments and financial statement consolidation. - Percentage-of-completion accounting experience is a strong plus. **Preferred Qualifications** - Experience working within a private equity-backed portfolio company, including familiarity with equity-based management incentive plans and liquidity events. - CPA designation. - Percentage-of-completion accounting experience is a strong plus. ## Benefits - Retirement: 401(k) - Equity: Equity participation through the Management Incentive Plan, MIP. - Base Salary: Approximately $180,000 to $210,000. - Health Benefits: Medical, dental, vision, and ancillary coverage. - Bonus: Performance-based bonus. - Vacation: 3 weeks. Keller is a recruitment agency that provides services to clients ranging from startups and non profits to multinational corporations. Keller emphasizes ethical search processes, attentive candidate care, and leadership placements that support long-term client outcomes. To learn more about the firm and about our candidate services - please visit [Headhunters Ohio: Keller Executive Search and Recruiters Ohio](https://www.kellerexecutivesearch.com/executive-recruiters-headhunters-columbus-cleveland-and-cincinnati-ohio/) **Equal Employment Opportunity and Non-Discrimination Policy** **Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:** Both Keller Executive Search and our clients are Equal Opportunity Employers. 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