Automotive Controller - Fairfax, VA
Element Partners•Chantilly, VA
•Onsite
About The Position
A top-performing luxury brand dealership in Fairfax, VA is hiring a Controller to run the business office. This is a high-volume store in one of the strongest retail automotive markets in the country — meaningful new and used volume, a heavy F&I and fixed ops contribution, and a factory that expects clean, on-time reporting every month. This is not a caretaker seat. The dealer principal and GM want a Controller who protects the numbers, tightens the schedules, and gives leadership a real read on where gross is coming from and where it's leaking.
Requirements
- 3+ years as a dealership Controller or Office Manager ready to step up
- Automotive experience is required
- Strong command of a dealership DMS — CDK / Reynolds & Reynolds / Dealertrack preferred
- Proven ability to close on time and keep schedules clean
- Comfort with luxury or high-line brand reporting requirements and factory audits
- Hands-on leadership of a business office team, including hiring, training, and accountability
- Advanced Excel and a genuine analytical instinct — you find the problem before it shows up on the statement
- Discretion, integrity, and the judgment to tell a dealer something they don't want to hear
Nice To Haves
- Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance preferred
- CPA a plus, not a requirement
Responsibilities
- Monthly financial statement preparation and on-time submission to the factory
- Month-end close, journal entries, accruals, and reconciliation of all balance sheet schedules
- Daily cash management, bank reconciliations, floor plan reconciliation, and curtailment tracking
- Factory receivables: warranty claims, incentives, holdback, and rebate collection — aged and cleared, not carried
- Full oversight of the business office: title and tag clerks, billing, AP/AR, warranty administration, and payroll
- Internal controls, deal jacket compliance, and Safeguards Rule adherence
- Payroll processing and commission/pay plan calculation for sales, service, and management
- Expense control, vendor management, and month-over-month variance analysis for the GM and dealer
- Working capital, insurance, licensing, and Virginia DMV compliance
- Partnering with department managers to explain the statement — not just publish it
Benefits
- Performance bonus tied to store profitability
- Medical, dental, and vision
- 401(k) with company match
- Paid time off and paid holidays
- Employee purchase and service discounts
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
