Controller

High Country Beverage Corp • Johnstown, CO

24d • $120,000 - $140,000 • Onsite

About The Position

High Country Beverage, a family-owned beverage distributor serving Northern Colorado, the Western Slope, and Kansas through Crown Distributors, is hiring a Controller to lead the accounting team from its Johnstown, Colorado office. The Controller owns accounting books for all locations, oversees timely and accurate monthly and annual closes, maintains a clean and reconciled general ledger, runs accounting systems, and ensures payroll, excise taxes, and audits are handled appropriately. The role leads an Accounting Supervisor and an Accountant and reports to the Chief Financial Officer.

This is a hands-on position focused on improving accounting operations. The Controller will document accounting processes and build automations, including use of AI tools such as Claude Cowork, to shorten the close and make work more repeatable. The position is full-time, salaried, and in-office. Pay is $120,000–$140,000 per year based on experience and qualifications, with eligibility for an Annual Leadership Bonus Program based on company EBITDA performance against budget; the program may be modified or discontinued at the Company's discretion.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting.
• At least 8 years of progressive accounting experience, including personal ownership of a complete monthly close.
• At least 3 years supervising accounting staff and reviewing their work.
• Strong GAAP knowledge, including leases, intangible assets and impairment, accruals, and inventory.
• Multi-location accounting experience, including intercompany and related-party activity.
• Experience supporting interim and year-end audits and working directly with external auditors.
• Hands-on ERP experience beyond end use, including configuration, workflows, permissions, and troubleshooting.
• Advanced Excel skills.
• Offers of employment are contingent upon successfully completing applicable background screenings and drug screening consistent with company policy and applicable law.

Nice To Haves

• Active CPA or eligibility to obtain a CPA.
• Sage Intacct and Paylocity experience.
• Inventory-intensive distribution or manufacturing experience.
• Alcohol beverage excise tax or regulatory reporting experience.
• Public accounting experience.
• Experience using AI tools such as Claude Cowork or other automation to document and streamline accounting processes.

Responsibilities

• Own monthly and annual close for all locations, with books closed by the 10th business day.
• Review journal entries and account reconciliations, manage intercompany activity, and deliver a reconciled trial balance to the CFO.
• Research, document, and record leases under ASC 842, intangible asset impairment, accruals, prepaids, and fixed assets; raise significant or unusual matters with a recommended answer to the CFO.
• Serve as functional owner of Sage Intacct and Beanworks, including user access, approval workflows, and integrations with Encompass and Paylocity.
• Ensure actuals flow accurately from Sage Intacct to Martus each month.
• Document accounting processes end to end and build automations to shorten the close and reduce manual work.
• Oversee bi-weekly payroll processing for all locations, including pre-release review, reconciliations, and backup coverage.
• Own Colorado and Kansas alcohol excise and regulatory reporting for beer, wine, and spirits, as well as unclaimed property and other recurring filings.
• Design and monitor internal controls.
• Support interim and year-end GAAP audits and serve as the auditors’ day-to-day contact for accounting questions.
• Lead, coach, and develop the Accounting Supervisor and Accountant.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Up to 20 days of paid time off in the first year.
• 401(k) match of up to 5% of contributions, with a 2-year vesting period for company contributions.
• Bi-weekly pay and on-demand pay available through Paylocity.
• Employee beverage discount.
• Eligibility for the Annual Leadership Bonus Program, based on company EBITDA performance against budget; the program may be modified or discontinued at the Company's discretion.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior