Controller

Hueman PE Talent Solutions•Philadelphia, PA

13d

About The Position

An established commercial equipment service, repair, installation, and parts provider serving Greater Philadelphia, South Jersey, and the surrounding region is seeking a hands-on, growth-minded Controller to lead its finance and accounting function. Recently acquired by a private equity sponsor, the company is transitioning from a highly profitable, metrics-driven family-owned business to a professionally managed platform positioned for organic growth and add-on acquisitions. The ideal candidate brings service-industry accounting experience, a strong controls mindset, and the ability to build scalable financial processes, reporting, and systems in a lean, fast-moving environment. The candidate should also have a positive, collaborative attitude, respect for the company’s culture, and the ability to lead within it. The Controller will be part of the executive leadership team and lead accounting operations across the company’s service, installation, and parts divisions. The role owns financial close, reporting, controls, lender and sponsor compliance, audits, budgeting, cash management, systems, and support for M&A activity. It also manages the Billing team, mentors the accounting team, and handles HR responsibilities. As the business grows, the role may expand to include FP&A, business intelligence and KPI reporting, acquisition integration, additional administrative functions, and strategic partnership with the CEO and executive team.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field; CPA is strongly preferred.
At least 8 years of progressive accounting experience, including at least 3 years in a Controller, Assistant Controller, or similar leadership role.
Experience in a field service, facility services, mechanical/HVAC-R, or equipment service and distribution business.
Experience in a private equity-backed or lender-financed company, including sponsor reporting and covenant compliance.
Hands-on, roll-up-your-sleeves approach and comfort serving as both a strategic leader and an individual contributor in a lean team.
Expertise in job costing, service contract and project-based revenue recognition, and inventory accounting.
Demonstrated success designing and implementing internal controls and improving the financial close in a growing or transitioning organization.
Experience with accounting/ERP and field service management systems, including system selection or implementation.
Exceptional communication skills and ability to translate financial results into actionable insights for operators.
Proven experience adhering to and meeting deadlines.

Nice To Haves

Public accounting or audit background.
Familiarity with ASC 606 and other service-related accounting standards.
Familiarity with Sage accounting software.
M&A integration, purchase accounting, and multi-entity consolidation experience.
Experience helping a founder- or family-owned business transition to institutional ownership.
Advanced Excel capabilities and experience with BI and reporting tools such as Power BI.
Familiarity with the commercial foodservice equipment or HVAC/R service industry.
Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, results-driven culture with high accountability.

Responsibilities

Lead all accounting operations, including general ledger, accounts payable and receivable, payroll, job costing, and revenue recognition across the service, installation, and parts divisions.
Own the monthly, quarterly, and annual close and maintain a disciplined close calendar that delivers accurate financials on a predictable, accelerated timeline.
Elevate financial reporting to the cadence and rigor expected by the private equity sponsor and lenders, including monthly division-level P&Ls, KPIs, and variance analysis for the CEO and Board.
Maintain the integrity of the chart of accounts and ensure all balance sheet accounts are reconciled monthly.
Build job costing and margin visibility by division, service line, customer, and technician.
Track, reconcile, and recover manufacturer warranty claims and reimbursements.
Manage the Billing team with a focus on daily metrics.
Design, implement, and continuously improve internal controls, accounting policies, and segregation of duties to support a scalable, audit-ready environment.
Manage lender and sponsor compliance, including covenant calculations, borrowing base reporting, and other required deliverables.
Oversee external audits and quality of earnings work and ensure timely resolution of findings.
Partner with the CEO on the annual budget, forecasts, and cash management, including a rolling 13-week cash flow forecast.
Evaluate, optimize, and integrate accounting and field service management systems to support scalability and better operational data.
Support M&A activity, including due diligence, integration of acquired businesses, and purchase accounting.
Evolve and mentor a high-performing accounting team.
Handle HR, including hiring and firing responsibilities, annual performance reviews, Bamboo HR time reporting, the employee handbook, and company culture enhancement, including social media.
Take ownership of FP&A, including budgeting, rolling forecasts, pricing analysis, and capital planning as the role expands.
Evolve business intelligence and KPI reporting for leadership, including technician utilization and billable hours, revenue per technician, first-time fix rate, and contract attach and renewal rates.
Lead financial and back-office integration of add-on acquisitions as the platform grows.
Assume oversight of additional administrative functions as needed, such as HR and benefits administration, insurance and risk management, and IT.
Serve as a strategic business partner to the CEO and executive team on growth initiatives.
Perform other duties as assigned.