Divisional Controller

Empower Brands•Richmond, VA

3d•$170,000 - $190,000

About The Position

The Divisional Controller is the senior accounting leader for Empower Brands’ Residential Division, which includes nine franchising brands, two company-owned markets, fourteen shared-service departments, and related holding-company entities. The role is accountable for establishing a reliable, well-controlled view of performance across the multi-entity platform while maintaining accurate entity-level accounting for management, auditors, lenders, and other stakeholders. Reporting directly to the Chief Financial Officer, the Divisional Controller owns franchisor accounting, company-owned market books, shared-service and holding-company entities, Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, the general ledger, close, reconciliations, consolidation, financial reporting, controls, and external audit coordination. The role partners closely with FP&A / Financial Reporting to consolidate the Residential Division into a single reported result. The position leads nine accountants and provides direction across a 15-person Residential accounting department. It is a hands-on leadership role that also drives consistent accounting policies, scalable processes, systems improvements, automation, strong controls, and team development.

Requirements

10 or more years of progressive accounting experience, including meaningful experience as a Controller, Divisional Controller, Assistant Controller, or comparable senior accounting leader.
Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance.
Demonstrated ownership of a multi-entity close, general ledger, balance-sheet reconciliations, consolidation, and financial reporting process.
Experience leading AR and AP operations and managing an accounting team through managers and individual contributors.
Strong command of US GAAP, including ASC 606 revenue recognition and ASC 326 credit-loss reserving.
Experience managing the company side of an external audit, including request-list ownership, technical positions, fieldwork coordination, and financial statement delivery.
Advanced Excel skills and experience with a modern ERP and financial reporting environment.

Nice To Haves

CPA strongly preferred.
Franchising experience, including royalty, franchise fee, advertising-fund, and franchisee receivable accounting.
Experience in a private-equity-backed, multi-brand, or shared-services environment.
NetSuite experience and a track record implementing or improving ERP, consolidation, billing, AP automation, or close-management tools.
Experience standardizing multiple sets of books onto common policies, a common chart of accounts, and a single close calendar.

Responsibilities

Own the complete accounting cycle for Residential franchisor entities, two company-owned markets, fourteen shared-service departments, and related holding-company entities.
Establish and manage month-end, quarter-end, and year-end close calendars; assign responsibilities, monitor deadlines, review journal entries, and deliver accurate results on schedule.
Ensure monthly balance-sheet reconciliations have documented support, aging, named owners, and timely resolution of reconciling items.
Maintain common accounting policies, chart-of-accounts discipline, journal-entry standards, and accrual practices across the Division.
Own franchisor revenue accounting under applicable US GAAP, including royalties, initial franchise fees and deferred revenue, technology and other franchisee fees, renewals, transfers, and vendor rebates.
Oversee accounting for brand and advertising funds, including contributions, spending, reconciliations, and reporting.
Own accounting for the two company-owned markets, including customer revenue, job or market-level activity, payroll-related accruals, receivables, and related balance sheets.
Own shared-service charges, management allocations, and holding-company activity, maintaining transparent methodologies and supportable intercompany balances.
Account for franchise lifecycle events such as openings, transfers, terminations, refranchising or divestitures, repurchases, and other unusual transactions in partnership with Legal and operating leadership.
Own consolidation of the Residential Division into a single reported result, including consolidation entries, intercompany eliminations, and documented tie-outs from entity detail to divisional reporting.
Partner with FP&A / Financial Reporting to align actuals, budget, and forecast definitions, mappings, and reporting logic.
Prepare or oversee entity-level and consolidated monthly financial statements and actionable variance commentary for the CFO, Residential leadership, and other stakeholders.
Lead timely Preliminary Financial Reviews with brand and functional leaders, explaining performance versus budget, forecast, and prior year.
Own Residential Accounts Receivable, including invoicing, cash application, collections, dispute resolution, notes and promissory receivables, franchisee development programs, and aging performance.
Maintain a documented and supportable ASC 326 (CECL) allowance for credit losses, including reserve methodology, approvals, and general-ledger-to-subledger reconciliation.
Oversee the AP team, including vendor onboarding, approval workflows, invoice processing, payment runs, expense reporting, credit-card reconciliations, accruals, and 1099 compliance.
Establish AR and AP service levels, controls, and operating metrics, and use them to improve accuracy, timeliness, and stakeholder service.
Lead the Division’s annual financial statement audit response and applicable Franchise Disclosure Document financial statement requirements, including planning, PBC ownership, fieldwork coordination, and resolution of findings.
Serve as the Division’s technical accounting authority for new, complex, or unusual transactions; prepare position memoranda and coordinate with corporate accounting and outside advisors as appropriate.
Maintain a scalable internal control environment, document key processes, and promptly remediate control gaps.
Ensure divisional practices align with Empower Brands accounting policies, corporate reporting requirements, and approved control standards.
Lead accounting process and systems improvements across NetSuite, billing and royalty systems, AP automation, close management, and reporting tools, including data conversion, testing, and control design where applicable.
Standardize processes and implement automation to increase capacity, improve data quality, and support platform growth.
Lead, coach, and develop nine accountants; provide direction across the 15-person department; and establish ownership, succession depth, performance expectations, and professional-development plans.
Build an accountable Residential accounting organization with shared standards, effective cross-training, early issue escalation, disciplined execution, and continuous improvement.