GHJ Search & Staffing is partnering with a successful, privately held company in the agriculture and organic produce industry to identify a hands-on Controller for its Bakersfield headquarters.
Reporting directly to the CFO, the Controller will lead a four-person accounting team and take ownership of the company's core accounting operations, financial reporting, controls, and close processes.
This is not a purely oversight-focused Controller position. The successful candidate will be comfortable operating at both the leadership and transactional levels—developing the accounting team while personally getting into journal entries, reconciliations, general ledger activity, financial reporting, and accounting issues when needed.
The opportunity is particularly well suited for a Controller or experienced Accounting Manager who enjoys working in a smaller, entrepreneurial environment and wants significant visibility and the opportunity to expand their responsibilities over time.
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead the accounting function and maintain ownership of accurate and timely month-end and year-end close.
- Remain actively involved in journal entries, account reconciliations, general ledger activity, and resolution of accounting discrepancies.
- Lead, mentor, and develop a four-person AP/AR accounting team.
- Oversee grower accounting, settlements, and reporting, ensuring accuracy and transparency.
- Prepare and review financial statements, budgets, forecasts, and variance analyses.
- Partner closely with the CFO on cash flow forecasting, budgeting, financial reporting, analysis, and business decision support.
- Maintain and strengthen internal controls and ensure compliance with GAAP and applicable financial requirements.
- Partner cross-functionally with sales, operations, and grower relations to understand how operational activity flows through the financial statements.
- Identify and implement accounting process, systems, reporting, and workflow improvements.
- Leverage technology and automation to improve the accuracy, efficiency, and scalability of the accounting function.
- Maintain effective financial reporting and accounting workflows within the company's ERP environment.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field; Accounting preferred.
- 7+ years of progressive accounting experience with significant hands-on general ledger and close responsibility.
- Accounting management, Assistant Controller, Controller, or comparable leadership experience.
- Demonstrated experience leading and developing accounting staff.
- Strong knowledge of GAAP, accrual accounting, financial reporting, and internal controls.
- Advanced Microsoft Excel skills.
- Strong ERP/accounting systems experience.
- Agriculture, produce, food production/distribution, or another inventory-based industry background strongly preferred.
- Experience with grower accounting, settlements, farming operations, or agricultural accounting is highly desirable.
- Famous ERP experience is a plus.
What They're Looking For
The ideal Controller combines strong technical accounting skills with a hands-on mentality. You enjoy leading people but don't believe a Controller title means stepping away from the accounting itself.
You are someone who will dig into an unusual balance, prepare or review a journal entry, help resolve a reconciliation issue, improve a process, and work alongside the team when necessary.
This is a highly visible position with direct access to the CFO and executive leadership and the opportunity to assume greater responsibility as the organization evolves.
Skills Required
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field
- 7+ years of progressive accounting experience with significant hands-on general ledger and close responsibility
- Accounting management, Assistant Controller, Controller, or comparable leadership experience
- Experience leading and developing accounting staff
- Strong knowledge of GAAP, accrual accounting, financial reporting, and internal controls
- Advanced Microsoft Excel skills
- Strong ERP and accounting systems experience
- Agriculture, produce, food production/distribution, or another inventory-based industry background
- Experience with grower accounting, settlements, farming operations, or agricultural accounting
- Famous ERP experience
What We Do
GHJ is an accounting and advisory firm that specializes in nonprofit, food and beverage, entertainment and media and health and wellness companies. Previous recipient of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce Employee Champion For Life Work Harmony Award and named a “Best Places to Work” by the Los Angeles Business Journal eight times since 2008, GHJ is passionate about helping clients and its people #BeMore by focusing on building thriving businesses and creating a better future. GHJ works as a business advocate for its clients — providing personalized service and building long-term relationships to help position our clients for growth. Through its affiliation with HLB International, a global network of independent professional accounting firms and business advisers, GHJ is able to partner with other top firms across major cities throughout the U.S. and the world. GHJ’s audit, tax and advisory teams leverage the HLB network to better serve its clients and give clients access to member firms in over 158 countries across the globe and over 775 offices worldwide. Also ranked as a top-20 largest accounting firm on the Los Angeles Business Journal’s Book of Lists, GHJ has 15 partners and more than 160 staff members that serve over 3,000 clients. GHJ is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the AICPA Governmental Audit Quality Center (GAQC), the California Society of CPAs and the California Association of Nonprofits (CalNonprofit).
