A rapidly growing professional services firm is seeking a Controller / Director of Finance to take ownership of its day-to-day accounting operations and help build a more scalable, technology-forward finance function. This is a high-visibility leadership opportunity for someone who combines strong operational accounting expertise with an innovative mindset and wants the ability to make a meaningful impact as the organization continues to grow.
Reporting directly to the Managing Partner, this role will lead operational accounting, oversee and improve the month-end close, and provide leadership to an accounting team of approximately 8–9 professionals. The ideal candidate will bring fresh ideas around automation, systems, controls, and process improvement rather than simply maintaining existing practices.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead day-to-day accounting operations and ensure accurate, timely financial reporting
- Own and continuously improve the month-end close process
- Provide leadership, guidance, and development to the accounting team
- Strengthen accounting processes, internal controls, and operational efficiency
- Identify and implement opportunities for automation and improved reporting
- Partner with the Managing Partner and senior leadership on financial and operational priorities
- Help build scalable accounting processes to support continued organizational growth
- Support accounting technology initiatives, system enhancements, and potential ERP implementations
- Bring a hands-on approach to operational accounting while contributing strategic ideas and solutions
Qualifications
- Significant progressive accounting and finance experience with demonstrated leadership responsibility
- Professional services industry experience required
- Strong operational accounting and month-end close expertise
- Experience managing and developing accounting teams
- Proven success improving processes, controls, and accounting workflows
- Strong technology orientation with experience leveraging automation and accounting systems
- Excellent communication skills and executive presence
- Ability to thrive in a fast-growing, evolving organization
- Law firm experience strongly preferred
- CPA preferred
- ProLaw, Aderant, ERP implementation, or systems conversion experience is a plus
Why Join?
- Join a rapidly growing firm that has approximately doubled in size over the past several years
- Report directly to the Managing Partner in a highly visible leadership position
- Opportunity to modernize the accounting function through automation, technology, and process improvement
- Strong culture with significant opportunity to grow alongside the organization
- Potential long-term path to the CFO role
Skills Required
- Significant progressive accounting and finance experience with demonstrated leadership responsibility
- Professional services industry experience
- Strong operational accounting and month-end close expertise
- Experience managing and developing accounting teams
- Proven success improving processes, controls, and accounting workflows
- Experience leveraging automation and accounting systems
- Excellent communication skills and executive presence
- Ability to thrive in a fast-growing, evolving organization
- Law firm experience
- CPA certification
- ProLaw, Aderant, ERP implementation, or systems conversion 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).
.jpeg)
.png){kind=logo}
