Controller, Consumer Products

Overview

This role supports a consumer products company in the craft and hobby category by owning the books for its North American business. The organization has outgrown its current accounting processes and needs a hands-on Controller to start part-time, learn how accounting operations run today, then clean up and rebuild processes using modern, best-practice workflows.

Success in this role includes timely month-end close, inventory accuracy, reliable cash forecasting, monthly reconciliation across entities, and NetSuite reporting that provides margin visibility by channel, SKU, and customer without manual spreadsheet work.

Responsibilities

• Process cleanup and redesign
  • Map current workflows, then rebuild close, AP, AR, and inventory workflows using modern tools and automation.
  • Create documented processes and clean NetSuite reporting so others can run them.
• Month-end close (North American entity)
  • Perform reconciliations, accruals, journal entries, and maintain a close calendar the team can consistently hit.
• Inventory accounting (several thousand SKUs)
  • Manage landed cost (freight, duty, tariffs), costing, and reserves for slow-moving stock.
  • Reconcile physical counts with warehouse records.
• Cash forecasting and working capital
  • Maintain a rolling 13-week cash flow forecast updated every week.
  • Support AP payment runs, collections follow-through, and reporting to lenders/financing partners.
• Channel accounting
  • Account for e-commerce, national retailers, and distributors, including retailer deductions and chargebacks, customer terms, and AR.
• Multi-entity and international support
  • Handle intercompany activity, FX, and support consolidation with European and Asian entities.
• Compliance
  • Manage multi-state sales tax, 1099s, and coordinate with outside tax advisors and auditors.

Requirements

• 7+ years of progressive accounting experience, including 3+ years as a Controller or Assistant Controller.
• Experience leading an accounting cleanup, including rebuilding reconciliations and redesigning close, AP, or inventory processes using modern tools and automation.
• Experience at a CPG or consumer products company with physical inventory.
• Hands-on NetSuite experience running the close, reconciliations, and financial reporting.
• Experience accounting for a catalog of 1,000+ active SKUs, including landed cost.
• Experience with a multi-entity structure that includes at least one foreign entity (intercompany, FX, consolidation).
• Experience building and maintaining a rolling 13-week cash flow forecast.
• Experience with revenue across e-commerce plus retail or distributor channels.
• Bachelor’s degree in accounting or finance.
• Experience with imported goods, including customs duties, tariffs, duty refunds, and ocean freight accruals.

Preferred Qualifications

• CPA or CMA.
• Experience managing big-box retailer deductions, chargebacks, and compliance programs.
• Experience with multi-state sales tax, including nexus and marketplace facilitator rules.
• Experience accounting for licensing and royalty agreements.
• Experience working with a finance team in another country and time zone.
• Familiarity with Shopify and Ramp.

Compensation & Benefits

• Not specified.

Location & Schedule

• Location: Fully Remote
• Schedule: About 15 hours a week to start, with the opportunity to transition to a full-time position directly with the client.

Engagement Type

• Engaged as an independent contractor with the potential to convert to full-time with the client.