Assistant Controller

Position Summary

Schmidt, Inc. is seeking a highly motivated, hands-on Assistant Controller to support the Corporate Controller in managing the Company's accounting operations across domestic and international entities. The Assistant Controller will oversee day-to-day accounting activities, supervise the AP Accountant and AR Accountant, coordinate assigned portions of the financial close, and support accurate and timely financial reporting.

The position will also support annual budgeting and forecasting, prepare treasury payment runs in coordination with AP staff, maintain strong payment and cash-management controls, assist with audits, and lead accounting process improvements. The Assistant Controller will serve as an operational backup to the Corporate Controller for designated accounting functions.

The ideal candidate will possess strong accounting knowledge, manufacturing experience, leadership capabilities, and a continuous improvement mindset. Experience with Epicor ERP, electronic payment processes, workflow automation, and process documentation is highly desirable.

Key Responsibilities Accounting Operations

• Supervise daily accounting activities related to Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, cash applications, general ledger processing, and account reconciliations.
• Manage, mentor, and develop the AP Accountant and AR Accountant, including workload coordination, cross-training, and accountability for deadlines.
• Ensure transactions are processed accurately and in accordance with Company policies, approval requirements, and internal controls.
• Review journal entries, account reconciliations, aging reports, and supporting schedules.
• Assist with fixed assets, prepaid expenses, accruals, payroll accounting, and other assigned balance sheet accounts.
• Coordinate with Operations, Purchasing, Receiving, Supply Chain, Sales, Treasury, and other departments to resolve accounting matters.

Month-End and Year-End Close

• Coordinate and manage assigned portions of the monthly, quarterly, and annual close processes.
• Prepare and review journal entries, accruals, reserves, account reconciliations, and supporting schedules.
• Investigate unusual balances, transactions, and variances and ensure identified issues are resolved timely.
• Monitor close deadlines and follow up with responsible team members to support an accurate and timely close.
• Assist the Corporate Controller with consolidated financial reporting and management reporting requirements.

Financial Reporting Support

• Assist in preparing monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements and related supporting schedules.
• Prepare schedules and analyses for management, lenders, auditors, and executive leadership.
• Support KPI reporting, trend analysis, budget-to-actual reporting, and financial statement variance analysis.
• Maintain documentation supporting financial reporting processes and financial statement disclosures.

Annual Budgeting and Forecasting Support

• Support the Corporate Controller in coordinating the annual budgeting process across departments and legal entities.
• Distribute budget templates and instructions, collect departmental submissions, and follow up on outstanding information.
• Review budget submissions and supporting assumptions for completeness, consistency, and reasonableness.
• Consolidate budget information and prepare supporting schedules for Corporate Controller and management review.
• Assist with budget-to-actual reporting, variance analysis, forecast updates, and management follow-up on significant variances.
• Maintain organized budget workpapers, assumptions, approvals, and supporting documentation.
• Assist the Corporate Controller with budget materials for executive and Board reporting.

Treasury, Payment Runs, and Cash Management

• Prepare weekly or scheduled treasury payment runs and cash-disbursement packages in coordination with the AP Accountant.
• Review payment selections, vendor support, due dates, discounts, payment methods, and proposed payment totals for completeness and accuracy.
• Coordinate payment priorities and cash requirements with the Corporate Controller and CFO before payments are released.
• Prepare or review ACH and NACHA batches, wire requests, check runs, and related payment support for authorized approval and release.
• Maintain segregation of duties between payment preparation, review, approval, release, vendor master-file maintenance, and bank reconciliation.
• Assist with short-term cash planning, cash-balance reporting, bank-account activity review, and cash reconciliations.
• Support positive pay, bank administration, electronic-payment controls, and treasury documentation.
• Ensure payment activity is supported, approved, recorded in Epicor, and reconciled to bank activity and the general ledger.
• Identify payment exceptions, duplicate-payment risks, returned items, or control issues and escalate them promptly.

Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable Leadership

• Direct and oversee AP and AR activities, including invoice processing, customer billing, credit memos, collections, cash applications, and account maintenance.
• Monitor vendor obligations, customer aging, collection activity, disputes, and unapplied cash.
• Review vendor and customer account reconciliations and support timely resolution of discrepancies.
• Ensure appropriate approval workflows, segregation of duties, and documentation standards are maintained.
• Develop cross-training and backup coverage to support accounting department continuity.

Process Improvement and ERP Optimization

• · Lead accounting process improvements focused on efficiency, control enhancement, accuracy, and scalability.
• · Continue development of paperless accounting workflows and electronic document-retention and retrieval processes.
• · Support electronic payment initiatives, including ACH, NACHA, positive pay, and banking integration projects.
• · Assist with Epicor ERP enhancements, workflow automation, reporting improvements, testing, documentation, and user training.
• · Document accounting procedures and maintain departmental standard operating procedures.
• · Recommend practical process and technology improvements that reduce duplicate effort while preserving internal controls.

Internal Controls and Compliance

• · Support the maintenance, documentation, and continuous improvement of internal controls.
• · Ensure assigned accounting processes comply with Company policies and U.S. GAAP.
• · Assist with implementation of auditor recommendations and remediation of identified control or process issues.
• · Monitor compliance with delegated authorities, payment approvals, system access, and financial governance requirements.

Audit Support

• · Assist the Corporate Controller in coordinating annual financial statement audits and other audit-related activities.
• · Prepare audit schedules, reconciliations, and supporting documentation and respond timely to auditor requests.
• · Participate in internal-control walkthroughs, testing, inventory observations, and audit follow-up activities.

Manufacturing and Inventory Accounting Support

• · Support inventory reconciliations, inventory reserve analyses, and manufacturing accounting activities as assigned.
• · Assist with physical inventories, cycle-count programs, labor roll reviews, standard cost maintenance, and related analyses.
• · Support analysis of material, labor, overhead, and manufacturing variances and communicate significant matters to the Corporate Controller.
• · Work with Operations and Supply Chain personnel to improve inventory accuracy and manufacturing reporting.

Leadership Responsibilities

• · Supervise, coach, and develop assigned accounting staff and establish clear expectations for accuracy, timeliness, and accountability.
• · Assist with recruiting, onboarding, training, and development of accounting personnel.
• · Promote collaboration among Accounting, Operations, Supply Chain, Purchasing, Treasury, and Sales.
• · Serve as backup to the Corporate Controller for designated accounting operations and reporting activities.
• · Assist with special projects and strategic initiatives as assigned.

Qualifications

Required

· Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance.

· 5+ years of progressive accounting experience.

· 2+ years of supervisory or team-leadership experience.

· Strong knowledge of U.S. GAAP and general accounting principles.

· Experience supporting month-end and year-end close processes.

· Strong reconciliation, financial reporting, and analytical skills.

· Advanced Microsoft Excel skills.

· Strong organizational, communication, and follow-through skills.

· Ability to manage multiple priorities in a deadline-driven environment.

Preferred

· CPA designation or progress toward CPA.

· Manufacturing and cost-accounting experience.

· Epicor ERP experience.

· Experience supporting external audits.

· Experience with annual budgeting and forecasting.

· Experience preparing treasury payment runs and supporting cash management.

· Experience with ACH, NACHA, positive pay, paperless workflows, or other process automation.

· Experience in a multi-entity or international organization.

Success Measures

• · Accuracy and timeliness of assigned close activities and financial reporting support.
• · AP and AR performance, service levels, staff development, and cross-training effectiveness.
• · Quality, completeness, and timeliness of account reconciliations and supporting schedules.
• · Timely and organized coordination of annual budget submissions, schedules, and variance analyses.
• · Accuracy, completeness, and timeliness of treasury payment runs and cash-requirement schedules.
• · Compliance with payment authorization, segregation-of-duty, cash-management, and internal-control requirements.
• · Audit readiness and quality of supporting documentation.
• Successful implementation of practical process improvements and Epicor workflow enhancements.
• · Ability to serve effectively as operational backup to the Corporate Controller.

Pay: $105,320.00 - $120,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Health insurance

Application Question(s):

• Do you have more that 5 years' experience in accounting (AR, GL, AP, Treasury)?
• Do you have more than 3 years' experience in Manufacturing?
• Do you have more than 2 years of supervisory or team-leadership experience ?
• Do you have Advanced Microsoft Excel skills ?

Work Location: In person