Controller

Title: Controller

Location: Centennial, CO (On-site)

Reports To: Vice President of Finance & Accounting

Status: Exempt

Travel: <10% Domestic

Position Summary

The Corporate Controller acts as the "guardian of the books" and the technical backbone of the finance organization. While the Director of Accounting oversees high-volume transactional processing (AR/AP), the Controller is responsible for the integrity of the General Ledger (GL), technical accounting policy, consolidations, and audit readiness for this multi-entity, inventory-intensive business.

Reporting to the VP of Accounting & Finance, you will drive a disciplined monthly close, ensuring accuracy and timeliness across all entities. You will partner with the Trading and Operations teams to ensure that financial data flows accurately into the GL, enforcing strict cutoffs and internal controls. This role requires an automation-first mindset to scale processes, minimize manual journal entries, and maintain records for external audits and regulatory compliance.

Core Responsibility Categories

1. Close, Consolidations & Reporting

• Monthly Close Discipline: Run a disciplined monthly close across all entities to deliver accurate, consolidated financials on time.
• Process Management: Maintain a close checklist and calendar with a clear "definition of done," ensuring all reconciliations, intercompany settlements, and custody tie-outs are complete.
• Cutoff Enforcement: Enforce strict period cutoffs for deferred settlement, repos, inventory in transit, and refining lots to ensure accurate revenue and expense matching.
• Audit Documentation: Retain all close work papers, reconciliations, and PBCs (Prepared by Client) lists in accordance with record-retention policies (minimum 7 years) to ensure constant audit readiness.

1. General Ledger & Technical Accounting

• GL Ownership: Own the chart of accounts, period locks, and accounting policies, ensuring compliance with GAAP and regulatory authorities.
• Reconciliation & Review: Review and approve reconciliations and journal entries. Actively work to reduce manual journal entries by fixing upstream processes using rules and automation templates.
• Capitalization Policy: Apply capitalization policies consistently for fixed assets, reviewing thresholds annually with the VP of Finance.
• Allowance Policies: Maintain and document policies for bad debt and Net Realizable Value (NRV) reserves, ensuring proper approvals and drivers are in place.

1. Inventory Accounting & Custody Audit

• Valuation Policy: Own the inventory valuation policy (separating metal value from premium) and perform monthly NRV testing on premiums.
• Reconciliation: Audit daily depository statements against the GL and maintain a movement ledger of inflows and outflows, investigating variances immediately.
• Counts & Adjustments: Review cycle and physical count results. Post GL adjustments only after dual approval (Logistics + Controller).
• Variance Control: Develop and enforce an inventory variance policy with clear thresholds and escalation paths for CEO approval.

1. Margin Management & Hedging Accountability

• Collaborate with the Trading team to establish an auditable system of accountability that reconciles hedges, margin balances, and physical positions.
• Ensure hedging activities executed by Trading are correctly balanced, reconciled, and documented for audit and compliance purposes.
• Utilize technology and automation to enhance internal controls surrounding cash, margin accounts, and exposure reporting.

1. Treasury Stewardship & Covenant Compliance

• Cash Positioning: Coordinate daily cash positioning SOPs to ensure liquidity supports sales activity and margin needs.
• Bank Management: Govern bank access, fraud controls, and signature cards. Perform quarterly access reviews and implement Positive Pay and ACH filters.
• Covenant Monitoring: Maintain a monthly covenant headroom report with early-warning triggers to ensure compliance with lender requirements.
• Intercompany: Set rules for intercompany invoicing and settlements, ensuring disputes are resolved within five business days.

1. Internal Controls & Risk Management

• System of Controls: Maintain robust internal controls that are system-driven rather than person-dependent.
• Delegation of Authority (DOA): Ensure all financial approvals, including payment runs and write-offs, adhere strictly to the company’s DOA policy.
• AML & Fraud Prevention: Coordinate with the AML Officer and Credit/Compliance Analyst to ensure finance documentation supports monitoring and examinations.

1. Audit, Tax & Regulatory Compliance

• External Audit Lead: Build and track the PBC list for external audits, ensuring auditors receive items early to meet agreed-upon timelines.
• Sales Tax Oversight: Act as the backup filer for sales tax and ensure GL tie-outs match filings prepared by the Credit/Compliance Analyst.
• Tax Documentation: Oversee 1099 preparation and filing (prepared by the Accounting Manager) to ensure accuracy and on-time submission.

1. Systems, Data & Automation

• Automation Roadmap: Lead a close-automation roadmap (e.g., bank feeds, auto-reconciliations) with a focus on reducing manual journal entries and demonstrating measurable ROI.
• Master Data Integrity: Conduct daily data quality checks across metals leases, custody, and the ERP system. Perform monthly audits of the item master to confirm correct costing methods and taxability settings.

1. Leadership & Team Development

• Mentorship: Set high standards for the Senior/GL Accountant and coach them to build technical capability.
• Continuity: Maintain a coverage matrix for critical tasks like the close, bank reconciliations, and payment runs to ensure business continuity.
• Cadence: Deliver daily cash/liquidity briefs and monthly inventory turnover packs to the Executive Team.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in accounting or finance required; CPA is required.
• Experience:
• Minimum 7–10 years of progressive accounting experience, with at least 3 years in a Controller or Assistant Controller role.
• Deep experience in multi-entity consolidations, inventory-intensive businesses, and complex treasury management.
• Proven success managing month-end close, financial reporting, and external audits.
• Technical Skills:
• Advanced ERP experience (NetSuite strongly preferred).
• Strong Excel skills (pivot tables, lookups, modeling).

Performance Expectations

The Corporate Controller will be measured on:

• Close Discipline: Delivering a complete, accurate, and auditable monthly close across all entities within five business days.
• Inventory Accuracy: Ensuring monthly tie-outs of custody and metals leases with no unresolved variances over $20,000 beyond 30 days.

• Margin Management & Hedging Accountability: Ensure hedging activities executed by Trading are correctly balanced, reconciled, and documented for audit and compliance purposes.

• Audit Readiness: Ensuring annual audits are completed on schedule with minimal adjustments and strong auditor confidence.
• Treasury & Compliance: Maintaining daily bank reconciliation (T+1) and ensuring 100% covenant compliance with early warnings for any headroom narrowing.
• Automation ROI: Leading initiatives that reduce manual work and deliver measurable ROI (?12-month payback) on technology projects.