Vice President of Accounting

This is a fast-paced, high-impact role with a company experiencing significant growth.  The successful candidate will be high-energy, extremely motivated and excited to make immediate improvements.

Are you a high-energy, driven finance leader who thrives in a fast-paced environment? Do you love rolling up your sleeves, tackling challenges head-on, and thinking strategically about how to drive business success? If you’re someone who is passionate about improving processes, streamlining systems, and leading teams to new levels of excellence, this is the role for you.

We’re looking for a Corporate Controller who is not only a technical accounting expert but also an innovative problem solver and a motivational leader. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys hands-on execution while keeping a big-picture mindset to support business growth and financial strategy. You will own the integrity of our financial operations, drive efficiency, and build a high-performing team that thrives in a culture of continuous improvement.

Must have characteristics:

1. Team Oriented: “Yes, I can help with that.”
2. Can-Do Attitude: “I’ll figure it out.”
3. Improvement Oriented: “The way we’ve always done it can be improved; let’s make it happen.”
4. Wants Knipper to “Win”
5. Embraces and promotes the use of Technology to solve problems/improve processes
6. Seeks to learn / curious: “I don’t know where to get this data, but can you show me so that I can do it next time.”

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Prepare financial statements in accordance with GAAP and overall reporting package for our lender, private equity sponsor, and operations leadership. This includes consolidating the financial results of multiple business units and ensuring the integrity of financial information at the individual business unit level. Continuously improve the quality and timeliness of financial information suitable for a private equity environment.
• Manage monthly general ledger closing and related processes, including journal entries and account reconciliations.
• Manage day-to-day accounting activities, including accounts payable, in a shared services environment.
• Responsible for accelerating close process
• Coordinate accounting and reporting activities, and internal controls, at each business unit, overseeing the respective business unit controllers.
• Monitor and continuously improve accounting/reporting processes, cost accounting methodologies, and internal controls, including policy and procedure documentation.
• Ensure appropriate application of GAAP, with emphasis on revenue recognition, capitalization of software development/implementation costs, lease accounting, and acquisition accounting. Evaluate impact of, and properly apply, new accounting pronouncements.
• Oversee and optimize the general ledger and accounting/ERP system, with involvement in a new ERP implementation and systems integrations. Assist in identifying and implementing additional technologies to streamline workflows and improve availability/accessibility of information.
• Oversee the credit and collections function.
• Liaise with external CPA firm for annual audit and tax planning and compliance.
• Coordinate all monthly / annual tax filings, including sales tax, franchise taxes, property taxes, income taxes, etc.
• Integrate new acquisitions into the accounting and financial reporting infrastructure.
• Liaise with other functions and service providers as necessary and appropriate – for example, with human resources for payroll and benefits, with legal for annual insurance renewals, etc.
• Assist with financial planning and analysis, including providing information for the preparation of budgets and forecasts, and liaising with various department heads to analyze actual spend versus budgets/forecasts.
• Located in Somerset, NJ (preferable) or Lakewood, NJ (min 3 days per week in office)

Additional Management Responsibilities Include:

• Execute management responsibilities in accordance with the company’s policies and applicable laws. 
• Interviewing, hiring, training, planning, assigning, directing work, conducting performance appraisals, motivating, developing and disciplining, addressing complaints and resolving conflicts, leading the accounting/finance team in achieving corporate goals.
• Responsible for communicating company vision and objectives in order to drive desired changes.

The above duties are meant to be representative of the position and not all-inclusive.

MINIMUM JOB REQUIREMENTS:

• Education:
  • Bachelor’s degree in Accounting
  • CPA strongly preferred
• Business Experience:
  • 10+ years’ progressive experience in accounting and financial management
  • Ideally, experience in private equity-backed middle market companies and/or divisions of public companies operated as standalone entities
  • Public accounting background preferred
• Industry Experience (preferred, not required):
  • Pharmaceutical
  • Distribution
  • Services

 KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES:

• Tangible / technical skills:
  • Technical GAAP knowledge.
  • Experience with financial/ERP software.
  • Strong hands-on Excel skills.
  • Experience with business analytics software such as Microsoft Power BI or DOMO a plus.
  • Project management capabilities.
• Intangible / “soft skills”:
  • Hands-on and detail-oriented, while maintaining a “big picture” perspective
  • Dynamic, energetic “servant leader,” dedicated to mentoring, coaching and developing high-performing teams
  • Strong work ethic
  • Effective communicator with strong written and oral presentation skills
  • Intellectually curious and devoted to lifelong learning
  • Highly organized
  • Ability to work cross-functionally in a matrix environment

 PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.