Controller/Senior Controller — Greater Los Angeles, California | Pacific Executive Search

Controller/Senior Controller

(Job ID: 1982)

Greater Los Angeles, California

On-Site

Direct Hire

Fin Serv - Venture Ca

$250,000 – $350,000 base

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Overview

We are seeking a skilled Controller to join our dynamic team, where you will play a pivotal role in driving financial strategy and operational excellence. This position offers a unique opportunity for career advancement, allowing you to develop your leadership skills while contributing to the overall success of the organization. Our culture values collaboration, innovation, and flexibility, fostering an environment where your ideas are encouraged and your contributions are recognized.

Responsibilities

Oversee the financial reporting process, ensuring accuracy and compliance with accounting standards such as ASC-740 and revenue recognition principles.
Lead the budgeting and forecasting processes, providing strategic insights to support decision-making and financial planning.
Manage cash flow and working capital, optimizing financial performance and resource allocation.
Implement and maintain robust internal controls to safeguard company assets and mitigate financial risks.
Coordinate acquisition integration efforts, ensuring seamless transitions and alignment with financial objectives.
Utilize ERP systems like SAP or NetSuite for financial analysis and reporting, enhancing operational efficiency.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to drive financial initiatives and support business growth.

Qualifications

Must-Have:
Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
CPA or equivalent professional certification.
5+ years of experience in financial management, with a focus on reporting and compliance.
Proficiency in ERP systems such as SAP or NetSuite.
Strong understanding of GAAP and financial regulations.
Demonstrated experience in budgeting, forecasting, and financial analysis.
Nice-to-Have:
Experience with acquisition integration and post-merger financial management.
Advanced degree (MBA or Master's in Finance) preferred.
Familiarity with international accounting standards.
Strong leadership and team management skills.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do Accounting Manager hires fail?
Because companies hire for close execution when the real need is issue ownership and team leadership. Many candidates can manage a checklist. Far fewer can stabilize the function under pressure, improve weak processes, coach staff, and hold the line during audit, turnover, or reporting stress.
What are strong Accounting Manager candidates evaluating during the interview process?
They are usually trying to understand whether they are walking into a stable environment, a cleanup situation, or an under-resourced function. Strong candidates do not just evaluate title and compensation. They assess whether success is realistically achievable and whether leadership understands what the accounting team actually needs.
Why are finance and accounting roles in private equity-backed companies different?
Because the expectations are usually sharper. These environments often involve more pace, more visibility, more accountability, and more change than slower-moving businesses. Candidates are often expected to produce cleaner reporting, better discipline, and faster adaptation while operating under leadership that is highly focused on results. Pacific Executive Search's private equity insights explain why these environments require more specialized hiring.
Why does ERP experience matter so much in roles like this?
Because many accounting and finance roles are really process-and-systems roles disguised as job titles. A candidate may know the accounting, but if they cannot operate effectively inside the company's environment, ramp time becomes risk. Exact system match is not always mandatory, but comparable complexity often is.
How do strong candidates typically evaluate opportunities like this?
Strong candidates rarely evaluate a role based on title alone. They look at what the position actually owns, how the function is viewed internally, whether the environment is stable or in transition, and what success will realistically look like in the first 6 to 12 months. Many first discover a role through a posting, but the strongest career decisions usually come from understanding the context behind the opportunity, not just the job description. In accounting and finance hiring, that level of context is often what separates a lateral move from a meaningful one. Learn more about how strategic accounting and finance searches differ from transactional recruiting.
Is the CPA really required for roles like this?
Sometimes yes, and often functionally yes even when the posting says "preferred." At leadership levels especially, the CPA frequently acts as a credibility signal for hiring managers, auditors, lenders, investors, or boards. There are exceptions, but in many accounting searches it remains one of the clearest markers of technical foundation.

Controller/Senior Controller

Overview

Responsibilities

Qualifications

Apply Now

Frequently Asked Questions

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