Controller

Smith and Howard

$120K — $150K *
Legal & Accounting
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance (CPA required)
  • 10+ years of progressive accounting experience in senior leadership roles
  • Experience at a CPA firm with over $100M in revenue
  • Demonstrated expertise in acquisition accounting and post-merger integration
  • Strong technical accounting knowledge (GAAP, revenue recognition, consolidations)
  • Proven success in building and scaling accounting processes in a high-growth environment

Responsibilities

  • Oversee all accounting operations across multiple entities and ensure GAAP compliance
  • Establish scalable financial processes and internal controls for growth
  • Lead accounting for acquisitions, including purchase accounting and integration
  • Drive financial integration of acquired firms and standardize integration playbooks
  • Evaluate and improve processes, systems, and controls for scalability
  • Collaborate with FP&A and operations to provide actionable insights
  • Build a finance function that supports rapid growth

Benefits

  • Opportunity to play a leading role in a fast-growing CPA firm
  • Direct exposure to M&A activities and integration responsibilities
  • Influence financial strategy and operations
  • Collaborative work environment with a strong growth trajectory
Full Job Description
Controller

Summary

We are seeking a highly experienced and growth-oriented Controller to lead the firm's financial operations, reporting, and integration efforts. This role is critical in supporting one of the fastest-growing CPA firms in the country and will require a hands-on leader capable of scaling financial infrastructure, managing complexity from acquisitions, and maintaining operational excellence across a dynamic, multi-entity environment.

The ideal candidate brings deep experience from a large CPA firm (> $100M in revenue), has led acquisition accounting and post-deal integrations, and is comfortable operating in a fast-paced, high-growth setting with both domestic and offshore teams. Given the highly collaborative nature of the role and close interaction with executive leadership, there is a strong preference for this individual to be based in Atlanta.

Essential Functions
Financial Leadership & Reporting

  • Oversee all accounting operations, including general ledger, revenue recognition, consolidations, and month-end close processes.
  • Ensure timely, accurate, and GAAP-compliant financial reporting across multiple entities and offices.
  • Establish scalable financial processes and internal controls to support continued rapid growth.
  • Manage preparation of financial statements, board reporting packages, and key performance analytics.


M&A Accounting & Integration

  • Lead accounting for acquisitions, including purchase accounting, opening balance sheet preparation, and post-close adjustments.
  • Drive financial integration of acquired firms, ensuring alignment of accounting policies, systems, and reporting structures.
  • Partner with executive leadership and external advisors on due diligence, QofE insights, and integration planning.
  • Standardize integration playbooks to enhance efficiency in future transactions.


Operational & Process Excellence

  • Continuously evaluate and improve processes, systems, and controls to support scalability and efficiency.
  • Partner with FP&A, operations, and practice leaders to provide actionable insights and improve firm performance.
  • Support system optimization and integration (e.g., ERP, time & billing, reporting tools).


Treasury & Cash Management (Plus)

  • Support or oversee treasury operations, including cash forecasting, liquidity management, and banking relationships.
  • Partner with leadership on debt management, capital structure considerations, and cash optimization strategies.
  • Enhance controls and visibility around cash positioning to support growth and acquisition activity.


Team Leadership & Development

  • Lead and develop a high-performing accounting team across multiple geographies.
  • Collaborate effectively with offshore accounting teams, ensuring quality, efficiency, and alignment with firm standards.
  • Establish clear accountability, workflows, and performance expectations across all teams.


Growth Enablement

  • Build a finance function capable of supporting rapid, sustained growth.
  • Anticipate challenges associated with scaling and proactively address them.
  • Serve as a trusted partner to the CFO and executive team in managing growth-related financial risks and opportunities.


Position Requirements

Required

  • Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance (CPA required).
  • 10+ years of progressive accounting experience, including senior leadership roles.
  • Prior experience at a CPA firm with $100M+ in revenue.
  • Demonstrated experience in acquisition accounting and post-merger integration.
  • Strong technical accounting knowledge (GAAP, revenue recognition, consolidations).
  • Proven ability to build and scale accounting processes in a high-growth environment.


Preferred

  • Experience managing or working closely with offshore accounting teams.
  • Exposure to private equity-backed or acquisitive professional services firms.
  • Experience supporting or overseeing treasury and cash management functions.
  • Experience with finance systems such as NetSuite, Practice Engine, or similar ERP platforms.


Key Competencies

Execution in High-Growth Environments, Integration Expertise, Leadership & Talent Development, Process Orientation, Strategic Thinking, Collaboration.

Why This Role

Opportunity to play a pivotal role in one of the fastest-growing CPA firms in the country. Direct exposure to an active M&A environment with meaningful integration responsibility. Leadership position with influence over financial strategy, operations, and infrastructure. Dynamic and collaborative culture with strong growth trajectory.

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