Controller

Reports To:  Chief Executive Officer (CEO) w/ Dotted Line to Chief Administrative Officer (CAO)

Location:  Milwaukee, WI (Hybrid)

Employment Type: Full-Time, Salaried, Exempt 

About Wantable

At Wantable, we’re redefining retail through personalization. Our membership-based model and proprietary technology empower us to curate products that help customers discover confidence and joy through style. 

As a data-driven fashion company, we combine human intuition with algorithmic intelligence to deliver personalized assortments – balancing creativity, analytics, and operational precision. 

We are a collaborative, entrepreneurial team focused on growth, innovation, and operational excellence, and we’re looking for a strong Controller to help build the financial infrastructure that supports our next stage of growth.

About The Role

The Controller at Wantable is a strategic leadership role where finance helps drive the business, not just support it. We’re looking for an experienced Controller who knows how to run the accounting function and lead a finance team, has already delivered measurable process improvements, and has personally built and implemented AI tools and automations to get there.

Working closely with the executive team, you’ll build scalable processes, deploy AI and automation across finance and operations, and shape the future of finance at a growing e-commerce brand, with room to take on higher-level finance work over time.

What You'll Do

Lead Accounting & Financial Operations

• Oversee day-to-day accounting operations, including general ledger, accounts payable, inventory/COGS/sales accounting, account reconciliations, and month-end close.
• Lead, mentor, and develop the finance team, including the Finance Manager, and foster a collaborative, accountable, solutions-oriented culture.
• Ensure timely and accurate monthly, quarterly, and year-end financial reporting in accordance with internal accounting, GAAP and tax.

Drive Operational Finance & Reporting

• Maintain and improve cash flow forecasting.
• Monitor and provide insight on financial trends, including inventory, reserves, returns, fulfillment costs, and margin performance.
• Ensure the accuracy and integrity of financial data flowing through Wantable’s proprietary commerce and inventory platform by working closely with the engineering team.
• Strengthen controls and reconciliation processes, including those around inventory, returns, sales tax, and cash settlement.

Partner Across the Business

• Collaborate closely with operations, merchandising, fulfillment, technology, and leadership teams to provide actionable financial insights and operational support.
• Translate financial data into clear business recommendations for non-financial stakeholders.
• Support budgeting, forecasting, and strategic planning initiatives across departments.
• Partner with our fractional CFO during onboarding and on select needs such as year-end close, audits, and other specialized projects.

Partner Outside the Business

• Coordinate annual financial audits/reviews with the external accounting partner.
• Prepare requested financial information, including monitoring of bank covenant requirements, for banks, factors, payment providers and credit cards.
• Review annual business insurance renewals for appropriateness of coverage and reasonableness of rates.
• Coordinate quarterly estimates, extension and annual return with external tax partners.

Improve Systems, Processes & Controls

• Identify and implement process improvements and scalable, efficient financial workflows that deliver measurable efficiency gains (e.g., faster close, fewer manual touchpoints, reduced errors).
• Build and implement automation, analytics, and AI-enabled tools, in partnership with leadership, that improve the timeliness and accuracy of financial reporting, forecasting, and decision-making.
• Track and report on the impact of these improvements so the business can see the time, cost, and accuracy gains delivered.

Additional Functions

• Other duties as assigned. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Requirements

You'll Thrive Here If You Have:

• Progressive accounting and finance experience, including hands-on experience running the accounting function as a Controller or similar senior role. You know what good looks like and don’t need hand-holding.
• Experience in the accounting and finance side of an eCommerce, retail, apparel or other inventory-intensive businesses.
• Proven experience managing month-end close, audits, budgeting/forecasting, and cash flow reporting.
• Deep knowledge of GAAP accounting and financial reporting best practices, including those for inventory, returns, reserves, fulfillment costs and sales taxes.
• A demonstrated track record of leading process improvements that delivered measurable efficiency gains, such as a shortened close, reduced manual effort, or improved reporting accuracy.
• Success in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial, high-volume, tech-integrated environment, with the traits of a great teammate: organized, collaborative, hands-on, proactive, and solutions-oriented.
• Hands-on experience using AI tools and building automations to improve operational efficiency, streamline processes, and support better decision-making, along with ongoing curiosity to research and explore new tools. 
• A growth mindset and interest in stretching into higher-level finance work over time, such as budgeting and FP&A, cash and working capital management, and lender and leadership reporting.

Nice To Have

• Experience in manufacturing or environments with internally developed product lines.
• Comfort working within proprietary software platforms, including experience with scripting or low-code/no-code automation tools.
• QuickBooks experience and training.
• CPA license.

How We Work At Wantable:

• High ownership. You are trusted to make decisions that directly impact customers and financial performance.
• Hard-working and hands-on. We move fast, stay scrappy, and focus on impact.
• Independent thinkers. We value leaders who confidently make data-driven decisions without layers of approvals.
• Low bureaucracy. We avoid committees, long processes, and unnecessary steps.
• Love of fashion & product. We combine data with intuition to create experiences customers love.
• Results over pedigree. What you’ve built matters more than where you’ve been.

Why Join Wantable as our new Controller?

• This role is a chance to be a finance guru, team leader, operational czar, data detective, process improver, intelligent automation architect, cross-functional partner, and external liaison, all in one. You’ll have leadership’s backing to put your process improvement and AI experience to work, and room to grow into higher-level finance responsibilities as you’re ready.

Benefits

Why Wantable?

• Be part of a dynamic, fast-growing company that has innovation and creativity embedded in its DNA.
• A chance to shape our customers’ journey and leave a lasting impact on their self-confidence, one order at a time.
• Join a collaborative environment where your ideas matter, your efforts are rewarded and you can see results in real time.

We have a laid-back, casual environment in a state-of-the-art HQ in Walkers Point.

We offer flexible schedules, paid parental leave (mothers AND fathers), and a private room for nursing mothers.

Even more exciting: paid vacation and seven paid holidays per year, plus a 50% discount on all merchandise and a generous 50% discount on 41Fork Exchange located in the Wantable Cafe at our Corporate HQ in Walker's Point. You’ll be eligible for the discount on your first day!

Important, but maybe less thrilling: we have ample parking, we offer medical (traditional and high deductible), dental, and vision insurance, as well as a 401K (both pre-tax and Roth options).