Controller

Controller

The Controller is responsible for leading the full accounting function for Ace Retail Group (ARG), ensuring enterprise-level financial integrity, governance, and reporting accuracy across a multi-entity, $800M+ retail organization. This role owns the accounting strategy, internal control environment, and financial reporting processes, and serves as a key finance partner to senior leadership to support business performance and decision-making.

Ace Retail Group (ARG) is a division of Ace Hardware Corporation that owns and operates several well-known Ace brands, including Westlake Ace, Great Lakes Ace, Buikema's Ace, Outer Banks Ace, Dennis Company, and Breed & Company. As one of the largest hardware retailers in the United States, ARG operates more than 250 neighborhood stores nationwide and maintains its headquarters in Overland Park, Kansas.

With roots dating back over a century, ARG's success is driven by its people. What truly sets us apart in the industry is our commitment to hiring and developing individuals who are passionate about personal and professional growth and who want to be part of a company built on strong, enduring Core Values: Winning, Excellence, Love, Integrity, Gratitude, Humility and Teamwork.

Financial Leadership & Reporting

• Own the integrity, accuracy, and timeliness of financial reporting across a multi-entity retail organization
• Lead the monthly, quarterly, and annual close processes, including consolidation and financial statement preparation in accordance with GAAP
• Ensure consistency and rigor in general ledger management and account reconciliation processes

Governance, Controls & Audit

• Establish and maintain a strong internal control environment and financial governance structure
• Own audit readiness and lead internal and external audit processes, including issue resolution and remediation
• Develop, implement, and enforce accounting policies, standards, and compliance requirements across the organization

Organizational Leadership

• Build, lead, and scale a high-performing accounting organization aligned to business needs
• Establish clear accountability, performance expectations, and operational discipline within the team
• Drive talent development, succession planning, and capability building across the function

Strategic Business Partnership

• Serve as a key finance partner to senior leadership, providing financial insights to support strategic decision-making and business performance
• Partner closely with FP&A, Finance, and operational leaders to evaluate financial results, risks, and opportunities
• Support executive-level initiatives related to growth, integration, and organizational alignment

Process & Systems Optimization

• Drive continuous improvement of accounting processes, systems, and workflows to enhance efficiency, scalability, and accuracy
• Lead efforts to standardize processes across a multi-location, multi-entity structure
• Leverage automation and system capabilities to strengthen financial operations

What You Bring

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance (CPA strongly preferred)
• Progressive accounting leadership experience, including responsibility for a multi-entity or multi-location organization
• Deep expertise in GAAP, financial reporting, and accounting operations
• Demonstrated ownership of full-cycle financial close processes, including consolidation and financial statement oversight
• Experience establishing and leading internal controls, financial governance, and audit processes
• Proven ability to operate within organizations of similar scale and complexity, ideally supporting a business generating approximately $800M+ in annual revenue
• Experience partnering with senior leadership to support financial and operational decision-making
• Strong understanding of financial systems, data integrity, and process scalability
• Proven ability to build and lead high-performing teams in a fast-paced, evolving environment
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities, with the ability to translate financial data into actionable insights

What Sets You Apart

• Experience within a multi-location retail or consumer-facing business
• Experience supporting acquisitions, integrations, or organizational transformation
• Track record of strengthening financial controls and scaling processes in a growing organization

Why Join Us

• Opportunity to play a key leadership role in a large, multi-entity retail organization
• Exposure to executive leadership and strategic business priorities
• Ability to shape the accounting function, governance model, and operating structure
• Backed by the strength and stability of Ace Hardware Corporation

Compensation Details: $160000-200000 per year

Why should you join our team?

We live our values - W.E.L.I.G.H.T (Winning, Excellence, Love, Integrity, Gratitude, Humility, and Teamwork). Gratitude. Humility. Love. You don't often see values like these in most corporate statements, but Ace is different. These things are important to us. They represent our commitment to the company, our employees, to Ace retailers and to the Ace brand.

In addition to providing our employees a great culture, Ace also offers competitive benefits* that address life's necessities and perks, many of which expand and improve year after year, including:

• Incentive opportunities, based on role/grade level (company growth over the past 5 years resulted in incentives being paid out at an average of 122% of your target opportunity!)
• Generous 401(k) retirement savings plan with a fully vested matching contribution the first year in addition to quarterly contributions and annual discretionary contribution (once eligibility requirements have been met). Over the past 5 years, company contributions (matching, quarterly & discretionary) for fully eligible employees have averaged 10% of total eligible compensation
• Comprehensive health coverage (medical, dental, vision and disability – up to 26 weeks short-term disability and long-term disability) & life insurance benefits for you and your dependents
• 21 days of vacation immediately available (prorated in the first year) and up to 6 paid holidays depending on the month of hire
• Company Car, phone and fuel card are provided for field-based positions
• Your career at Ace is more than just a job. It's a chance to be part of something meaningful. We help locally-owned businesses thrive and make an impact in their communities – and we support our employees in doing the same by offering an annual Ace Cares Week, 20 hours off work per year to volunteer at an organization of your choice, opportunities to help Children's Miracle Network Hospitals and the Ace Helpful Fund through the Ace Foundation
• Ace invests in every employee we hire, with a key focus on development and coaching. We offer on-site classes, facilitator-led courses, and a generous tuition assistance program, plus a performance management approach that goes beyond the typical annual review
• We know the work environment matters. That's why Ace holds frequent campus events like Employee Appreciation Week, vendor demos, cookouts, and merchandise sales
• We bring them to you! Services such as mobile spas, auto maintenance, car wash and detailing, dry cleaning, dentists, eye doctors, flu shots, recycling and more!
• Employee discounts on Ace merchandise (including top brands like Weber, Traeger, Yeti, Craftsman, DeWalt and more), travel, fitness, computers and thousands more

• Birth/Adoption bonding paid time off
• Adoption cost reimbursement
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) – access to free visits to therapists and lawyers, guidance on financial matters, elder and childcare, and assistance with tickets to entertainment events
• Identity theft protection

* Benefits are provided in compliance with applicable policies.