Controller

Job Description

Job Description

Controller
Do you want a career without limits? Do you want to shape your own future and be surrounded by people who listen?  If so, we have the perfect opportunity for you at Smith + Howard.

Smith + Howard is a family of companies that offers tax, audit, accounting and advisory and wealth management services. We are headquartered in Atlanta with offices across the Southeast, while still offering a local firm flavor.

We offer competitive pay, excellent training opportunities and great benefits. You can help influence our culture and have the support and dedication from our leaders to help you achieve your career goals. Smith + Howard provides a great opportunity for professional growth and advancement within one of the nation’s top accounting firms.

If you are ready to make a career move and join a firm consistently named a “Best of the Best Firms” (Inside Public Accounting), we invite you to complete our employment application.

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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