Controller

Job Description

Controller — LOVE LLC

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Location: New York, NY (60 Charlton Street) — In-office Reports to: CEO (transitioning to Finance Director / CFO as team builds) Type: Full-time

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About LOVE

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LOVE LLC is the company behind Be LOVE , a fast-growing functional beverage brand across Hydration, Energy, and Protein in 11,000+ doors, Amazon, and DTC. Founded by Kurt Seidensticker (founder of Vital Proteins, acquired by Nestlé ), we are building the most meaningful beverage and the next category-defining CPG brand with a mission tied to GivePower's clean water initiative. We are at an inflection point — rapid growth, upcoming line launches, and building the financial infrastructure to support a multi-hundred-million-dollar business.

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The Opportunity

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This is a ground-floor role to build the accounting function at LOVE. You will own day-to-day accounting operations, establish controls and processes, and partner directly with the CEO on financial reporting. Over the next 6–12 months, we will hire a Finance Director and CFO — but the foundation we build together will define how this company runs financially for years. The right person sees this as an opportunity to build, not just maintain.

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RESPONSIBILITIES

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Accounting Operations & Close

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• Own the monthly, quarterly, and annual close process with a target of 10-business-day close (moving to 5 days within 12 months)
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• Manage GL , journal entries, accruals, reconciliations, and supporting schedules in NetSuite
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• Maintain clean, audit-ready books
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• Prepare financial statements with channel-level (Retail, Distributors, DTC, Amazon) and product-line (Hydration, Energy, Protein) cuts
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• Lead accounting for complex CPG-specific areas: trade spend accruals, contra-revenue, freight-in, inventory adjustments, and gross-to-net revenue bridge
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• AI-Enabled Accounting: Drive adoption of AI tools across the accounting function — transaction coding automation, AP invoice processing (Ramp AI, Bill.com intelligence), reconciliation automation, anomaly detection, and NetSuite AI/SuiteAnalytics capabilities. Evaluate and implement emerging AI tools to reduce manual effort and accelerate close.
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• You will be a solo operator for the first 3 months processing AP/AR, with the mandate to hire a Staff Accountant under you as soon as the daily transaction volume requires it.
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Controls & Compliance

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• Build and document internal controls, accounting policies, and SOPs
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• Maintain the NetSuite chart of accounts, including class/dimension tagging by channel and product line
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• Ensure GAAP compliance, specifically ASC 606 (revenue recognition, trade spend), ASC 330 (inventory), and ASC 705 (fulfillment election)
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• Manage state/local tax compliance, sales tax (Avalara), Texas franchise tax, and entity-level filings
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• Prepare workpapers and lead audit readiness for future financial audits and diligence processes
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AP / AR Management

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• Oversee AP cycle through Ramp — vendor setup, bill processing, approval workflows, payment runs
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• Manage AR, including customer deductions tracking (Target chargebacks, distributor deductions, Amazon reconciliations)
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• Lead trade spend deduction matching — tie retailer chargebacks to promo calendar commitments and investigate leakage
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• Cash management, bank reconciliations, and working capital tracking
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Systems & Infrastructure

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• Power user and administrator of NetSuite
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• Administer Ramp, Bill.com, and integrations across the finance tech stack
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• Drive automation of manual processes; partner with IT on system enhancements
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• Own financial data integrity across NetSuite, Shopify, Amazon Seller Central, 3PL systems, and Target EDI
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• AI Powered accounting automation, Ramp AI, Numeric / Puzzle / Klarity (or equivalent), NetSuite AI / Suite Analytics, Workflow Automation
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Financial Reporting & Partnership

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• Produce monthly P&L, balance sheet, cash flow with Budget vs. Actual variance analysis
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• Support CEO with board-ready financial packages, KPI dashboards, and management reporting
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• Partner with Supply Chain, Growth, and Sales leaders on budget-to-actual tracking and cost discipline
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• Maintain trade spend tracking against 12.92% ongoing trade rate target, with channel and product-line visibility
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Who You Are

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Experience

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• 8–12 years of progressive accounting experience , including 3+ years at a CPG company (beverage, food, or consumer products preferred)
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• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or related field; Masters or MBA preferred.
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• CPA preferred ; Big 4 or regional public accounting foundation strongly preferred
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• NetSuite expertise required — deep hands-on experience as a daily user and administrator
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• Ramp and Bill.com experience strongly preferred
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• Experience with multi-channel CPG economics: retail trade spend, distributor programs, DTC subscription, Amazon Seller Central
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• Hands-on experience closing books at a growth-stage company ($10M–$100M revenue)
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• Experience supporting audits, diligence processes, or M&A transactions a plus
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• Hands-on experience with AI-powered accounting tools (Ramp AI, Bill.com, NetSuite AI, Klarity, Numeric, Puzzle, or similar). Comfort learning new AI capabilities as they're released.
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Traits We're Looking For

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• Builder mindset. You see gaps and fill them. You don't wait for permission to improve a process. You're energized by building from the ground up, not maintaining existing systems.
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• High standards, no excuses. You care about accuracy, speed, and clean work. You own mistakes, fix them, and move forward without drama.
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• Speed and ownership. Kurt works fast and expects the same. You anticipate what's needed, get ahead of problems, and don't wait to be told.
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• Commercial instinct. You understand that accounting serves the business, not the other way around. You know the difference between what matters for GAAP and what matters for running a CPG brand well.
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• Clean, precise communication. You explain financial concepts simply. You produce reports that are easy to read and tell a story. You don't bury the lead.
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• Calm under pressure. Month-end close, launches, buyer meetings, investor diligence — the pace is high. You stay steady and deliver.
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• No ego about rolling up sleeves. You'll build controls, but you'll also reconcile a bank statement yourself when needed. As the team grows, you'll lead — but the foundation is built by doing.
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• AI-forward mindset. You see AI as leverage, not a threat. You actively test new tools, automate repetitive work, and build workflows that scale without adding headcount.
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What Will Make You Stand Out

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• Direct experience with trade spend deductions, Amazon Seller Central reconciliations, or distributor (UNFI/KeHE/Pod Foods) accounting
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• Experience building channel-level and SKU-level gross margin reporting
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• Deep NetSuite administration, customization, and saved search expertise
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• A portfolio of processes you've built and improved at prior companies
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What You'll Get

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• Competitive base salary (commensurate with experience)
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• Full benefits, 401(k) match
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• Participation in the LOVE Community Incentive Plan (quarterly revenue-linked bonus pool)
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• Equity consideration at appropriate level and time
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• A front-row seat to building a category-defining CPG brand
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• Direct access to a repeat CPG founder and a clear runway to grow into senior finance leadership as the company scales
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How to Apply

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Apply through LinkedIn. Include a cover note addressing one specific accounting challenge you built a solution for at a prior CPG company. We read every cover note. Generic applications will not be considered.

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LOVE LLC is an equal opportunity employer.

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