Global Corporate Controller

Global Corporate Controller

Location: Northwest Chicago suburbs, IL (hybrid)

Reports to: Chief Financial Officer

Compensation: $200,000 to $250,000 base salary, plus a 30% target bonus and a comprehensive benefits package

Relocation: Not provided. Candidates must be local to the Chicago area

About the Company

Our client is a growing global manufacturer of high-precision capital equipment and related products serving the semiconductor, advanced materials, precision optics and other demanding markets. With operations across the United States, Europe and Asia, the company is building a scalable, professional global finance organization to support its next stage of growth.

Position Summary

We are seeking a hands-on, strategic Global Corporate Controller to lead global accounting, consolidation, financial reporting, audit and accounting governance across a complex, multi-entity international manufacturing business. Reporting directly to the CFO, this leader will bring together results from entities in the US, Germany, Korea, Taiwan, China, Singapore, India and other locations, and build a consistent global controllership model while strengthening controls, tax and treasury coordination, and finance systems.

Each region has its own finance and accounting team. This role owns the consolidated picture: taking the numbers from each entity, making sense of them, and holding the regional teams to one global standard. The Consolidation Manager, a Tax Manager (to be hired by this leader) and regional finance leads will report to this role.

This is a role for someone who enjoys building structure, works independently, and wants a clear path toward a CFO role. Long-cycle equipment contracts, project accounting, inventory, intercompany activity and multiple statutory jurisdictions make it a complex and rewarding seat.

Core Responsibilities

Global Accounting, Close and Reporting

• Lead global accounting operations, including general ledger, AP/AR oversight, fixed assets, inventory and cost accounting, monthly close, intercompany accounting and multi-currency consolidation.
• Establish standardized close calendars, reconciliations, chart-of-accounts governance, reporting definitions and clear ownership across regional finance teams to improve speed, accuracy and audit readiness.
• Own consolidated financial statements under US GAAP and coordinate local statutory reporting, including German HGB and other local requirements; assess IFRS implications when relevant.
• Oversee complex technical accounting, including ASC 606 and percentage-of-completion arrangements, equipment acceptance, warranties, leases, inventory reserves and significant nonroutine transactions.
• Provide reliable financial reporting and supporting schedules for management, the board, lenders and other stakeholders.

Audit, Controls and Accounting Policy

• Lead the global annual audit and coordinate US and international statutory audits, including planning, schedules, issue resolution and timely completion.
• Build and maintain a global accounting policy manual and practical SOPs covering revenue recognition, reserves, capitalization, intercompany, FX, close and delegation of authority.
• Design and monitor a risk-based internal control framework, including segregation of duties, documentation, testing, remediation and SOX-ready practices where appropriate.
• Prepare and review technical accounting position papers and ensure consistent application across entities.

Global Tax and Entity Governance

• Oversee the global tax compliance calendar and coordinate external advisors for US federal and state, German and other local income taxes, VAT/GST and sales/use tax.
• Partner with the CFO, Legal and tax advisors on legal entity structure, intercompany agreements, transfer pricing, permanent establishment exposure, withholding taxes and cross-border planning.
• Identify and help execute lawful tax optimization opportunities, including entity simplification, cash repatriation and tax-efficient funding.
• Keep accounting records, statutory filings, intercompany balances and tax positions consistent; track tax risks and remediation.

Treasury, Liquidity and Intercompany Funding

• Partner with the CFO and banking partners on a global cash management framework, including cash visibility, banking controls, cash forecasting and liquidity reporting.
• Evaluate and implement cross-border cash pooling, intercompany lending, netting and repatriation arrangements, considering local legal, tax and banking restrictions.
• Improve intercompany settlement discipline, FX exposure reporting and documentation of cross-border funding flows.

Finance Transformation and Leadership

• Lead accounting workstreams for the global SAP S/4HANA transformation, chart-of-accounts harmonization, consolidation and reporting improvements, and close automation.
• Build, coach and hold accountable regional accounting leaders and teams at different career stages; establish one global operating cadence while meeting local statutory needs.
• Partner with Operations, FP&A, IT, Legal and external advisors on capex, working capital, manufacturing accounting, M&A diligence and integration, and process improvement.
• Advise the CFO on audit, tax, banking and capital decisions, balancing hands-on execution with long-term process design.

Industry Background

Manufacturing accounting experience is required. We are especially interested in candidates from:

• Semiconductor and semiconductor equipment
• Capital equipment and precision machinery
• Industrial manufacturing and engineered products
• Oil and gas equipment and services
• Semiconductor experience is a plus but not required.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance.
• 12+ years of progressive accounting experience, including at least 5 years in a senior controllership or global accounting leadership role.
• Demonstrated ownership of multi-entity, multi-currency consolidation across US and international operations (Europe, Asia or both). US-only experience will not be sufficient for this role.
• Strong US GAAP, cost accounting and revenue recognition expertise, with practical experience in manufacturing, inventory and project or long-cycle equipment accounting.
• Experience with capex and working capital analysis and the trade-offs behind those decisions.
• Proven experience independently leading external audits and establishing accounting policies, internal controls and consistent close processes.
• Ability to manage international tax advisors and work through transfer pricing, entity structure and cross-border tax issues.
• Strong ERP and finance transformation experience, preferably SAP; ability to lead geographically distributed teams and influence executives.
• A stable career history and the desire to build for the long term.
• Comfortable with occasional international travel to Europe and Asia (approximately 15 to 20%).

Preferred Qualifications

• CPA or comparable internationally recognized accounting qualification.
• Big Four or other major public accounting background combined with multinational industry experience.
• Public company reporting experience.
• Direct involvement in global cash pooling, cross-border funding, tax restructuring or legal entity rationalization.
• Working familiarity with German HGB, IFRS, statutory audit requirements and European tax/VAT frameworks.
• Experience with SAP S/4HANA, Tagetik or comparable consolidation tools. German language skills are a plus.

Work Schedule

Hybrid in the northwest Chicago suburbs. The new leader will be onsite daily for the first couple of months to learn the business and build structure, and onsite during month-end close. After that, the schedule is 2 to 3 days a week onsite, with flexibility in hours. This is a hands-on leadership role in a growing company, and responsiveness and clear communication are valued.

Compensation:
$225,000 per year