Controller

Job Description
Primo Foods is a growing family-owned wholesale food distributor dedicated to providing high-quality products and outstanding service to foodservice customers across the Midwest. Primo Foods is seeking an experienced Controller to lead the accounting and finance department. This role is ideal for a strategic, hands-on financial leader who can partner with ownership and senior leadership, strengthen processes, develop the team, and support the company's continued growth. The office is located in South Holland, IL. They offer a Hybrid Schedule: Four Days in Office, One Day Remote.

Position Summary

The Controller will oversee the company's accounting and financial operations, provide timely and accurate reporting, and deliver analysis that supports sound business decisions. The successful candidate will combine strong technical accounting knowledge with practical leadership, process improvement, and experience in an inventory-driven environment.

This individual will lead the department, with responsibility for team members supporting accounts payable, accounts receivable, and human resources, as well as an additional three to four employees through dotted-line relationships.

Experience and Skills
Key Responsibilities

• Serve as a strategic financial partner to ownership and senior leadership.
• Lead the accounting and finance department, set priorities, establish accountability, and develop team capabilities.
• Oversee the month-end and year-end close processes and ensure accurate, timely financial reporting.
• Prepare and review financial statements, management reports, budgets, forecasts, and cash flow analyses.
• Provide financial insights and recommendations to improve profitability, working capital, and operational performance.
• Maintain effective internal controls and ensure compliance with generally accepted accounting principles and applicable requirements.
• Oversee accounts payable and accounts receivable activities, including cash collections, vendor payments, reconciliations, and related controls.
• Partner with operations to strengthen inventory controls, inventory valuation, costing, and reconciliation processes.
• Coordinate with external partners on tax, audit, banking, insurance, and other financial matters.
• Oversee and improve the use of QuickBooks and Aspen Systems Canopy ERP.
• Identify and implement process improvements that increase accuracy, efficiency, visibility, and scalability.
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators and communicate financial results clearly to leadership.
• Support the HR team member and help ensure appropriate coordination between finance, payroll, benefits, and employee administration.
• Foster a collaborative, responsive, and service-oriented department culture.

Team Leadership

The Controller will lead the department and provide direct or functional oversight for the following roles:

• Two Accounts Payable team members
• One Accounts Receivable team member
• One Human Resources team member
• An additional three to four employees through dotted-line reporting relationships

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in accounting, Finance, or a related field.
• Progressive accounting and finance experience, including leadership responsibility at the Controller level.
• Strong knowledge of financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, cash flow management, and internal controls.
• Demonstrated ability to lead a department, develop employees, and create accountability.
• Hands-on proficiency with QuickBooks.
• Strong analytical, organizational, problem-solving, and communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial, family-business environment.
• Ability to work on site in South Holland four days per week.

Preferred Qualifications

• CPA designation preferred.
• Inventory accounting experience is strongly preferred.
• Experience in food, manufacturing, distribution, consumer products, or another inventory-driven business is a plus.
• Experience with experience with Aspen Systems Canopy ERP preferred.
• Bilingual English and Spanish skills are a plus.

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is strategic and hands-on, comfortable moving between high-level analysis and detailed accounting work. This person will bring sound judgment, strong business acumen, a continuous-improvement mindset, and the confidence to lead the department while building trusted relationships across a family-owned organization.

Individual salaries that are offered to a candidate are determined after consideration of numerous factors including internal equity, market data, the candidate's qualifications- including but not limited to specialty skills, prior relevant industry experience, relevant degrees or certifications. The salary range estimate below is inclusive of all departments, and offered salaries may vary within the given range between departments. A reasonable estimate of the base salary range for this level is $125,000 - $150,000 annualized and other competitive benefits.

Job Benefits
medical, dental & vision benefits ,401k, and PTO