Controller

Controller — LOVE LLC

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

About LOVE

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.

The Opportunity

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.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Accounting Operations & Close

• Own the monthly, quarterly, and annual close process with a target of 10-business-day close (moving to 5 days within 12 months)
• Manage GL , journal entries, accruals, reconciliations, and supporting schedules in NetSuite
• Maintain clean, audit-ready books
• Prepare financial statements with channel-level (Retail, Distributors, DTC, Amazon) and product-line (Hydration, Energy, Protein) cuts
• Lead accounting for complex CPG-specific areas: trade spend accruals, contra-revenue, freight-in, inventory adjustments, and gross-to-net revenue bridge
• 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.
• 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.

Controls & Compliance

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

AP / AR Management

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

Systems & Infrastructure

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

Financial Reporting & Partnership

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

Who You Are

Experience

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

Traits We're Looking For

• 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.
• High standards, no excuses. You care about accuracy, speed, and clean work. You own mistakes, fix them, and move forward without drama.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Calm under pressure. Month-end close, launches, buyer meetings, investor diligence — the pace is high. You stay steady and deliver.
• 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.
• 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.

What Will Make You Stand Out

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

What You'll Get

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

How to Apply

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.

LOVE LLC is an equal opportunity employer.