Associate Controller Jobs in Needham, MA (NOW HIRING)

Position Summary
Our Client is seeking an experienced Controller(Supermarket/Retail experience)

• Supermarket P&L dynamics - gross margin by department, markdowns, shrink, seasonal fluctuations

• Multi-location reporting across 6 stores with store-level accountability

• Vendor and trade reconciliations specific to grocery retail

• High-volume, fast-cycle weekly reporting tied to store operations

• A mission-driven, community-rooted culture where the work has real meaning

Key Responsibilities

• Full-Cycle Accounting & General Ledger

• Maintain and manage the general ledger across all store and warehouse entities

• Prepare and post journal entries including AR, retail adjustments, and accruals

• Perform monthly bank and credit card reconciliations

• Ensure accuracy and integrity of all accounting records

• Financial Reporting & Analysis

• Prepare weekly and monthly financial reports including P&L and balance sheets for all locations

• Analyze sales, payroll, markdowns, shrink, and gross margin (GM%) to identify discrepancies and opportunities

• Provide actionable insights to improve profitability by vendor and department

• Deliver timely, accurate reporting to ownership and management

• Cash Flow & Treasury Management

• Oversee weekly cash flow planning and reporting

• Manage wire transfers, ACH, and portal payments

• Administer Positive Pay for fraud prevention

• Coordinate weekly check runs in line with budget

• Ensure proper handling and deposit of incoming checks

• Payroll & Labor Oversight

• Review and submit weekly payroll

• Run post-payroll reports and distribute to relevant stakeholders

• Monitor payroll expenses and ensure alignment with store-level budgets

• Manage administrative expense reimbursements

• Accounts Payable & Fixed Expenses

• Manage recurring payments including rent, utilities, and vendor obligations

• Ensure timely and accurate processing of all AP transactions

• Budgeting & Forecasting

• Develop and update monthly and quarterly budgets

• Track actual performance against budget and explain variances

• Support ownership in financial planning and strategic decision-making

• Store & Operational Partnership

• Conduct financial reviews and regular meetings with each store location

• Partner with store managers to identify and address financial performance issues

• Monitor KPIs across all locations and escalate concerns proactively

• Compliance & Internal Controls

• Maintain adherence to internal controls and accounting policies

• Support audits and documentation requests

• Ensure compliance with applicable financial regulations

Qualifications Required

• Supermarket experience: 3+ years of accounting experience in a supermarket, grocery chain, or grocery retail environment

• Full-cycle accounting: Hands-on experience performing full-cycle bookkeeping and reconciliations - not purely supervisory

• Industry fluency: Strong working knowledge of grocery retail financials: shrink, margin analysis, vendor reconciliations, weekly P&L

• Excel: Proficiency in Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, financial modeling)

• Education: Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field (or equivalent experience)

Strongly Preferred

• Experience with NetSuite or comparable ERP system

• Prior experience working with or at a supermarket-specialized accounting firm

• Familiarity with multi-location retail operations

• Experience with Positive Pay and bank portal systems

Nice to Have

• CPA or CPA candidate

• Experience migrating accounting functions from outsourced to in-house

Key Competencies

• Ownership mindset - you treat the books as your own responsibility

• Detail-oriented with high accuracy standards

• Strong communicator able to present financial data to non-finance stakeholders

• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, operationally driven environment

• Proactive problem-solver who flags issues early and comes with solutions

A Note on Systems & Growth
We currently use an external accounting provider with deep supermarket expertise for reconciliation and reporting. A primary long-term goal of this role is to bring those functions fully in-house under this Controller. This is a real opportunity to build something - to take ownership of the financial infrastructure of a growing, community-driven brand and make it yours.
Experience with NetSuite is a plus but not required. What matters most is your knowledge of supermarket accounting and your ability to own the numbers end-to-end. System training will be provided.