Controller

American Operator is seeking an entrepreneurial and highly tactical Controller to build and scale our accounting infrastructure. American Operator is a Holding Company that owns a rapidly growing portfolio of SMBs with a focus on industrial and services businesses. The Controller will play a critical role in our ability to grow our portfolio through acquisitions and manage existing Portfolio Companies, including owning the accounting function, providing the financial insights and reports needed for operating portfolio management, and assisting in capital raises.

A breakout candidate will drive the design and implementation of a best-in-class accounting function that quickly integrates new acquisitions, streamlines cascading closes of the books, manages HoldCo consolidation, provides actionable business insights to existing companies, and can scale an order of magnitude. This role will work cross-functionally, from pre-close integration to portfolio performance and finance. This role will report directly to our CFO.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Design and build a standardized accounting infrastructure from the ground up, creating consistent processes, controls, reporting structures, and workflows across the portfolio. Bias towards modern tooling and AI-enablement.

• Lead accounting integration efforts for newly acquired businesses, including opening balance sheet preparation, treatment of goodwill, chart of accounts mapping, reporting standardization, and system migrations.

• Own the monthly, quarterly, and annual close process across a growing portfolio of operating companies, including GL processes, reconciliations and financial statements.

• Prepare and deliver consolidated financial statements, lender reporting packages, executive dashboards, and board-level financial materials.

• Manage resourcing needed to action portfolio and holding company accounting needs, including external accounting firms, auditors, tax advisors, and compliance partners to ensure accurate reporting, audit readiness, and alignment with company accounting standards.

• Support tax compliance across multiple entity structures, including LLCs, S-Corps, and pass-through entities operating across multiple states.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• 8+ years of progressive accounting experience, including 3+ years in a Controller, Assistant Controller, Director of Accounting, or similar leadership roles.

• Significant experience in a multi-entity environment with responsibility for consolidated financial reporting and intercompany accounting, ideally in a roll-up or holding company environment.

• Experience supporting acquisitive business models with an understanding of purchase price allocation, tax optimization, and opening balance sheets.

• Demonstrated success implementing or improving accounting systems, including ERP migrations, standardized chart of accounts, and workflow tooling.

• Experience leveraging a variety of stakeholders, including external accounting firms, offshore bookkeepers, auditors, and tax advisors.

• Ability to translate financial information into practical business insights for operators and non-finance stakeholders.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience in home or business services (e.g., HVAC, plumbing, pest control, restoration) or industrials (light manufacturing, distribution)

• CPA preferred but not required.

• Past exposure to highly acquisitive environments with multiple M&A events.

• Interest in leveraging AI-enabled tools to speed automation and increase accuracy.

• Experience implementing an ERP platform across multiple operating companies.

• Experience transitioning accounting functions from external accounting firms to an internal finance organization.

• Experience supporting businesses with recurring lender reporting and covenant monitoring responsibilities.

ABOUT THE TEAM

American Operator exists because we believe the American Dream is worth protecting, and that small businesses are the backbone of our communities. To do this well, we need a team that reflects the real world: operators, builders, investors, and problem-solvers from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences.

MISSION-DRIVEN

Every company claims to be mission-driven, but our mission is simple, tangible, and urgent: preserve the legacy of America’s small businesses and create more pathways to meaningful ownership.

We partner with operators who want to step into leadership, take responsibility for great companies, and continue the work that founders spent decades building. When we succeed, communities keep their employers, families keep their livelihoods, and operators get the chance to build wealth through real ownership.

We work hard because we know what’s at stake: generational businesses that deserve to thrive, and talented operators who deserve the chance to lead them. And while we measure our success in deals closed and businesses grown, the real reward is seeing these companies continue to serve their people and their towns, stronger than before.

Where else do you get the opportunity to help someone become a CEO, preserve a founder’s life’s work, and strengthen a community, all in the same job? That’s what makes our work both serious and incredibly fulfilling.