Guided Search Partners (GSP)
Guided Search Partners is an Executive Search firm built on Trust, Transparency, Specialization, and Long-term Relationships.
We connect high-performing professionals with organizations that value people, performance, and growth—helping leaders find roles where they can make an impact and build meaningful careers.

About the Opportunity
We’re partnering with a rapidly scaling manufacturing and e-commerce business seeking a Finance Director / Controller in Arizonia. This is a hands-on finance leadership role within a vertically integrated organization that designs, manufactures, distributes, and installs premium aftermarket accessories for adventure vans, 4x4 SUVs, and overlanding vehicles. The company operates across product design, domestic manufacturing, e-commerce, wholesale distribution, and installation services.

This is a strong opportunity for a manufacturing finance leader who can bring structure, accuracy, and stronger controllership processes to a growing business. The role will own the monthly close, strengthen internal controls, improve financial reporting, and partner closely with Operations to support cost accounting, inventory accuracy, and margin visibility. The right person will be comfortable in a fast-moving environment where they can build processes, improve systems, and operate effectively without large-company resources or an extensive accounting team.

What You’ll Do
You’ll lead the accounting function while helping build stronger financial structure across manufacturing, inventory, reporting, and operations.

Key areas of focus include:

• Own the monthly close process, including journal entries, accruals, reconciliations, and financial statement preparation
• Maintain the general ledger in accordance with US GAAP
• Oversee AP, AR, payroll accounting, cash, and related review controls
• Prepare monthly management reporting packages, including P&L, balance sheet, cash flow, and KPIs
• Explain performance drivers versus budget and forecast
• Coordinate audit and tax workstreams with external auditors, tax advisors, and lenders as needed
• Document and improve accounting policies, procedures, and close checklists
• Partner with Operations and Supply Chain to strengthen inventory and cost accounting processes
• Maintain and analyze product costs, including materials, labor, and overhead
• Support margin analysis by product line, channel, and customer segment
• Own inventory accounting, cycle counts, physical inventories, reserves, and subledger reconciliations
• Develop variance reporting and drive root-cause analysis with manufacturing leaders
• Support BOM, routing, and costing integrity in NetSuite
• Improve manufacturing reporting around COGM, COGS, inventory turns, scrap, and rework
• Lead, coach, and develop the accounting team
• Design and maintain internal controls, approval matrices, and periodic control testing
• Drive process improvements and automation across order-to-cash, procure-to-pay, inventory, and close
• Support budgeting, forecasting, and working capital management

Who You Are
You are a hands-on finance leader who understands manufacturing accounting beyond the numbers on a report. You can connect shop-floor activity, inventory movement, supply chain activity, and cost drivers to clean financial reporting and useful business insights. You bring a strong technical accounting foundation, but you also know how to partner with Operations, Supply Chain, and Sales in a practical way. You would do well here if you are highly organized, detail-oriented, comfortable building processes, and able to create structure in a growing company environment.

Preferred Experience & Attributes
• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field
• CPA and/or CMA strongly preferred
• 8+ years of progressive accounting or finance experience
• 3+ years in a Controller, Assistant Controller, or Finance Director capacity
• Strong manufacturing accounting background
• Hands-on cost accounting experience
• Strong inventory accounting, COGS, and COGM experience
• Strong US GAAP knowledge
• Experience building and maintaining internal controls in a growing business
• NetSuite experience highly preferred
• Experience with NetSuite implementation, optimization, or manufacturing/inventory modules is a plus
• Experience supporting month-end close, GL maintenance, audit support, and controllership processes
• Ability to build processes, policies, and infrastructure
• Strong cross-functional partnership skills with Operations, Supply Chain, and Sales
• High attention to detail, ownership mindset, and ability to prioritize in a fast-moving environment
• Must be located in, or willing to commute to, Mesa, AZ

Why This Role Matters
This role is important because the business is scaling and needs stronger financial structure, reporting discipline, and operational visibility to support its next phase of growth. The Finance Director / Controller will help improve month-end close, inventory accuracy, cost accounting, NetSuite processes, internal controls, and management reporting. The goal is to make finance a trusted operational partner that provides timely, decision-useful reporting. For someone who wants a hands-on leadership role with real influence across manufacturing, inventory, and business performance, this is a strong opportunity to build and improve the finance function with purpose.