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Company Overview 

Brookside Flavor & Ingredients LLC (“BFI”) is a diversified developer, manufacturer, and marketer of food flavorings and ingredient serving both sweet and savory end markets. BFI is headquartered in Addison, IL with another facility in Branchburg, NJ. BFI is a fast-paced company expanding through de novo initiatives, organic growth, and continued acquisition of flavor companies and technologies. 

Position Description – Head of Accounting/Controllership 

We are seeking a highly experienced and dynamic individual to join our team as our Controller. The successful candidate will lead our accounting and controllership function, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and efficiency in financial operations. This role will play a critical part in supporting our company’s growth trajectory and maintaining financial integrity, by undertaking all aspects of financial management, including corporate accounting, regulatory and financial reporting, development of internal control policies and procedures, automation of financial processes, preparation and coordination of audit and tax documentation and processes, oversight of financial systems of record, and development of the accounting team.

Key Responsibilities

• Leading, developing, and maintaining a strong, competent, and highly-engaged accounting team
• Leading accounting functions, financial reporting, treasury, tax, and audit
• Planning, directing, and coordinating all accounting operational functions, including accounts receivable and accounts payable functions (general ledger); external tax accounting, compliance, and reporting; month-end, quarter-end and year-end reporting; technical accounting and other regulatory reporting
• Managing the accumulation and consolidation of all financial data necessary for an accurate accounting of consolidated business results in accordance with US GAAP and other relevant regulatory bodies
• Leading the coordination, preparation, and accuracy of internal and external financial statements and key financial performance indicators
• Preparing and analyzing the Company’s recurring deliverables:
  • Monthly consolidated financials and management summaries (supporting FP&A)
  • Quarterly bank covenant calculations
  • Quarterly Board Presentation and supporting analyses (supporting FP&A)
  • Annual financials
• Support in preparation of board materials and investor presentations
• Manage financial and administrative aspects of the integration of acquired companies
• Leading the development and documentation of best practices, business processes, and accounting policies to maintain and strengthen internal controls and to ensure Internal Control Over Financial Reporting (“ICFR”)
• Assessing current accounting operations, offering recommendations for improvement and leading the implementation of new processes, automation, and financially-related software
• Leading the audit and tax preparation processes with the Company’s third-party audit and tax partners, including coordinating activities of the external auditors, third-party accounting services providers, and third-party tax services providers
• Overseeing regulatory reporting, including tax planning, reporting, and compliance, and ensuring the accurate and timely preparation of annual and miscellaneous tax returns and supporting workpapers by BFI teammates and third-party service providers
• Working with business leaders and third-party tax services providers to identify opportunities for tax strategies and incentives
• Interfacing with the Company’s lenders and other financial partners
• Providing CFO with research and recommendations related to technical accounting issues for compliance and for adoption of new accounting pronouncements and new regulatory disclosure requirements
• In conjunction with the Head of FP&A, overseeing the analysis of monthly financial results, including analyses of cash flows and balance sheet accounts, and reviewing variance analysis from the budget and from the prior year highlighting critical business trends and investor messaging
• Assisting in development of the Annual Operating Plan, 3-Year Strategic Plan, and monthly forecasts
• Implementing, improving, and helping manage the Company’s working capital management procedures
• Identifying and implementing opportunities to increase efficiencies and reduce costs within the accounting and controllership function and across the organization
• Assisting the CFO in analyzing and maintaining key corporate programs including enterprise risk management and employee benefits, including leading the annual insurance renewal process

Qualifications and Experience:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Accounting
• CPA strongly preferred but not required
• Relevant experience in a similar position in a manufacturing environment is required; food and beverage or chemicals manufacturing experience preferred
• Prior experience in a large public accounting firm preferred
• Cost accounting experience strongly preferred
• 7+ years of experience in accounting or finance positions, including thorough knowledge of accounting principles and experience with closing processes and financial statement preparation
• Strong knowledge of US GAAP and GAAP principles, financial reporting, and regulatory reporting requirements
• Audit and tax leadership experience required

Key Skills:

• Ability to work in a PE portfolio company environment through developing and successfully executing against ambitious strategic objectives and timelines.
• Strong business acumen and proven business partnering including the maturity and awareness to achieve the appropriate balance between supporting and challenging the business
• Strong leader and developer of people; committed to retaining an inclusive environment
• Ability to manage strategically and tactically with a long-term mentality.
• Self-confident and highly motivated with a willingness to challenge status quo.
• Ability to multi-task and work independently, productively, and proactively
• High energy, flexibility, intellectual curiosity
• Strong critical thinking and analytical capabilities.
• Collaborative but decisive management style, Willing to act confidently in situations with uncertain outcomes making educated autonomous decisions through appropriate analysis and in line with company strategy and goals.
• Ability to work and communicate with a diverse group of cross functional people in a team setting
• Highly skilled at establishing and developing external relationships with key partners and customers.
• Superior oral and written communication, presentation and negotiation skills, with the ability and desire to interface with executives, prepare and present to board members and key stakeholders.
• Attention to detail and accuracy is an absolute must
• Advanced Microsoft Office (including Excel, PowerPoint, PowerBI); technology savvy with “hands on” experience with ERP and MIS/reporting systems; prior experience with ERP software provider, Sage X3, a plus

Cultural Fit

• Strong voice for the BFI values and culture
• A “can-do” attitude with respect for co-workers, suppliers, and customers
• Ability to foster a positive and collaborative work environment across all levels and functions
• Strong focus on continuous improvement
• Strong work ethic, entrepreneurial attitude, and ownership mindset
• A collaborative partnership mentality combined with strategic and analytical rigor
• Humility, high integrity and impeccable ethics

BFI’s Values:

• Cultivate Wildly Excited Customers: The customer is always the top priority. Every day the team is hyper-focused on making our clients love BFI. Someone who embraces the values makes every decision, no matter how big or small, with the customer top of mind. They put themselves in the customers’ shoes and make their experience better. That way, the team creates Wildly Excited Fans of the customers and of each other. If customers aren’t wildly excited about Brookside’s people and their service and products, then the level of service expected was not achieved.
• We Do The Right Things: What do you do when no one else is looking? Brookside’s teams act with integrity and honesty and focus on putting themselves in the shoes of others with safety top of mind.
• Find a Better Way: A diverse culture of innovation and continuous improvement. Constantly seeking personal and professional growth to drive customer success.
• Build for Durability: Brookside wants to create something worth creating, that will endure the test of time and is respectful of the planet. They do this by relentlessly focusing on the customer’s success, creating high quality, Healthy, Natural, Good for You products, and planning for long-term growth and scale. They’re grounded in humility and driven by ambition and success for all their key stakeholders.
• Teams on a Mission: Above all, they’re a team. That means they show up for each other, act with empathy, and bring their authentic selves to work every day. Growing this company is not for personal gain, but for each other, with the mission in mind.
• Make Something Better – Today: Hungry; passionate, and in love with new challenges. You don’t hear a lot of “I don’t know how” or “I can’t” at BFI. When faced with a hurdle, the team jumps with creativity.

Compensation and Benefits:

BFI offers an attractive compensation package, including a base salary, performance bonus.

Disclaimer:

This job description is not intended, and should not be construed to be, an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, efforts or working conditions associated with the job.  It is intended, however, to be an accurate reflection of those principal job elements essential for making decisions related to job performance, employee development and compensation.  As such, the incumbent may perform other duties and responsibilities as required.