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Controller Path to VP (Manufacturing)

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Job Location:

Mississauga - Canada

Monthly Salary: Not provided by the employer

Posted: 5 August 2026 (28 days ago)

Application Deadline: 2 November 2026

Vacancies: 1 Vacancy

Job Summary

This is a rare opportunity to step into a hands-on Controller seat with a direct stated path to VP Finance and eventually CFO working side by side with the companys long-tenured finance leader as she transitions into a director and strategy role. The company has doubled revenue in under three years is projecting $50 million next year and recently signed a licensing partnership that puts a brands name on client projects. The person who takes this on will build the future financial infrastructure a bonus plan and a project accounting discipline that has never existed here with genuine ownership of how its built.

COMPANY

Leading manufacturer in their space headquartered in Mississauga ON
Roughly 75 to 77 employees; manufacturing runs two shifts supported by a design engineering group and a small flat finance/admin team
Privately held with three active owners
Revenue approaching $40 million this fiscal year projected to reach $50 million next year; revenue has roughly doubled over the past several years
Exports approximately 98% of sales to the US; recently opened a US corporate entity to support growth there
Entrepreneurial fast-paced culture with a direct hands-on leadership style

COMPENSATION PACKAGE

Base salary: $150000 to $185000 to start flexible for the right candidate with a stated path toward $200000 as scope and impact grow for exceptional candidates
Bonus: no formal bonus plan currently exists; designing and implementing a profitability and EBITDA-based bonus structure is one of this roles first strategic assignments
Vehicle allowance and RSP contribution: available structure flexible based on candidate
Schedule: full time in-office 5 days a week

ADVANTAGES

Defined Succession Path. This role carries a clear stated runway to VP Finance and CFO as the current finance leader steps into a director and strategy role.
Ownership of a Blank Slate. There is no existing bonus plan rigid process or legacy system to work around so this person builds the finance function largely from the ground up.
Direct Access to Ownership. This person works side by side with active hands-on owners rather than through layers of management that dont exist here.
Explosive Real Growth. Revenue has doubled in under three years and is projected to reach $50 million next year driven by reputation rather than one-off wins.
High-Profile Brand Association. A newly signed licensing partnership with a major brand gives this companys projects visibility most manufacturers in this space dont have.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

This is not a traditional Controller role limited to close and compliance. It is a hands-on financial leadership seat inside a company that has outgrown its own systems with a stated mandate to build what doesnt exist yet and eventually take over the CFO function entirely.

Learn and own project accounting and project costing across the business; this is the single most important technical foundation for the role
Take over day-to-day financial reporting month-end and year-end close and bank and government reporting currently managed by the companys finance leader
Own general ledger integrity journal entry review and account reconciliation sign-off
Design document and maintain internal controls and accounting processes appropriate to a scaling private manufacturer
Manage cash flow forecasting banking relationships and foreign exchange exposure given the high volume of US-denominated sales
Own job costing methodology work-in-progress tracking and variance analysis between estimated and actual project costs
Lead the annual budgeting process and ongoing budget-to-actual variance analysis
Build and maintain a monthly management reporting package with meaningful KPIs an area the business does not currently have in place
Track fixed assets and capital expenditures including planned investment in manufacturing automation
Coordinate sales tax and cross-border compliance considerations tied to the companys new US corporate entity
Oversee the outsourced US accounting firm supporting the companys new US corporate entity expected within the first 12 months
Manage and mentor existing accounting and administrative staff including a senior accountant and a service/contracts coordinator
Design and implement a profitability and EBITDA-based bonus plan targeted to begin after year one
Identify and implement process systems and controls improvements and follow through until changes hold rather than flagging issues and handing them off
Contribute financial analysis to a future ERP evaluation; Microsoft Dynamics has been explored previously
Support cost analysis on manufacturing automation and equipment investment initiatives
Partner directly with ownership on strategic decisions as the company scales toward $100 million in revenue

IDEAL CANDIDATE

CPA required
Minimum 7 years of progressive financial accounting and FP and amp;A experience ideally including project-based costing
Background in manufacturing or construction where projects not just transactions drive the numbers
Experience gained at an organization larger and more structurally mature than this one; expected to bring systems and processes that dont yet exist here
A track record of implementing fixes and following through until they hold not just identifying problems and handing them off
High energy
Confident and decisive unafraid to make and own mistakes in a fast-moving direct environment
Comfortable communicating across a wide range of stakeholders from high-net-worth clients to construction crews and tradespeople
Motivated by ownership and a long runway rather than a static clearly defined controller job
Not a fit: candidates who are largely strategic or C-suite in orientation with limited hands-on execution or who need significant structure and support to be effective