Controller – Apparel Finance Leader

About the role

The Controller will lead accounting and finance for a privately held apparel company in Manhattan. Reporting directly to the President, this executive will drive rigorous financial reporting, costing, and inventory controls while partnering across sales, design, production, and warehouse functions.

Key responsibilities

• Lead the monthly close and deliver accurate financial statements and management reports within 20 days of month‑end.
• Own inventory and COGS accounting, including reconciliations, reserves, and margin analysis.
• Improve product costing and profitability analysis by style, customer, and channel; establish disciplined variance tracking.
• Maintain and enhance internal controls over financial reporting and key operational processes.
• Partner with the President on annual budgeting and forecasting cadence.
• Streamline data integrity and process flow across sales, production, design, and finance to eliminate redundancy and manual entry.

Required profile

• Hands‑on accounting leader with strong communication skills and ability to influence senior and non‑financial stakeholders.
• Prior controller experience in apparel/fashion preferred; consumer‑product background with wholesale exposure acceptable.
• Proven ability to diagnose issues quickly, implement pragmatic process improvements, and thrive in deadline‑driven environments.
• Willingness to work on‑site daily initially, with limited flexibility after establishment.

Required skills