Controller – Distribution & Inventory Accounting

ABOUT GAMA

GAMA is a member-owned wholesale distribution company serving convenience store owners across Texas. Founded October 5, 1999, GAMA has served its members for nearly 27 years and operates a large convenience-store distribution business in Central Texas, supported by a corporate office, two warehouses, a direct-store distribution business, a cash-and-carry operation, a print shop, and delivery operations.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Controller will lead a team of four to five accounting professionals and work closely with the Chief Commercial Growth Officer (CCGO) and Chief Supply Chain Officer (CSCO) to execute key financial and operational responsibilities. The position reports directly to the Senior Vice President, with dotted-line relationships to the board of Directors.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

FINANCIAL REPORTING & ACCOUNTING

• Own the Company's general ledger and overall accounting function.
• Manage monthly, quarterly, and annual financial close processes.
• Prepare accurate and timely income statements, balance sheets, cash flow statements, and supporting schedules.
• Ensure financial statements are prepared in accordance with GAAP and Company accounting policies.
• Establish and maintain appropriate accounting policies, procedures, and controls.
• Review journal entries, account reconciliations, accruals, and reserves.
• Analyze monthly results and explain significant variances to budget, forecast, and prior periods.
• Prepare financial reporting packages for senior management and the Board of Directors.

INVENTORY & GROSS MARGIN MANAGEMENT

• Maintain accurate accounting and controls over inventory across warehouses and distribution locations.
• Coordinate inventory reconciliations, cycle counts, physical inventories, and inventory adjustments with Operations.
• Coordinate accurate accounting for inventory shrink, spoilage, damage, obsolescence, and other inventory losses.
• Ensure accurate product costing and gross margin reporting.
• Analyze gross margin by customer, product category, supplier, salesperson, and/or route.
• Monitor purchase price variances and vendor rebates, allowances, promotional programs, and other supplier economics.
• Partner with Operations and Purchasing to improve inventory turns and working capital.
• Ensure inventory movements from warehouse to customer are properly recorded.

ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE & CREDIT

• Oversee the accounts receivable function and customer billing process.
• Ensure timely and accurate customer invoicing, credits, deductions, and adjustments.
• Develop processes to minimize invoice discrepancies and delivery-related claims.
• Work with Sales and Operations to resolve customer account issues.

ACCOUNTS PAYABLE & PURCHASING

• Oversee accounts payable and vendor payment processes.
• Ensure vendor invoices are accurately matched to purchase orders and receipts.
• Establish controls around purchasing, receiving, pricing, and payment.
• Monitor vendor statements and resolve discrepancies.
• Ensure accurate recording of freight, rebates, allowances, discounts, and other vendor-related economics.
• Manage AP aging and work with Operations to optimize payment timing while maintaining supplier relationships.

CASH MANAGEMENT

• Oversee daily cash reporting and cash reconciliation.
• Manage bank reconciliations and cash forecasting.
• Monitor cash collections from customers and cash/credit card activity associated with deliveries.
• Establish controls over cash, checks, deposits, and electronic payments.
• Partner with management and the Board of Directors to forecast short- and long-term liquidity requirements.

DELIVERY & ROUTE ACCOUNTING

• Reconcile orders, warehouse shipments, invoices, deliveries, returns, and customer credits.
• Establish controls over driver transactions, cash collections, and customer payments.
• Monitor delivery costs, fuel, labor, and other distribution expenses.
• Partner with Operations to identify opportunities to improve delivery efficiency.

BUDGETING & FINANCIAL ANALYSIS

• Lead the annual budgeting and forecasting process.
• Develop financial forecasts for sales, gross margin, operating expenses, working capital, and cash flow.
• Provide management with analysis of sales and margin trends.
• Develop and monitor key operating metrics, including sales growth, gross margin %, inventory turns, AP days, working capital, delivery cost per case, cases per route/stop, revenue per route, labor cost as a percentage of sales, EBITDA, and EBITDA margin.
• Identify opportunities to improve profitability and working capital.

INTERNAL CONTROLS & RISK MANAGEMENT

• Develop and maintain a strong system of internal financial controls.
• Ensure appropriate segregation of duties across purchasing, receiving, inventory, billing, collections, and cash management.
• Establish controls over pricing, discounts, customer credits, inventory adjustments, and vendor rebates.
• Monitor compliance with Company policies and identify control weaknesses.
• Implement processes to reduce fraud, errors, inventory shrink, and revenue leakage.
• Support insurance, banking, tax, and other financial requirements.

SYSTEMS & PROCESS IMPROVEMENT

• Serve as the finance lead for the Company's ERP/accounting systems.
• Improve integration between accounting, warehouse management, order management, route delivery, and sales systems.
• Automate manual accounting and reporting processes where appropriate.
• Improve data integrity and reporting accuracy.
• Work with IT on finance and accounting system implementations.

LEADERSHIP & TEAM MANAGEMENT

• Lead, develop, and manage the accounting/finance team.
• Establish clear responsibilities, performance expectations, and processes.
• Recruit and develop accounting personnel as the Company grows.
• Ensure appropriate backup and cross-training within the accounting organization.
• Partner closely with Operations, Sales, Purchasing, Warehouse, HR, IT, and senior management.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field.
• 10+ years of progressive accounting/finance experience.
• Experience managing an accounting function in a distribution, wholesale, retail, CPG, or inventory-intensive environment.
• Strong understanding of inventory accounting and gross margin.
• Experience with monthly financial close and financial reporting.
• Experience with integrated ERP systems and SAP; SAP experience is required for this position.
• Strong Excel and financial modeling skills.
• Experience managing and developing an accounting team.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and communication skills.

Preferred

• CPA or equivalent accounting experience.
• Experience with a C-store, foodservice, beverage, grocery, or CPG distributor.
• Experience with direct-store delivery (DSD).
• Experience with warehouse management and route delivery systems.
• Experience building financial reporting and KPI dashboards.

KEY PERFORMANCE MEASURES

• Timeliness and accuracy of monthly financial close
• Accuracy of financial statements and management reporting
• Gross margin accuracy and visibility
• Inventory accuracy and shrink
• Accounts receivable aging and DSO
• Working capital management
• Cash forecasting accuracy
• Vendor reconciliation and AP management
• Strength of internal controls
• Quality and usefulness of financial analysis
• Finance team performance
• Successful implementation of process and system improvements

WORKING CONDITIONS

• This is a full-time, on-site position based in Austin, Texas, operating primarily in a professional office environment within a wholesale distribution organization.
• The role routinely uses standard office equipment and requires extended periods of sitting and computer-based work. The Controller will also interact regularly with warehouse, distribution, cash-and-carry, and other operational areas and may occasionally be required to move throughout those environments.
• The position requires the ability to manage competing priorities, meet recurring financial reporting and close deadlines, and collaborate with Board members, executive leadership, and cross-functional teams.

BENEFITS

GAMA offers a benefits package to eligible full-time employees. Specific benefit offerings, eligibility requirements, and plan details will be provided during the recruitment process.

KEY INTERNAL PARTNERS

Operations, Sales, Purchasing, Warehouse/Distribution, HR, IT, and Executive Management.