Job Description

Job Description

Job Description

Description:

Job Purpose / Summary

The Dealership Controller is a key leadership role responsible for overseeing all accounting, financial reporting, and internal controls at the one or multiple dealership locations. This position partners with dealership leadership to ensure financial integrity, profitability, and sustainable growth. The Controller must have strong technical accounting skills, a business mindset, and the ability to lead and mentor a finance team. Experience with dealership systems (especially CDK or other DMS software) is highly desirable.

Key Responsibilities & Duties

• Oversee the full accounting cycle: accounts payable, accounts receivable, general ledger entries, fixed assets, inventory accounting, payroll, and month-end close.
• Prepare accurate and timely financial statements (P&L, balance sheet, cash flow) and variance analyses.
• Develop, implement, and enforce internal controls, policies, and procedures to safeguard assets, ensure compliance, and prevent fraud.
• Reconcile balance sheet accounts monthly and “clean up” reconciling items.
• Collaborate with leadership and department heads to assist in budgeting, forecasting, and operational planning.
• Perform sales and expense analyses by department and present actionable insights to management.
• Cash flow management, forecasting, and working capital oversight (including floor-planning, loans, payables).
• Ensure compliance with tax, regulatory, and manufacturer reporting requirements.
• Support and coordinate audits (internal and external) and respond to audit queries.
• Supervise, coach, and develop accounting staff; set goals, evaluate performance, and ensure staff training and development.
• Coordinate with other departments (Sales, Service, Parts, F&I) to ensure accurate financial integration and accountability across operations.
• Lead or assist in system implementations, upgrades, or process improvement projects — especially integration with DMS (e.g. CDK).
• Maintain relationships with lenders, manufacturers, auditors, banks, and other external partners as needed.
• Stay current with accounting standards, dealership industry trends, and regulatory changes.

About Our Dealership

Fox Auto Team is a family owned and operated business so we put Family Values first in everything we do. We appreciate our customers and aim to make them customers for life! We also value community. We support local business, vendors, suppliers and charitable organizations. We want to give back to our community and cultivate long term relationships with our neighbors. Our employees are key to our success and if you share the same values we welcome you to apply!  Fox Auto Team is an equal opportunity employer and prohibit discrimination / harassment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.    

Required Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field; CPA or CMA preferred (or equivalent experience).
• Proven experience in accounting leadership roles (Controller, Assistant Controller or Senior Accountant) — ideally 5+ years, with at least some in the automotive/dealership environment.
• Experience working with dealership accounting / DMS systems (especially CDK) or other dealership management software.
• Strong technical accounting skills: GAAP, journal entries, reconciliations, accrual accounting, amortization, analysis.
• Solid competence in Microsoft Excel and related tools (e.g. pivot tables, complex formulas, modeling).
• Ability to think strategically from a business perspective — not just accounting-centric.
• Strong communication and presentation skills for interacting with management, staff, lenders, auditors.
• Leadership ability: mentoring, performance management, staff development, delegation, cross-functional collaboration.
• High level of accuracy, attention to detail, analytical mindset, and sense of urgency.
• Integrity, ethics, professionalism, and strong work ethic.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, work under pressure, meet deadlines, and adapt in a dynamic environment.
• Valid driver’s license and ability to pass background checks and drug screening.

Desired / Preferred Competencies (Behavioral & Leadership)

• Business Partner Mindset: Think beyond the numbers — understand business operations, metrics, margins, and how accounting impacts decisions.
• Influence & Stakeholder Management: Ability to influence and work with department heads, GM, manufacturer reps, and external stakeholders.
• Change Agent / Continuous Improvement: Lead improvements in processes, automation, system upgrades, and efficiencies.
• Strategic Thinking: Ability to forecast, anticipate issues, present scenarios, make recommendations.
• Team Building & Mentoring: Develop a strong accounting team, build capabilities, and promote accountability.
• Problem Solver & Critical Thinker: Able to dig into data, uncover root causes, propose solutions, and act decisively.
• Adaptability & Resilience: Comfortable in a fast-paced, sometimes ambiguous environment; respond well to change and stress.
• Communication & Presentation: Clear and professional in verbal, written, and presentation formats; able to translate financials into actionable information.

Metrics / Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

These could include (but are not limited to):

• Timeliness of monthly close and financial reporting
• Accuracy of forecasts vs. actuals
• Number and aging of reconciling items
• Expense-to-sales ratios
• Cash flow / working capital management
• Staff turnover / development metrics
• Audit findings / compliance violations
• Departmental margin performance
• Process improvement milestones / system implementations

Working Conditions & Environment

• Full-time, on-site (or hybrid if applicable)
• Occasional extended hours, particularly around month-end or audit times
• May require travel (if overseeing multiple locations)
• Office environment; high degree of collaboration and interdepartmental interaction

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