Divisional Controller
Empower Brands · Richmond, Virginia, United States
Divisional Controller
Empower Brands - Residential Division
Reports to
Chief Financial Officer
Location
Glen Allen, VA / Richmond area; hybrid or remote considered
Status
Full-time, exempt
Team leadership
9 accountants; 15 total team members across the department
The Opportunity
The Residential Division brings together nine franchising brands, two company-owned markets and fourteen shared service departments. The Divisional Controller is the senior accounting leader responsible for creating one reliable, well-controlled view of performance across this multi-entity platform while preserving the entity-level accuracy required by management, auditors, lenders, and other stakeholders.
This is a hands-on leadership role with end-to-end accountability. The Divisional Controller owns franchisor accounting, the company-owned market books, shared service and holding-company entities, Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, the general ledger, close, reconciliations, consolidation, financial reporting, controls, and external audit coordination. The role reports directly to the CFO and partners closely with FP&A / Financial Reporting to consolidate the Residential Division into a single reported result.
Scope of Responsibility
Area
Scope
Brands
FRSTeam; Archadeck Outdoor Living; Conserva Irrigation; Koala Insulation; Wallaby Windows; Outdoor Lighting Perspectives; Superior Fence & Rail; Bumble Roofing; and the Residential platform brand portfolio.
Operating scope
Nine franchising brands, two company-owned markets, fourteen shared service departments, and related holding-company entities.
Functional ownership
AR, AP, GL, close, reconciliations, consolidation, entity and divisional reporting, external audit support, accounting policy, and internal controls.
Team
Leads 9 accountants and provides leadership across a 15-person Residential accounting department, including oversight of the AR and AP function.
Key partners
CFO, FP&A / Financial Reporting, Treasury, Tax, Legal, brand and operating leaders, corporate accounting, systems teams, and external auditors.
Key Responsibilities
End-to-end accounting and close
- Own the complete accounting cycle for all Residential franchisor entities, the two company-owned markets, the fourteen shared-service departments and related holding-company entities.
- Establish and manage one disciplined month-end, quarter-end, and year-end close calendar; assign ownership, monitor task-level deadlines, review journal entries and deliver accurate results on schedule.
- Ensure every balance sheet account is reconciled monthly with documented support, aging, a named owner, and timely resolution of reconciling items.
- Maintain common accounting policies, chart-of-accounts discipline, journal-entry standards, and accrual practices across the Division.
Franchisor, company-owned and shared-services accounting
- Own accounting for franchisor revenue streams under applicable US GAAP, including royalties, initial franchise fees and deferred revenue, technology and other franchisee fees, renewals, transfers, and vendor rebates.
- Oversee accounting for brand and advertising funds, including contributions, spending, reconciliations and reporting consistent with franchise agreements and accounting requirements.
- Own accounting for the two company-owned markets, including customer revenue, job or market-level activity, payroll-related accruals, receivables, and the related balance sheets.
- Own shared-service charges, management allocations, and holding-company activity, with transparent methodologies and supportable intercompany balances.
- Account for franchise lifecycle events, including openings, transfers, terminations, refranchising or divestitures, repurchases and other unusual transactions, in partnership with Legal and operating leadership.
Consolidation and financial reporting
- Own the consolidation of the Residential Division into a single reported result, including consolidation entries, intercompany eliminations, and documented tie-outs from entity-level detail to divisional reporting.
- Partner with FP&A / Financial Reporting so actuals, budget and forecast use consistent definitions, mappings, and reporting logic.
- Prepare or oversee entity-level and consolidated monthly financial statements and actionable variance commentary for the CFO, Residential leadership, and other stakeholders.
- Drive clear and timely Preliminary Financial Reviews with brand and functional leaders, explaining performance versus budget, forecast, and prior year.
Accounts Receivable, credit, and Accounts Payable
- Own Residential Accounts Receivable, including invoicing, cash application, collections, dispute resolution, notes and promissory receivables, franchisee development programs, and aging performance.
- Maintain a documented and supportable allowance for credit losses under ASC 326 (CECL), including consistent reserve methodology, approvals and general-ledger-to-subledger reconciliation.
- Provide oversight of the AP team, including vendor onboarding, approval workflows aligned with the Delegation of Authority, invoice processing, payment runs, expense reporting, credit-card reconciliations, accruals and 1099 compliance.
- Establish service levels, controls and operating metrics for both AR and AP, and use those measures to improve accuracy, timeliness, and stakeholder service.
Audit, technical accounting and controls
- Lead the Residential Division response to the annual financial statement audit and applicable Franchise Disclosure Document financial statement requirements, including planning, PBC ownership, fieldwork coordination, and resolution of findings.
- Serve as the Division’s technical accounting authority for new, complex, or unusual transactions; prepare position memos and coordinate with corporate accounting and outside advisors as appropriate.
- Maintain a strong, scalable internal control environment across the Residential entities, document key processes and remediate control gaps promptly.
- Ensure divisional practices remain aligned with Empower Brands accounting policies, corporate reporting requirements, and approved control standards.
Systems, process improvement, and team leadership
- Lead accounting process and systems improvements across NetSuite, billing and royalty systems, AP automation, close management, and reporting tools, including data conversion, testing, and control design where applicable.
- Build standardized processes and automation that increase capacity, improve data quality, and allow the platform to scale without adding resources at the same rate as growth.
- Lead, coach and develop 9 accountants and provide direction across the 15-person department; establish clear ownership, succession depth, performance expectations, and professional-development plans.
- Create one accountable Residential accounting organization with shared standards, effective cross-training and a culture of early issue escalation, disciplined execution, and continuous improvement.
Qualifications
Required
- 10+ years of progressive accounting experience, including meaningful experience as a Controller, Divisional Controller, Assistant Controller, or comparable senior accounting leader.
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance.
- Demonstrated ownership of a multi-entity close, general ledger, balance sheet reconciliations, consolidation, and financial reporting process.
- Experience leading AR and AP operations and managing an accounting team through managers and individual contributors.
- Strong command of US GAAP, including ASC 606 revenue recognition and ASC 326 credit-loss reserving.
- Experience managing the company side of an external audit, including request-list ownership, technical positions, fieldwork coordination, and financial statement delivery.
- Advanced Excel skills and experience with a modern ERP and financial reporting env