Controller – Automotive Dealership Group (Franchise Experience Required)

Controller role for a franchised automotive dealer group with three locations, onsite in Indianapolis.

Responsibilities

• Lead and supervise the office managers across three dealership sites, ensuring a 3 to 4 person team per location follows best financial practices and delivers accurate reporting.
• Ensure monthly financial statements are accurate and issued on time; establish clear accounting policies for all locations and regularly review general ledger balances and trends to spot and address discrepancies in accordance with GAAP and manufacturer standards.
• Manage daily cash flow, including vehicle floor plan activity and checking account sweeps; detect pricing, discount, tax, or payment-method discrepancies; implement duties separation or dual oversight in high fraud-risk areas; ensure transactions comply with internal policies.
• Guarantee compliance with applicable laws and regulations ( IRS, EPA, OSHA, NHTSA, FTC, Indiana SOS, AG, etc. ); assess risks, emphasize employee safety and data privacy, safeguard NPI, mitigate cyber events, and maintain the dealerships Information Security Program.
• Coordinate annual quotes for health, dental, vision, and life insurance; provide analysis and premium breakdowns; secure and review proposals for property, liability, cyber, workers' compensation, and umbrella coverage to ensure appropriate protection.
• Oversee technology across the dealerships, including hardware, software, networks, and data; focus on the dealer management system (CDK/Tekion); map and manage accounting structures within these systems; solicit IT bids as contracts expire and collaborate with vendors to maintain IT infrastructure.
• Direct annual parts inventories, reconcile results, and offer improvement recommendations; regularly verify reconciliations for other GL inventory accounts, including labor.
• Lead HR operations to ensure compliance with employment laws and dealership policies, including the Employee Handbook, benefits, audits, compliance testing, and required government reporting.
• Prepare and present monthly performance reports for General Managers and owners, featuring trend analysis, gross margins, finance department comparisons, AR past-due insights, and inventory aging; propose corrective actions when needed.
• Verify payroll, tax filings, and related reports for accuracy and timeliness; ensure compliance with employee benefits and payroll tax regulations.
• Create task lists for office managers; review accruals, payroll tax withholdings, and ensure accounting staff balances align with every asset and liability account; collaborate with the accounting firm and office managers to complete year-end adjusting entries, compilation reports, tax returns, LIFO entries, and other year-end items, ensuring timely filings.

Requirements

• Education: CPA or bachelor’s degree in accounting or a related field is required.
• Experience: At least 5 years as a Controller in a franchised automotive dealership or equivalent automotive industry experience.
• Solid understanding of automotive dealership financials, floorplan management, and inventory processes.
• Experience with dealer management systems (CDK and Tekion) and related software tools.

Technologies

• CDK
• Tekion

Benefits

• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee discount
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Vision insurance

Compensation

• Salary range: USD 125,000 - 150,000 per year
• Projected total compensation: USD 125,000 - 150,000 per year

Location and work setup

• Location: Indianapolis, IN 46240 (onsite)
• Relocation: Required prior to starting
• Work arrangement: In person