Controller - Houston, TX - Empower Pharmacy

Position Summary:

In the role of Controller at Empower, you will be at the heart of our financial excellence, driving the accuracy and integrity of our accounting operations. This critical position is crucial to ensuring Empower's financial health and compliance, encompassing a wide array of responsibilities from managing accounts payable/receivable and general ledger operations to overseeing payroll and treasury management. Your expertise will be instrumental in executing our month-end and year-end close processes, ensuring precise and timely financial reporting, and developing robust financial planning and analysis processes that align with our strategic objectives.

 

As a Controller, you will lead and coordinate all accounting operational functions, ensuring adherence to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) standards and regulatory requirements while implementing financial policies, procedures, and controls that streamline our finance/accounting functions. You will play a key part in preparing financial statements, coordinating external audits, and supporting strategic financing activities.

 

Collaboration and leadership are at the core of this role. You will work closely with senior leadership, providing critical financial insights that support strategic decision-making initiatives. By managing the budget process, conducting variance analyses, and identifying opportunities to optimize our Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, you will help scale our financial operations to meet Empower's long-term goals. Additionally, your guidance and mentorship will foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement within the finance team, aligning with our values of people, quality, service, and innovation.

 

Your efforts will directly impact our ability to expand access to quality, affordable medication, making a tangible difference in the health and happiness of our customers. Join us in this exciting journey to shape the future of health and wellness at Empower.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Executes on the day-to-day accounting operations which includes accounts payable/receivable, general ledger, payroll, banking, and treasury management.
• Customer/patient billing, and responsible for internal budgeting and external reporting requirements to lenders, agencies, tax authorities, compliance functions, and internal dashboards to support various departmental requests.
• Manages and executes the month-end and year-end close processes, including reconciliations, journal entries, and accruals, to ensure accurate and timely financial reporting.
• Plans, directs, and coordinates all accounting operational functions to ensure compliance with GAAP standards.
• Develops and implements financial policies, procedures, and controls to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and internal policies and to help scale the finance/accounting function to streamline processes.
• Assists in financing activities and other strategic transactions.
• Coordinates external audit and prepares financial statements and related footnote disclosures.
• Manages cash flow and liquidity, including cash forecasting, investment management, and working capital optimization.
• Ensures the effectiveness of internal controls and maintains the integrity of accounting records.
• Manages the budget process and supports ongoing financial planning and analysis and financial forecasting.
• Identifies, implements, and ensures ERP system is configured and maintained to optimally support the company's long-term accounting needs.
• Develops effective goals and objectives for the finance function to monitor and measure progress against corporate initiatives and departmental goals.
• Collaborates with senior leadership and department heads to provide financial insights and support strategic decision-making initiatives.
• Acts as a trusted partner across the organization.
• Conducts variance analyses of expenses and capital expenditures.
• Coordinates with insurance brokers regarding various policies, such as Directors and Officers and liability.
• Completes ad-hoc financial reporting and analysis, as well as special projects as needed.
• Stays informed of industry trends, regulatory changes, and best practices and makes relevant updates to departmental policies and procedures.
• Monitors department performance through key performance indicators (KPIs) and operational metrics to track progress and make data-driven decisions. 
• Provides leadership, guidance, and mentorship to the capital engineering team, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Completes and communicates annual performance evaluations and provides coaching and feedback to direct reports, recognizing achievements and addressing areas for improvement as needed. 
• Evaluates department headcount needs and actively participates in interview, selection, and onboarding of new employees.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

 

While performing the responsibilities of the job, the employee is required to talk and hear. The employee is often required to remain in a stationary position for a significant amount of the workday and frequently use their hands and fingers to handle or feel in order to access, input, and retrieve information from the computer and other office productivity devices. The employee is regularly required to move about the office and around the corporate campus. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, reach with arms and hands, climb or balance, and to stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl. Vision abilities required by this job include close vision.

Knowledge and Skills:

• Strong financial systems expertise; preferably with ERP implementations.
• Advanced knowledge of finance, accounting, budgeting, tax, banking, cash management, cost control principles, and GAAP.
• Demonstrated ability in leading and building an accounting function from the ground-up, including recruitment, development, and retention of top industry talent.
• Proven ability to analyze financial data and prepare financial reports, statements, and projections.
• Excellent organizational, analytical, and negotiation skills.
• Ability to present and effectively communicate (written/verbal) with senior level executives and external stakeholders complex accounting/financial outcomes in an articulate and succinct manner.
• Effective problem-solving skills; results oriented focus.
• Ability to influence operational/policy changes cross functionally throughout the organization in a positive demeanor.
• Strong project management skills.
• Independent thinker, hands-on mindset, and a detail-oriented approach to getting the work done.
• Successful experience working in fast-paced high growth environment.

 

Key Competencies

• Customer Focus: Ability to build strong customer relationships and deliver customer centric solutions.
• Optimizes Work Processes: Know the most effective and efficient processes to get things done, with a focus on continuous improvement.
• Collaborates: Builds partnerships and works collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives.
• Resourcefulness: Secures and deploys resources effectively and efficiently.
• Manages Complexity: Makes sense of complex, high quality, and sometimes contradictory information to effectively solve problems.
• Ensures Accountability: Holds self and others accountable to meet commitments and objectives.
• Situational Adaptability: Adapts approach and demeanor in real time to match shifting demands of different situations.
• Communicates Effectively: Develops and delivers multi-mode communications that convey a clear understanding of the unique needs of different audiences.

 

Values

• People: Our people define who we are as a company, and we believe that understanding and addressing the needs of our team, clients, and community is fundamental to fostering a culture of support and growth.
• Quality: Quality stands at the core of our mission, reflecting our commitment to excellence in every medication we produce.
• Service: We are here to serve others. Every interaction with our patients, providers, employees and other stakeholders comes from a place of service.
• Innovation: By continuously exploring new methodologies and embracing technology, we ensure that every solution we offer is at the forefront of pharmaceutical care.

Experience and Qualifications:

• Certified Public Accountant (CPA) certification required; Master’s in Accounting or Finance preferred.
• 10+ years relevant finance and accounting experience including previous experience as a Controller, as well as experience in public company accounting or auditing.
• Experience implementing and leading internal controls required.
• Experience in developing and implementing financial policies, procedures, and initiatives.
• Prior experience leading a company through private financing transactions, Initial Public Offering process and other strategic transactions strongly preferred.

Benefits:

• No-Cost Medication: Get your prescribed compounded medications at no cost, ensuring your health without the financial burden.
• Onsite Health & Wellness – IV Therapy Drips: Rejuvenate with complimentary onsite IV Therapy drips, enhancing your well-being and energy levels.
• Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision Options: Choose from three medical plans tailored to your needs, plus options for dental and vision coverage for you and your family.
• Telehealth visits: Access board-certified Doctors anytime, anywhere for you and your family.
• Paid & Volunteer Time Off: Enjoy paid time off for personal pursuits and contribute to causes you care about with volunteer time off.
• Paid Holidays (8 scheduled; 2 floating): Celebrate with eight scheduled holidays and two floating holidays, giving you flexibility and time for personal traditions.
• Life & AD&D Coverage: Secure your and your family's financial future with life and accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance.
• FSA (Flexible Spending Account): Manage healthcare expenses smartly with pre-tax dollars in a Flexible Spending Account (FSA).
• 401K Dollar-for-Dollar Up to 4%: Invest in your future with our 401K plan, featuring a dollar-for-dollar match up to 4%.
• Company Paid Long-Term Disability: Provided at no cost, which replaces 60% of your income if you become disabled for a long period of time.
• Flexible Schedules: Balance work and life seamlessly with our flexible scheduling options.
• Rewards & Recognition Program: Your hard work doesn't go unnoticed – enjoy rewards and recognition beyond your paycheck.

 

Additional Voluntary Benefits

• Accident Insurance: Pays a lump sum benefit to help cover expenses following an accidental injury.
• Hospital Indemnity Insurance: Enhance your peace of mind with supplemental hospital insurance for unexpected stays.
• Critical Illness: Protect your finances from the expenses of a serious health issue.
• Short-Term Disability: Protect your income during illness or injury with short-term disability coverage.
• Supplemental Life & AD&D: Add an extra layer of financial protection for you and your loved ones with supplemental life and AD&D coverage.
• Legal Services: Access professional legal assistance to address concerns confidently.
• Identity Theft Protection: Safeguard your identity and finances with our identity theft protection benefit.
• Pet Insurance: Care for your furry family members with our pet insurance coverage.
• Employee Assistance Program: Confidential counseling and support services for a holistic approach to your well-being.