Senior Financial Controller

Senior Accountant / Controller — Multi-Unit Restaurant Group (Restaurant365, Toast POS)

Confidential Search | Central Florida · Nashville, TN · Bethesda, MD | On-Site (Hybrid Considered) | Full-Time

About the Opportunity

A privately held, independent, multi-concept restaurant group is hiring a Senior Accountant / Controller to own the day-to-day financial infrastructure of a growing hospitality organization.

The group operates acclaimed, high-volume, upscale full-service restaurants and is in an active national expansion phase, with new units under development across multiple markets. The first phase of growth targets eight locations nationwide, with a second phase already in planning.

These are polished, chef-driven concepts — ambitious without being corporate, and rooted in genuine hospitality. The growth requires back-office infrastructure that matches the standards held inside the dining rooms, and that infrastructure is being built now.

The company's identity will be disclosed to qualified candidates during the interview process.

The Role

We are looking for a Senior Accountant / Controller who is exceptionally organized, technically proficient, and genuinely passionate about the hospitality industry.

This is not a strategic FP&A role — it is an execution role, and we mean that as a compliment. We need someone who takes deep pride in running a clean, tight, fully documented financial operation and who understands that in a multi-concept restaurant group, the details are everything.

You will own the books, the taxes, the leases, the compliance calendar, and the vendor relationships. You will compile critical month-end close data and P&L information and work in close coordination with the VP of Finance, operations, and culinary teams. You will also help oversee an outsourced AP function and a light-load accounting partner, and collaborate with internal and outsourced HR resources.

The organization is at an inflection point. Legacy habits and systems are being unwound, rethought, and rebuilt from the ground up. The person who joins now helps shape that foundation.

The Controller title is yours to earn — and you will be supported to earn it.

What You'll Own

• Full-cycle accounting and monthly close across all entities, in coordination with the VP of Finance
• Financial statement preparation and accuracy for VP hand-off
• Tax compliance — sales tax, payroll tax, and income tax filing coordination (multi-state)
• Lease abstract maintenance — critical dates, percentage rent thresholds, option windows, insurance requirements
• Vendor contracts, certificates of insurance, and key document management
• Cash management and bank reconciliations — daily cash flow in coordination with the VP
• Accounts payable oversight of an outsourced team — review, approval workflow, vendor relationships
• Payroll processing and accuracy in coordination with HR and third-party payroll partners
• Audit preparation and support for the VP of Finance and operations team
• Pre-opening cost tracking and new unit development accounting — full-scale NRO (New Restaurant Opening) support, with the opportunity to learn NRO and new deal analysis and management
• Restaurant365 (R365) system ownership — chart of accounts, entity setup, reporting integrity

What We're Looking For

Experience

• 3–5+ years of accounting experience, with meaningful time inside a restaurant, hospitality, or multi-unit food & beverage environment (non-negotiable)
• Multi-entity / multi-concept accounting experience strongly preferred
• Upscale or full-service restaurant background is a significant advantage
• Restaurant365 (R365) proficiency strongly preferred; other restaurant accounting systems considered
• Familiarity with Toast POS
• Experience managing outsourced accounting/AP partnerships highly preferred
• Tax proficiency highly preferred

Skills & Attributes

• Exceptional organizational skills — you manage deadlines, not just tasks
• Detail orientation that is genuinely part of how you work, not just how you describe yourself
• Clean, clear written communication — you can summarize financial information simply
• Comfort working across outsourced partners and internal stakeholders
• Ability to manage up effectively and flag issues before they become problems
• Familiarity with lease documentation and critical date management
• Solid understanding of sales tax, payroll tax, and multi-state compliance fundamentals
• You are a kind, decent, even-tempered person who enjoys good food and restaurants, and who works with teammates to drive excellence while lifting and leaning on each other

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field required
• CPA preferred but not required — the right experience matters more than the credential

Compensation, Benefits & Location

• Base Salary: Commensurate with the candidate's experience and current market rates for the position (see note below regarding the Bethesda, MD posting)
• Bonus: Performance-based annual bonus
• Benefits: Health insurance, 401(k), and paid time off (PTO)
• Location: Central Florida (Orlando / Winter Park metro), Nashville, TN, or Bethesda, MD
• Work Model: On-site; local candidates strongly preferred. Hybrid considered for the right candidate.
• Relocation: Considered for exceptional candidates

Who Thrives Here

You are precise without being rigid. You take ownership without being told twice. You understand that a restaurant group running multiple concepts across multiple markets lives and dies by the quality of its back office — and you want to be the person who makes that back office exceptional.

You are not the loudest person in the room. You are the most prepared. You believe good hospitality extends beyond the dining room, and you want to work somewhere that believes the same thing.

We are not a finished thing. This group is actively unwinding years of legacy habits, rethinking how it operates, and building infrastructure that matches where it is going. If you want to put your stamp on something real — the systems, the standards, and the culture of a group that is becoming something — this is that seat.

Keywords / Skills

Restaurant Accounting · Restaurant365 · R365 · Toast POS · Hospitality Accounting · Multi-Unit Accounting · Multi-Entity Accounting · Month-End Close · General Ledger · GAAP · Financial Reporting · Financial Statement Preparation · Bank Reconciliation · Account Reconciliation · Accounts Payable (AP) · Accounts Receivable (AR) · Payroll Processing · Payroll Tax · Sales & Use Tax · Multi-State Tax Compliance · Lease Accounting · ASC 842 · Percentage Rent · Cash Management · Daily Sales Reconciliation · Food & Beverage Cost Accounting · COGS · Pre-Opening Costs · New Restaurant Openings (NRO) · Audit Support · Internal Controls · Chart of Accounts · Vendor Management · Certificates of Insurance · Outsourced Accounting Management · Microsoft Excel · CPA · Staff Accountant · Senior Accountant · Assistant Controller · Controller · Accounting Manager

• We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic.