About Thrive 3PL
Thrive 3PL is a Houston-based third-party logistics (3PL) company. We provide warehousing, fulfillment, parcel shipping and transportation services to brands that sell through eCommerce, retail and business-to-business (B2B) channels. We are an entrepreneurial company in a period of growth.
Position Summary
The Operational Controller builds and improves the financial systems that keep Thrive 3PL accurate, profitable and ready to scale. This person solves problems where our contracts, our operations, and our accounting meet. Every contract term is billed as written, every payment matches what we agreed to pay, and every financial gap is found and closed before it scales into a major issue.
The Operational Controller puts updated contract terms into effect for clients and vendors, audits billing and payables against those terms, and leads the move to universal metered billing across all of our services. Routine reporting runs on our automated tools. This role decides what those tools measure, audits what they produce, and improves the systems behind them.
The Operational Controller also owns the production of our financial statements. Our commercial and operations teams own business performance, and the financial statements show the results of that performance accurately and on time. This role suits someone who thrives in an entrepreneurial, growth-oriented environment and enjoys making a business run better.
This is a Hybrid position - some time in the warehouse, the remaining time remotely.
Local candidates only. No relocation provided.
Salary
- $80,000.00 - $85,000.00, commensurate with experience.
Key Responsibilities
Financial systems and continuous improvement
- Define, build and improve our accounting, finance, banking and billing systems.
- Identify financial gaps before they scale into major issues, and put the fix in place.
- Keep the financial record consistent with the operational data from our warehouse and shipping systems.
- Automate routine reconciliation and reporting, so the team spends its time on analysis and problem-solving.
Contracts and billing
- Implement contract terms as they are updated, for both clients and vendors, so new rates and terms flow correctly into billing and payables.
- Audit client billing against contract terms, and correct any charge that does not match the agreement.
- Design and implement universal metered billing for all Thrive 3PL services, extending the metered model we use for parcel today.
- Oversee the billing function across the team and our systems, so every billable activity is captured and invoiced correctly.
- Monitor parcel metering and parcel margin, and resolve discrepancies between carrier costs and client charges.
- Manage accounts receivable (A/R), including aging, collections follow-up and client account reviews.
Payables and controls
- Audit expenses, and validate every payment against vendor contract terms, a purchase order or an approved invoice.
- Maintain the internal controls that protect company funds and the accuracy of the financial record.
Financial statements and analysis
- Own the production of the company financial statements, from monthly close to the final statements.
- Analyze profitability by line of business, by facility and by client, and identify the services and clients that earn or lose money.
- Provide financial insight that leadership can act on, with a clear recommendation attached to each finding.
Leadership
- Supervise, train, and develop the operational and sales team.
Data Handling and Confidentiality
The Operational Controller has access to company, client and banking information. You will treat this information as strictly confidential, access it only as your work requires, keep it inside authorized Thrive 3PL systems, and follow the company data-security policy.
Qualifications
Required
- At least five years of progressive accounting experience, including month-end close and the production of financial statements.
- Knowledge of the logistics industry, which is essential for this role.
- A record of building or improving financial systems and processes.
- Experience auditing billing or payables against contract terms.
- Experience with usage-based or activity-based billing.
- A record of success in an entrepreneurial, growth-oriented company.
- Experience supervising at least one accounting team member.
- A bachelor’s degree in accounting or finance, or equivalent professional experience.
- Strong skills in QuickBooks and Excel.
- Demonstrated discretion with confidential information, and willingness to sign a confidentiality and data-handling agreement.
Preferred
- Controller or assistant controller experience at a 3PL, warehouse, or freight company.
- Experience with warehouse management system (WMS) data and parcel carrier invoicing.
- Experience automating accounting workflows through system integrations or software tools.
- A master’s degree in accounting, finance or business administration, or a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or Certified Management Accountant (CMA) credential.
Success in the First 90 Days
- Audited billing for our largest clients against their current contract terms.
- Identified the largest gaps in our financial systems, with a plan to close each one.
- Taken over A/P approval and oversight of the billing function.
- Produced the monthly financial statements, with results by line of business and by facility.
- Presented a plan and timeline for universal metered billing.