Job Summary
Job Summary
The organization seeks an experienced Business Controller to support warehousing and transportation operations in California. The position integrates financial analysis and business controlling, emphasizing profitability through detailed billing analysis, billing accuracy and timeliness, cost management, and comprehensive financial reporting. The Business Controller reports directly to the CFO and collaborates closely with the Head of Operations. Key responsibilities include delivering accurate financial insights, optimizing margins, and supporting strategic decision-making. Logistics experience is preferred, as a strong understanding of operational impacts on financial performance is essential.
Responsibilities:
- Oversee the accuracy and timeliness of billing processes for warehousing activities and transportation or drayage operations.
- Verify invoices by cross-referencing contracts, rate cards, accessorial charges, service logs, WMS and TMS activity, and supporting operational documentation.
- Conduct weekly and monthly revenue leakage analyses to identify missed charges, incorrect rates, duplicate billings, and unbilled activities.
- Perform comprehensive analyses of customer and vendor billing, including profitability assessments, margin calculations, and evaluations of billing timeliness and accuracy at the activity level, such as per shipment, customer, or transportation route.
- Support the month-end close process through accruals and financial analysis. Prepare and oversee business performance reporting in collaboration with the Head of Finance.
- Identify opportunities for cost savings in transportation, warehousing, and supply chain operations by analyzing expenses, vendor contracts, and operational efficiencies.
- Conduct comprehensive analyses, including variance analysis, trend identification, and scenario modeling, to deliver actionable insights to senior leadership.
- Work collaboratively with operations teams to ensure accurate invoice processing, proper cost accruals, and timely payments for logistics-related activities.
- Serve as a liaison with internal stakeholders to facilitate financial reconciliations and manage business performance.
- Assist the CFO with ad-hoc financial projects, including investment evaluations, risk assessments, and process improvements aimed at strengthening overall financial controls.
- Monitor accounts receivable performance and the collection process, acting as a liaison with the funding company. Strengthen internal controls related to order-to-cash and procure-to-pay processes, including approvals, documentation, and audit trails.
- Ensure efficient use of systems (ERP, TMS, WMS, YMS software) for data accuracy and reporting automation.
- Develop and maintain key financial metrics, dashboards, and models to support budgeting, forecasting, and long-term financial planning. Track and analyze critical operational and financial key performance indicators, including:
- Billing lag, unbilled orders, dispute rates, and credit or rebill frequency.
- Gross margin by customer or service and accessorial capture rate.
- Labor productivity, measured as units or pallets per hour, overtime percentage, and the mix of temporary versus full-time employees.
- Warehouse cost per unit, per pallet, or per order, as well as transportation cost per move.
- Days sales outstanding and collections impact resulting from billing quality, in partnership with accounts receivable.
- · Facilitate weekly business reviews with operations and finance teams, translating data analyses into actionable recommendations.
- · Perform other tasks as assigned by management.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or a related field required. MBA or CPA preferred.
- Experience in financial analysis or controlling, preferably within logistics, warehousing, or transportation.
- Demonstrated proficiency in financial modeling and advanced data analysis tools.
- Comprehensive understanding of financial reporting standards, budgeting procedures, and cost analysis methodologies.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, with a demonstrated capacity to translate complex data into clear, actionable recommendations.
- Proven experience managing financial operations, including ensuring billing accuracy, conducting profitability analysis, and maintaining compliance.
- Excellent communication skills to facilitate effective collaboration with cross-functional teams, including operations and executive leadership.
Preferred Skills
- Experience in third-party logistics (3PL), warehousing, drayage, intermodal, freight, or transportation industry environments.
- Experience with Power BI or comparable business intelligence tools, SQL or basic querying, and dashboard development.
- Familiarity with warehouse management systems (WMS), transportation management systems (TMS), billing systems, electronic data interchange (EDI), accessorial structures, and concepts such as storage, demurrage, and detention.
In addition to the duties listed above, employees are required to: adhere to Waterfront policies and procedures; work in a safe manner; perform duties as workload necessitates; maintain a positive and cooperative attitude; communicate regularly with your supervisor about work issues; demonstrate efficient time management; demonstrate regular and reliable attendance and punctuality; meet applicable productivity standards; and complete other duties as assigned by Waterfront from time to time.
This outline is not intended to be all-inclusive of the employees’ duties and responsibilities as they may change at the sole discretion of Waterfront Logistics.
Waterfront Logistics Inc. is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, religion, color, sex, national origin, citizenship status, uniform service member status, age, disability, sexual and gender orientation, genetic information or any other protected status in accordance with all applicable federal, state and local laws. This commitment extends to all aspects of the company’s employment practices including, but not limited to, recruiting, hiring, promoting, transferring, compensation, benefits, training, leaves of absence, termination, and other terms and conditions of employment.
This job description is intended to set forth the core functions required for this position and describe the general nature of the work performed by employees in this position. It may not contain a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees to do this job. Employees may be assigned additional responsibilities as necessary. The Company reserves the right to revise this job description at any time and to require employees to perform other tasks as circumstances or conditions of the Company’s business, competitive considerations or the work environment changes.
Salary Range: $150,000.00 - $200,000.00
The above salary range represents a general guideline; however, Waterfront Logistics considers a number of factors when determining base salary offers such as the scope and responsibilities of the position and the candidate's experience, education, skills and current market conditions.