Accounting Manager / Controller (Hands on Leadership)

Accounting Manager / Controller (Hands on Leadership)

EHS Business Solutions Where restaurant passion meeting financial clarity .

Restaurants are chaotic by nature. That’s not a bug, it’s the industry. At EHS , we help operators make sense of chaos through clean books, sharp insights, and systems that work in the real world.

We come from restaurants. We understand long shifts, tight margins, POS headaches, and the pressure of making payroll while the walk-in is down. Our work goes far beyond debits and credits — we build back-office systems and advisory relationships that give restaurant owners clarity, confidence, and breathing room.

If you care deeply about accuracy and impact and you want your work to matter to real people running real businesses, we’re hiring a technical accounting leader to own the quality of our client financials and help scale our firm.

The Location

• Remote role with a strong preference for candidates located in the Chicago or greater Midwest.

The Role – Accounting Manager-Restaurant Client

This is a hands-on leadership role responsible for reviewing, coaching, and elevating all client accounting work.

You will act as the final checkpoint before financials reach clients, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and clarity across all engagements.

• Has strong review experience and catches issues others miss
• Has led teams and improved accounting workflows
• Understands restaurant financials or thrives in fast-paced environments

• This is not a restaurant operations role.
• This is a technical accounting leadership role inside an accounting firm serving restaurants.

What You’ll Own

• Lead and develop a team of accountants and bookkeepers across multiple clients
• Own the monthly close review process across all engagements
• Catch and correct issues in the GL, reconciliations, and reporting before delivery
• Establish and enforce accounting standards and consistency across clients
• Improve workflows and review processes to increase efficiency and scalability
• Act as the go-to resource for complex accounting questions and edge cases
• Support a growing team by building stronger review habits and accountability

What Success Looks Like (First 90 Days)

• You take over the majority of financial review from firm leadership
• Financials are delivered on time with fewer revisions and escalations
• You identify and correct inconsistencies across multiple clients
• The team becomes more confident and consistent under your leadership

What Your Day to Day Will Look Like· Lead, coach, and hold accountable a team of accountants and bookkeepers supporting multiple restaurant clients· Oversee and review full monthly close: reconciliations, journal entries, sales tax, and reporting· Catch and correct GL issues before reports go out — accuracy is non-negotiable· Set and enforce restaurant-first deadlines while maintaining quality· Improve internal workflows and review processes to increase efficiency and consistency· Act as a steady, trusted leader during busy closes and growth periods

What You Need to Succeed

• 5+ years in accounting experience (CAS, public accounting, or multi-entity restaurant environment)
• Experience managing or mentoring accounting staff
• Ability to handle multiple clients, deadlines, and varying complexity
• Strong understanding of accrual accounting and multi-entity structures
• Experience reviewing and catching errors with complex financial reporting packages
• Experience in restaurant or hospitality accounting, experience with multi-location operations, is a strong plus, and a passion for the industry goes a long way
• Hands-on with QuickBooks Online, Restaurant365, and Toast POS
• Advanced Excel skills: pivot tables, reconciliations, troubleshooting
• CPA preferred or accounting degree

Why EHS

As a key leader in our growing firm, you’ll have the opportunity to shape the future of restaurant accounting while enjoying the flexibility and support you need to thrive personally and professionally.

• Flexible remote work structure – We measure results, not hours. Work within your schedule while maintaining client and staff satisfaction.
• Competitive salary & benefits – Competitive salary, Health, Vision, Dental, 401K match, and PTO, Client referral bonus.
• Real growth potential – Leadership seat in a fast-scaling, restaurant-focused firm.
• Tools and tech – We’ll set you up for success with a computer, monitor, and monthly cell phone stipend.
• Restaurant-driven community – Expect some client visits, industry events, and a team that genuinely loves hospitality.
• Collaborative culture – Your voice matters here. We listen, adapt, and grow together. Real opportunity to shape systems, processes, and team development
• Balanced intensity – We take our work and our clients seriously, but not ourselves. You’ll find teamwork, laughter, and a shared sense of purpose. We’re a team that genuinely loves restaurants, numbers, and solving problems

Our Core

Whether it’s brainstorming over a shared love of great food or celebrating a client’s success with a team toast, we bring the same energy and passion to our work as our clients do to their kitchens

• Hospitality – Every interaction—internal or client-facing—is treated like dinner service: courteous, responsive, and seamless.
• Integrity – We own our work, uphold ethical standards, and deliver what we promise.
• Flexibility – We pivot quickly and adapt to shifting restaurant realities.
• Passion – We love restaurants, numbers, and solving problems. That energy shows in everything we do.

Final Note

This role is best suited for someone who wants ownership, influence, and purpose , not just a title. If you take pride in clean work, strong teams, and helping restaurants win, you’ll fit right in.

Salary $80,000 - $120,000 depending on experience