Director of Internal Controls & OpEx

Back to About

Director of Internal Controls & OpEx

Sylvan, Inc. is a market-leading, multi-trade construction contractor servicing Fortune 500 companies across numerous vertical markets. Sylvan is focused on mechanical, electrical, piping, automotive conveyor, material handling, engineering and installation. With annual revenues of over $1B, the business is poised for continued double digit organic growth enhanced by an M&A strategy.

The Director of Internal Controls & OpEx, reporting to the Chief Accounting Officer, is a key member of the Corporate Accounting Team responsible for designing, implementing, and sustaining Sylvan’s enterprise-wide internal control framework and control environment as the Company scales and executes its growth strategy. This role will lead the build-out of best-in-class ICFR processes (including documentation, control ownership, monitoring, and remediation) while partnering with Finance, Operations, HR, and IT to standardize and strengthen processes across the enterprise with significant visibility to senior leadership and the opportunity to shape the company’s control environment as Sylvan continues to scale. In addition, the role will support strategic initiatives including M&A integration and finance process/system implementations and optimization, ensuring controls are embedded into new processes, systems, and acquired entities. The ideal candidate has hands-on experience developing process documentations, preparing risk and control matrices, coordinating control testing support, and driving timely remediation to support audit readiness and potential future SOX compliance.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Internal Controls — Enterprise, ICFR & Governance
• Lead the design and implementation of an enterprise wide internal control framework, including standard control objectives, control activities, and governance routines with a focus on ICFR initially
• Develop and maintain process documentation (narratives & flowcharts) and risk and control matrices (RCMs); assign and train control owners and ensure responsibilities are clearly understood
• Establish ongoing control monitoring and self-assessment routines; coordinate support for audit requests; track deficiencies and drive remediation plans to support audit readiness and potential SOX compliance
• Serve as a primary point of contact for external auditors and advisors related to internal controls, audit readiness, and future SOX compliance
• Partner with Company leadership to standardize close processes, including close calendars, reconciliation standards, journal entry controls, and review/approval workflows

• Identify and implement opportunities to improve accuracy, consistency, and timeliness of month-end close while strengthening key controls (e.g., account reconciliations, estimates, revenue recognition support)
• Perform enterprise-level risk assessments to prioritize control efforts and advise leadership on risk mitigation strategies aligned with business objectives
• Special Projects
• Support finance process and system initiatives (e.g., Vista ERP optimization and Oracle EPM consolidation) by defining accounting/control requirements, participating in UAT, validating data, and ensuring controls are designed into the future-state process
• Support M&A activities, including diligence and integration planning; coordinate accounting and controls integration for acquired entities (including process documentation, control alignment, and post-close execution) and assist with purchase accounting as needed

What Success Looks Like (first 6-12 months)

• Core accounting processes are documented (narratives/flowcharts) with risk & control matrices established for key cycles, and control owners are trained and accountable
• A sustainable control monitoring and remediation process is operating (issues identified, tracked, and resolved on time), supporting audit readiness and SOX roadmap progress (as applicable)
• Month-end close controls are standardized across the enterprise (reconciliations, journal entry governance, review/approval workflows) with improved timeliness and consistency
• Controls are embedded into finance transformation initiatives (ERP/EPM changes) and M&A integrations, with minimal disruption and clear documentation of the future-state control environment
• Manages and supports various M&A activities with focus on financial integration and process harmonization. Effectively led a process to align close activities of the acquiree.

Education And Experience Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting (or related field)
• 7+ years of progressive accounting experience with direct involvement in internal controls implementation, optimization, and/or testing
• Demonstrated experience creating process documentation and risk & control matrices (RCMs), and partnering with process owners to implement and sustain controls
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills; ability to drive change across cross-functional teams
• Ability to prioritize and execute in a fast-paced environment with multiple deadlines

Preferred Qualifications

• CPA preferred
• Big 4 / national accounting firm experience preferred
• SOX (404) readiness and/or public company internal controls experience
• M&A / purchase accounting experience (ASC 805 business combinations)
• Construction industry and percentage-of-completion (POC) accounting experience; union environment exposure a plus
• Finance systems implementation experience (ERP/EPM), including requirements, UAT, and post go-live controls

Apply Today

Email your resume to ***email_hidden***

Back to About