Controller (AZALEA WANG) at AKIRA in Chicago, IL

Controller – Wholesale Footwear & Fashion

At Azalea Wang, we move fast, think big, and work collaboratively. Everyone has a voice here, ideas are encouraged, and self-starters thrive. We’re a tight-knit, high-energy team that shows up every day ready to push product forward together.

The Position: Controller (Wholesale Footwear & Fashion)

Location: Chicago, IL- Full-time Onsite

Position Overview

Azalea Wang is seeking an experienced Controller to lead the accounting function and serve as the primary finance leader for the business. This is a full-ownership role: you will be responsible for the complete accounting cycle, from daily transactional operations through month-end close, financial reporting, and audit readiness.

The right candidate has deep experience in fast-fashion, wholesale apparel or footwear, or a similarly high-velocity inventory-driven environment. You have led a close, built processes from scratch, managed a team, and understand the full scope of what it means to be the top accounting resource in a fast-moving wholesale business.

Key Responsibilities

Month-End Close & Financial Reporting

• Own and execute the full monthly, quarterly, and annual close cycle end-to-end

• Prepare and review financial statements, supporting schedules, and variance analysis

• Ensure timely and accurate revenue recognition, inventory accounting, and expense accruals

• Maintain general ledger integrity and manage the chart of accounts

• Deliver clean, audit-ready financials to leadership on a consistent close calendar

• Support budgeting, forecasting, and cash flow planning

Wholesale AR & Retailer Reconciliation

• Manage accounts receivable for wholesale retail accounts including department stores and specialty retailers

• Reconcile retailer remittances against open invoices — identify, dispute, and resolve deductions and short payments

• Maintain deduction aging reports and track recovery on disputed retailer deductions

• Partner with sales and operations on retailer compliance requirements and EDI-related billing issues

• Develop and document AR processes to reduce deduction exposure and improve cash application accuracy

Accounts Payable & Vendor Management

• Oversee AP operations including high-volume invoice processing, vendor reconciliation, and payment management across a large domestic and international vendor base

• Manage payment runs, vendor statement reconciliations, and dispute resolution

• Work directly with international and domestic vendors on payment timing, invoice discrepancies, and account cleanup

• Ensure accurate three-way matching and proper cut-off for accruals

Inventory & Cost Accounting

• Ensure accurate inventory accounting across wholesale channels and product categories

• Manage inventory reconciliations, reserves, and shrink/write-off analysis

• Oversee COGS accounting and gross margin reporting by channel and category

• Partner with merchandising and operations on inventory controls, costing, and landed cost accuracy

• Support seasonal inventory roll-forwards and physical count reconciliation

Systems, Controls & Process Improvement

• Serve as the accounting owner of the ERP system (NetSuite preferred) — including saved searches, reporting, and workflow optimization

• Lead or support system implementations, upgrades, or integrations as needed

• Build and maintain strong internal controls and process documentation

• Identify and drive process improvements that increase accuracy, efficiency, and scalability

• Partner with IT/admin on system configuration, data integrity, and automation opportunities

Team Leadership & Cross-Functional Partnership

• Manage, review, and develop accounting team members

• Collaborate with operations, sales, merchandising, and logistics on financial reporting and planning

• Serve as a key finance partner to leadership on ad hoc analysis, business decisions, and strategic initiatives

• Support annual audit preparation and act as primary contact for external auditors

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance; CPA preferred but not required

• 7+ years of progressive accounting experience in wholesale apparel, footwear, fast fashion, or retail, with at least 2 years in a Controller or senior accounting leadership role

• Demonstrated ownership of the full month-end close cycle

• Hands-on experience with wholesale AR — retailer deductions, remittance reconciliation, and high-volume vendor management

• Strong understanding of inventory accounting, COGS, and cost of goods in a wholesale environment

• NetSuite experience strongly preferred; proficiency in other ERP systems considered

• Advanced Excel skills — comfortable building and maintaining complex reconciliation workbooks

• Experience managing direct reports and building team capacity

• Proven ability to build, improve, and document accounting processes in a fast-moving environment

• Strong communicator with the ability to work cross-functionally and present to senior leadership

Benefits & Perks: We offer competitive benefits for full-time employees, including Medical, Dental, Vision, Pet Insurance, Life, LTD, FSA/HSA/Dependent Care FSA, Flex Transit (CTA), 401(k), and a generous employee discount. We’re committed to internal growth, providing meaningful development and career advancement opportunities.

Job Type: Full-Time

We are committed to fair and transparent compensation practices. Compensation for this position will be determined based on experience, qualifications, and other job-related factors. Additional compensation and benefits may also apply and will be discussed during the hiring process.

We may utilize AI-assisted and automated tools as part of the recruiting and hiring process. All employment decisions are made in compliance with applicable laws and without discrimination.