Company Overview – Gary Jet Center
Gary Jet Center, established in 1991, is a privately-owned premier fixed-base operator (FBO) located at Gary/Chicago International Airport, serving private, corporate, and charter aviation clients across the greater Chicago region. The company provides a full suite of aviation services including aircraft maintenance, management and fueling, hangar storage, ground handling, and passenger support. With a strong reputation for operational reliability, safety, and customer service, Gary Jet Center is a critical hub for business aviation and continues to grow as a key player in the regional aviation ecosystem.
At Gary Jet Center, we provide a casual work environment with an emphasis on teamwork and collaboration. This is an on-site leadership role, working with both administrative and operational teams in a fast-paced environment.
Job Title: Controller
Position Summary
The Controller role is being created to build and oversee the financial processes, controls and insights to support the company’s next stage of growth.
The Controller will lead all financial operations for Gary Jet Center, bringing structure, clarity, accountability, and strategic financial leadership to the organization. This role is responsible for delivering timely and accurate financial information, building meaningful performance metrics, strengthening internal processes, and partnering closely with department leaders to improve operational and financial performance across the company.
The ideal candidate is hands-on, process-oriented, operationally minded, and capable of elevating both the finance function and the broader management team. This is an excellent opportunity for someone to be become a key member of the Management Team and make a meaningful impact on future growth and performance of the business.
Core Responsibilities
The Controller is expected to function as a strategic business partner to ownership and department leadership—not solely as a financial reporter.
1. Financial Close & Reporting
- Deliver accurate monthly financial statements within 10 business days
- Ensure a clean, reliable income statement and balance sheet
- Develop a monthly reporting package that includes pertinent information and analysis
- Produce clear, decision-ready financial reporting for leadership
2. KPI Development & Reporting
- Define and implement key business and operational metrics
- Build and maintain a monthly KPI dashboard
- Analyze trends and provide actionable explanations for performance changes
3. Department Partnership & Operational Finance Leadership
- Partner directly with department leaders to improve financial visibility, accountability, and operational performance
- Help department managers understand budgets, margins, labor efficiency, and cost drivers
- Develop department-level reporting and KPI metrics to support operational decision-making
- Identify opportunities for profitability improvement, process efficiency, and better resource allocation across the organization
- Participate in strategic planning and management discussions as a financial business partner
- Support a culture of accountability by helping operational leaders understand the financial impact of business decisions
4. Chart of Accounts & Financial Structure
- Redesign the chart of accounts to improve clarity and usability
- Enhance income statement structure for better visibility into performance
- Identify and resolve inconsistencies in financial data and reporting
5. Cash Flow Management
- Maintain weekly visibility into cash position
- Develop and manage short-term cash flow forecasts
- Proactively identify risks and liquidity concerns
6. Team Leadership
- Lead and manage accounting staff, setting clear expectations and deadlines
- Establish accountability across the team
- Improve overall efficiency, accuracy, and performance of the finance function
7. Systems & Process Improvement
- Optimize the use of accounting systems and tools
- Reduce manual processes through automation and improved workflows
- Build scalable, repeatable processes to support growth
8. External Accountant Coordination
- Serve as the primary point of contact for external CPA partners
- Ensure a smooth and efficient year-end close and audit process
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field (CPA preferred)
- 7+ years of progressive accounting experience, including leadership responsibility
- Strong technology skills with advanced Excel (Pivot Tables, XLOOKUPs, advanced formulas etc.)
- Experience improving processes and building financial infrastructure
- Demonstrate ability to partner cross-functionally with operational leaders and translate financial information into actionable business insight
- Attention to detail with focus on accuracy
- Entrepreneurial spirit with the ability to multi-task and switch gears as needed
- Goes above and beyond with excellent follow-through and responsiveness
- Resourceful self-starter with strong communication and leadership capabilities
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
- Comfortable operating in an entrepreneurial, fast-paced environment where adaptability and collaboration are valued
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
