Accounting Manager

About Us:

Hardware Sales Inc is a fourth generation locally owned family business operating since 1962 and headquartered in Bellingham, WA. In addition to sales of hardware, tools, and all of the usual hardware store products, we are proud to provide our community with access to an extensive fleet of equipment rentals for both homeowners and contractors. Our Lawn Equipment Service Center is a certified repair center and offers a one-stop shop for purchasing, servicing and maintaining your lawn equipment.

Hardware Sales has worked hard to become one of the Pacific Northwest's premier hardware suppliers. Hardware Sales is an award-winning business that fills several city blocks in Bellingham and offers over 70,000 items for sale to everyone from do-it-yourself homeowners to major contractors. What started in 1962 with three people, now has over 140 employees and covers a total of 37,000 square feet of retail and 50,000 Sq. Ft. warehouse In Bellingham, a 32,000 Sq. Ft. warehouse in Ferndale, WA, and a 60,000 Sq. Ft. warehouse in Whiteland, IN.

We are extremely proud of the customer service priority that has won us Cascadia Daily News Best Customer Service, in addition to winning Best Hardware Store more than once. Our reputation for having courteous and knowledgeable employees, the hundreds of years of hardware experience that our employees represent, and the extensive selection of tools, materials and supplies we carry make us one of a kind.

About the Role:
The Accounting Manager leads Hardware Sales' day-to-day accounting operations and a team of office and administrative staff, reporting directly to the Chief Financial Officer. This is a hands-on, high-transaction-volume role: you will build and enforce the financial controls that keep a 140+ employee, multi-location retail and rental operation accurate, auditable, and closing on time every month, across our Bellingham and Ferndale, WA and Greenwood, IN locations.
This is fundamentally an accounting role first. The majority of your time will be spent on financial controls, reconciliations, close, and team leadership. A meaningful portion of the role involves administrative and regulatory oversight, including business licensing, vehicle licensing and registration, and company plan administration, work that keeps Hardware Sales operating legally and in good standing across two states.

You will lead a team of 5-6 direct reports, including Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, an Office Assistant, an Accounting Assistant, and the Cashier Manager. You will be expected to coach, train, and upskill this team as our financial function matures, and to build standard operating procedures where none currently exist. We are looking for someone who treats controls and documentation as a discipline, not a formality, and who can bring order to a fast-moving, high-volume environment without slowing it down.

Key Responsibilities:

Financial Controls & Compliance
• Design, implement, and enforce internal financial controls across accounting operations to safeguard company assets and ensure the accuracy of financial data.
• Monitor compliance with GAAP and internal policy across AP, AR, and cash handling processes company-wide, including at retail and rental point-of-sale locations.
• Partner with the CFO on audit readiness and serve as the primary point of contact for internal and external auditors on day-to-day inquiries.
• Identify control gaps or process breakdowns before they become financial or compliance problems, and escalate material issues to the CFO promptly.

Accounting Operations & Reconciliation
• Oversee monthly close, account reconciliations, and general ledger accuracy across a high-transaction-volume, multi-location environment.
• Review and approve AP and AR work product, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and proper documentation.
• Reconcile complex accounts, including banks, credit cards, inventory, internal transactions, and others.
• Support the CFO with financial reporting, budgeting support, and ad hoc financial analysis.

Team Leadership & Development
• Directly supervise and coach a team of 5-6, including Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Office Assistant, Accounting Assistant, and the Cashier Manager.
• Set clear performance expectations, conduct regular one-on-ones, and hold the team accountable to documented standard operating procedures.
• Identify skill gaps and build training plans to upskill office and accounting staff over time.
• Act as a working coach and escalation point for the Cashier Manager on cash handling and POS reconciliation issues.

Process Improvement & Standard Operating Procedures
• Build, document, and maintain SOPs for core accounting and office administrative functions, replacing informal or undocumented processes.
• Continuously evaluate existing workflows for efficiency, accuracy, and audit risk, and lead the implementation of improvements.
• Partner with the CFO and other department leaders to standardize processes across all company locations.

Business & Administrative Compliance
• Oversee business licensing, vehicle licensing and registration, and other recurring regulatory filings required to keep the company in good standing across Washington and Indiana.
• Track renewal deadlines for licenses, permits, and company plans to ensure nothing lapses.
• Manage or coordinate company business and liability insurance plan administration and related vendor relationships as assigned by the CFO.
• Serve as a secondary point of contact for general office administrative functions supporting the broader team.

Communication & Reporting
• Communicate clearly and proactively with the CFO on the status of close, control issues, and administrative compliance items.
• Translate accounting detail into plain language for non-accounting stakeholders across the business.