Accounting Manager

Job Title: Accounting Manager Department: Administration & Finance Reports To: President Location: Clackamas, OR — On-Site Job Type: Full-Time Schedule: 40 hours per week, in office Supervisory Responsibility: Two employees

About the Position

Bright Side Distributing is hiring an Accounting Manager to lead our accounting department, develop our team, and keep financial operations accurate, organized, and dependable.

This is a hands-on leadership role in a growing wholesale distribution business. You’ll manage daily accounting and financial reporting while setting expectations, developing employees, and resolving problems. We need someone who can take ownership of the department, make sound decisions, and follow through without waiting for direction on every issue.

Our accounting connects with inventory, purchasing, customer accounts, and industry-specific reporting. You don’t need to arrive knowing our industry or systems—we can teach those. You should bring strong accounting knowledge, supervisory experience, and the judgment to investigate problems, support your employees, and recognize when an issue needs leadership or outside expertise.

Schedule Expectations

This is a full-time, 40-hour-per-week position based in our Clackamas office. Consistent in-office attendance is essential to leading two direct reports and working with other departments.

You’ll balance recurring accounting deadlines with department planning, employee development, and daily operational needs.

What You’ll Do

Lead the department

• Take ownership of daily accounting operations, department priorities, deadlines, and work quality.
• Supervise the Office Manager and Accounts Payable Supervisor, including scheduling, work assignments, coaching, evaluations, and performance management.
• Set clear expectations, monitor results, and address errors, missed deadlines, and performance concerns promptly.
• Resolve routine department and accounting issues independently, involving HR, leadership, or outside advisors when appropriate.
• Develop employees through regular feedback, training, and cross-training.
• Build reliable procedures and coverage so the department can operate consistently during absences and changes in workload.
• Participate in recruiting, interviewing, and hiring for accounting team openings.
• Communicate department needs, financial concerns, and recommended solutions clearly to leadership.

Manage accounting operations

• Manage general ledger activity and monthly, quarterly, and annual close, including journal entries, accruals, reconciliations, and financial reporting.
• Oversee accounts payable and accounts receivable, review work for accuracy, resolve discrepancies, and support recurring account tie-outs.
• Manage daily banking and cash activity, maintain supporting records, and coordinate banking information as needed.
• Reconcile inventory-related activity, including damaged inventory, tax stamps, and shipping charges.
• Coordinate year-end records and tax support with outside CPAs.
• Prepare and coordinate Oregon and Washington cigarette and tobacco tax reports and payments, along with other applicable business tax reporting.
• Track business and industry license renewals and escalate compliance questions appropriately.
• Serve as the independent second reviewer and dual authenticator for payroll, checking reports, reconciliations, and supporting information. Payroll processing remains with HR.

Support the business

• Prepare productivity reports and financial analyses that help leadership understand results and make decisions.
• Support Marketing and Purchasing with PreBooks, vendor reporting, and Bill Backs, coordinating with the appropriate departments to ensure accuracy and timely completion.
• Assist with vendor cost and selling-price changes, including markup and margin analysis, gain reports, and communication of pricing changes to affected departments.
• Assist with new-item setup and maintenance of item data in the ERP system, including product line extensions, categories, brands, manufacturers, pricing, and tax classifications.
• Review new customer account information for completeness and potential compliance concerns.
• Strengthen internal controls, investigate recurring problems, and improve accounting procedures, documentation, and system use.
• Work with department leaders to resolve issues that affect financial accuracy and operational follow-through.
• Contribute to accounting system improvements and other projects as business needs require.

Education and Experience

A degree in accounting, finance, or a related field is strongly preferred. Candidates must meet one of the following:

• A degree in accounting, finance, or a related field and at least three years of progressively responsible accounting experience; or
• At least five years of progressively responsible accounting experience without a related degree.

Through either path, your experience must include hands-on general ledger work, account reconciliations, month-end close, and financial reporting.

Supervisory experience is required, including setting expectations, reviewing work, coaching employees, and addressing performance concerns. We’re looking for demonstrated accounting capability and department leadership; prior experience in our industry is helpful but not required.

Required Skills and Abilities

• Understand accounting principles, internal controls, cash management, and how transactions connect to financial statements.
• Lead employees with clear direction, consistent feedback, and accountability.
• Identify problems, investigate their causes, and carry solutions through to completion.
• Make sound decisions independently and recognize when to seek additional guidance.
• Strong Excel skills, including lookup functions, conditional formulas, PivotTables, and experience analyzing and reconciling data from multiple sources.
• Use accounting or enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems confidently.
• Learn interconnected systems and understand how information moves between departments.
• Organize department priorities and recurring deadlines while remaining available to support employees.
• Explain financial information clearly to people with different levels of accounting knowledge.
• Handle financial and employee information with discretion.
• Perform office work involving extended sitting and computer use, occasional movement through office and operational areas, and occasional lifting up to 20 pounds, with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Meet the posted in-office schedule and be dependable, punctual, and willing to help the team.

Preferred Experience

The following experience is helpful but is not required:

• Wholesale distribution or inventory accounting.
• Oregon and Washington tax reporting or accounting in a regulated industry.
• Payroll review and reconciliation.
• Improving department procedures, internal controls, and reporting.
• Accounting system implementation or transition.
• Familiarity with relational databases, SQL, Power Query, or similar data tools is helpful but not required.

CPA or CMA credentials are welcome but are not required.

Support and Growth

Our accounting consultant and outside advisors will provide guidance as you learn Bright Side’s systems and industry requirements. You’ll be expected to build independent ownership of the department, develop your team, and strengthen accounting operations as the business grows. Marketing and Purchasing support responsibilities will be introduced gradually as you become comfortable with your primary accounting duties.

We will provide training on our systems and industry requirements.

There is opportunity to grow toward a Controller role as responsibilities, business needs, and demonstrated capability expand.

About Bright Side Distributing

At Bright Side Distributing, we keep the shelves stocked and the good vibes rolling! We’re a wholesale distributor serving smoke shops, convenience stores, liquor stores, and similar retailers throughout Oregon and Washington.

We help our customers stay ahead with great products, reliable service, and a team that cares. We believe in doing business the right way—with honesty, teamwork, and a sense of humor. If you enjoy solving problems, working with purpose, and helping a growing team succeed, we’d like to hear from you.

Perks & Benefits

• Health, dental, vision, and life insurance.
• Paid time off and paid holidays.
• 401(k) with company match.
• Employee discount.
• Monthly company luncheons.
• Room to grow with a supportive, upbeat team.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Statement

Bright Side Distributing is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and applicants. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws.

Pay: $85,000.00 - $100,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

People with a criminal record are encouraged to apply

Application Question(s):

• Describe your responsibility for general ledger accounting, reconciliations, month-end close, and financial reporting. Which functions have you managed independently?
• Describe your supervisory experience, including team size and responsibility for setting expectations, developing employees, conducting evaluations, and addressing performance concerns. Give one example of an issue you resolved and the outcome.
• Which accounting or ERP systems have you used, and how have you used Excel to reconcile information, investigate discrepancies, or improve reporting?
• Do you have a degree in accounting, finance, or a related field? Please identify your field of study and the number of years of progressively responsible accounting experience you have.

Experience:

• progressively responsible accounting: 3 years (Required)

License/Certification:

• CPA or CMA (Preferred)

Ability to Commute:

• Clackamas, OR 97015 (Required)

Work Location: In person