Controller Jobs

A day as a Controller

Most days start with the close schedule. You check that yesterday's deals posted, that the bank and floorplan balances match the ledger and that no vehicle sits in inventory twice or not at all. Accounts payable asks for approval on invoices. A department head wants to know why a gross figure moved. You answer from the schedules, not from memory.

The month-end close is the main event. You reconcile receivables, contracts in transit, parts and vehicle inventory, work in process and accruals, then produce the financial statement and the manufacturer report by their deadlines. Then you sit with the general manager and explain what the numbers say.

The role suits people who trust paper over opinion and can tell a salesperson that a figure is wrong. It does not suit someone who wants a quiet job. Dealership accounting has many hands in the books: sales posts deals, service posts repair orders, parts posts invoices, and every one of them can post something wrong. You find it, trace it to the person and fix the habit as well as the entry.

How to get in

Skills and credentials

How the job is paid

Controller pay is usually a salary, often with a bonus tied to the close, audit results or store profit, and a group role may carry a higher title. Ask what the bonus depends on and who decides. The closest BLS match is shown on this page with its wages. The BLS category is broader than dealership accounting, so use it as a reference, not an offer benchmark.

Scope drives the offer. A multi-store group with several franchises and floorplan lines asks more than a single store. Ask how many stores, how many staff report to you, what system the group uses and whether an outside accountant helps.

Ask for a handover period with the outgoing controller, and ask when the last clean close was. A rushed start with unreconciled schedules produces the late closes you were hired to fix, and you will be judged on them.

See the full Controller salary page

Build your AutoHire profile

• ▸Put Controller in the headline with your brand or store type, for example Dealership Controller, multi-franchise group.
• ▸In work history, name the statements you prepared, the systems you used, the number of stores and staff you covered and audits you handled.
• ▸List each franchise under brand experience with years, since the manufacturer report differs by brand.
• ▸Add your CPA license or accounting degree under certifications and education. Controllers have no ASE test.
• ▸Set a target salary, relocation preference and open to work only when ready.
• ▸Reply quickly to a Spark or message, and complete ID verification for the Verified badge.

Interview questions to expect

1. Q1

   Walk me through your month-end close.

   How to answer

   List the order: deals posted, bank and floorplan reconciled, receivables and contracts in transit reviewed, inventory checked, accruals booked, statements issued by a date. Name which step slips and how you handle it.

2. Q2

   How do you reconcile floorplan?

   How to answer

   Match the lender statement to units in inventory, find sold units still on the loan and unit mismatches, and explain interest. Mention how often you do it.

3. Q3

   A manufacturer statement was filed with an error. What next?

   How to answer

   Find the cause, correct it, notify the right people, document it and change the control that missed it.

4. Q4

   How do you protect cash and checks?

   How to answer

   Describe separation of duties, who can sign, daily deposits, bank reconciliations done by someone other than the person posting, and surprise counts of petty cash and drawers. Name a gap you found and closed.

5. Q5

   What do you do if the GM disagrees with your number?

   How to answer

   Show the schedule behind the figure, listen, adjust if you were wrong, and hold firm if the books are right.

Where the career goes

1. 01

   Group Controller or Director of Finance

   Dealer groups need someone to oversee accounting across stores and standardize procedures.

2. 02

   Chief Financial Officer at a Group

   Large groups hire a CFO with dealership experience for lender, tax and acquisition work.

3. 03

   Corporate or Manufacturer Finance

   Some controllers move to dealer software, lender or manufacturer finance roles.

Terms you will hear

Close

The month-end process of finishing the books and producing statements.

Manufacturer Financial Statement

The monthly report a franchise store submits to its manufacturer.

Floorplan

The credit line financing inventory.

Holdback

Money a manufacturer returns to the store after a new vehicle is sold.

Contracts in Transit

Delivered deals the lender has not yet paid for.

Work in Process

Service work started but not yet invoiced.

Schedule

A supporting list that backs a general ledger balance.

Controller jobs: questions job seekers ask

Data as of October 20, 2026.