Build More Than Reports. Help Build the Business.
RAM Elevators + Lifts has been designing and building residential elevators and accessibility lifts in Edmonton since 1987. We sell through a dealer network across Canada and the United States, we have just moved into a new 42,000 sq ft plant built for volume, and we are opening a showroom and dealer training centre in Arizona. Our purpose is simple: We Lift People Up. Every lift we ship makes a home or a building accessible to someone who needs it to be.
We are growing. Revenue nearly doubled between 2020 and 2024, orders are up 30% this year, and dealer orders for our Crystal elevator have doubled since 2024. Growth at a manufacturer is won or lost on cost. That is why we are hiring a Controller who thinks like an operator: someone who can run a clean close and tell us, with confidence, what it really costs to build a Crystal, where the margin is going, and what to do about it.
This is not a maintain-the-books role. It is the seat where RAM's finance function gets built to match the company we are becoming. You will report to the CFO, work directly with the CEO and senior management team, and have a standing invitation to challenge how the business runs.
The successful candidate will have demonstrated experience in manufacturing cost accounting, including product costing, standard costing, inventory valuation, production cost analysis, and manufacturing variance analysis. A CPA designation and direct experience in a manufacturing environment are strongly preferred.
Position Summary
The Controller is responsible for overseeing the company's accounting and financial reporting functions, maintaining the integrity of financial records, managing financial controls, and providing accurate and timely financial information to management.
Why This Role, Why Now
- Real scope. One manufacturer, one plant, one P&L. You will see the whole business, not a slice of it.
- A plan to build against. Our Vision 2030 strategy is set. The finance work you do here feeds decisions on pricing, capacity, capital and which markets we grow into next.
- An industry that is consolidating, and an independent manufacturer that intends to win. The best dealers in North America are looking for exactly that.
- A seat at the table. Senior management is small and accessible. Good analysis gets acted on.
- Room to grow with the company. As RAM scales, the finance function scales with it, and so does this role.
- A systems upgrade to shape. We are moving from a mix of separate systems and spreadsheets to an ERP. You will be the finance lead, making sure costing, inventory and reporting are built right from the start.
Key Responsibilities
1. Financial Reporting & Close
- Lead the monthly, quarterly and year-end close and deliver accurate, timely financial statements and management reports.
- Own the integrity of the general ledger, reconciliations, accruals and balance sheet.
- Explain results, variances, risks and trends clearly to senior management.
2. Manufacturing Cost Accounting & Inventory
- Build and maintain standard costs, Bills of Materials, labour assumptions and overhead allocations so we know what each product really costs.
- Analyze material, labour, overhead and purchase price variances, find the root causes and work with Operations on fixes.
- Oversee inventory valuation, cycle counts and controls across raw materials, work-in-progress and finished goods.
3. Budgeting, Forecasting & Cash Flow
- Lead the annual budget and rolling forecasts with department leaders.
- Prepare cash flow forecasts and oversee accounts payable, accounts receivable and working capital.
- Model the financial impact of pricing, capital and operational decisions.
4. Controls, Compliance & Systems
- Strengthen financial policies, procedures and internal controls over purchasing, payments and inventory.
- Manage GST, payroll remittance and other statutory obligations, and coordinate year-end work with external accountants.
- Be the finance lead on RAM's move from separate systems and spreadsheets to an ERP, making sure costing, inventory and reporting are set up right.
5. Leadership & Collaboration
- Lead and develop the accounting team.
- Work with Production, Purchasing, Engineering, Sales and Operations to turn financial data into practical decisions.
- Promote cost awareness and challenge assumptions that drive cost or margin.
Qualifications & Experience
Mandatory Requirements
- A bachelor's degree in accounting, finance or a related discipline.
- Hands-on manufacturing cost accounting experience: standard and product costing, Bills of Materials, inventory valuation and variance analysis.
- Strong month-end close, general ledger and reporting experience, with advanced Excel skills.
Preferred Qualifications
- CPA designation in good standing.
- Five or more years of progressive experience, ideally as a Controller or Assistant Controller in a small or mid-sized manufacturer.
- Experience with Sage, and with improving costing, controls and reporting processes.
What Success Looks Like
Within the first 6–12 months, the successful candidate will be expected to:
- Reliable, timely monthly close and financial reporting.
- Clear visibility into product costs, variances and gross margins, with inventory under control.
- Better budgeting, forecasting and cash flow visibility, with less manual reconciliation work.
Why Join RAM Elevators + Lifts?
We have been lifting people up from Edmonton for nearly forty years, and the next few are the most important in the company's history. A new plant, a growing dealer network across two countries, a clear plan for 2030, and a leadership team that wants a Controller who will help run the business, not just report on it.
Four values run the place:
- We Don't Cut Corners. We do it right, or we make it right, even when it's harder.
- We Answer the Call. We are responsive and accountable for every part of the client experience.
- We Have Each Other's Backs. We step in to help, share what we know, and no one faces a challenge alone.
- We Find a Way. We do what it takes to get the job done, with determination and resourcefulness.
If that sounds like how you already work, and you have the manufacturing cost accounting experience to back it up, we want to talk.
