About Us: Headquartered in Chicago, Performance Trust Capital Partners, LLC is an investment bank that combines Wall Street scale with the agility of an independent, employee-owned firm. We help financial institutions uncover overlooked opportunities, navigate complexity, and make decisions grounded in insight—not impulse. Our work is focused on long-term impact and relationships built on what matters most: trust and enduring performance.

About the Position:

The Controller is a key member of the Finance and Accounting team, reporting directly to the Corporate Controller and partnering closely with the Corporate Controller on the firm’s accounting operations, reporting requirements, and financial infrastructure. 

This role owns the timely and accurate execution of the close, financial reporting, accounting controls, and core accounting processes within its assigned scope. The Controller will work closely with the Corporate Controller, FP&A team, and other cross-functional partners to lead accounting deliverables, resolve issues, and strengthen the firm’s accounting infrastructure while maintaining alignment with firm-wide priorities. 

The Controller will be a trusted resource within the Finance function, partnering across accounting, FP&A, Operations, Compliance, and other teams to support decision-making and ensure disciplined financial management. The role is expected to operate as a hands-on partner to the Corporate Controller, independently owning assigned responsibilities while escalating material issues and significant judgments appropriately. 

Specifically, this individual will be responsible for the following:

Financial Close and Reporting 

• Lead assigned components of the monthly, quarterly, and annual close processes in partnership with the Corporate Controller and other accounting leaders, ensuring timely and accurate financial results. 
• Review and approve journal entries, account reconciliations, and supporting schedules across assigned entities and business lines, ensuring reconciling items are investigated and resolved in a timely manner. 
• Coordinate the preparation and review of GAAP financial statements, including the balance sheet, income statement, and statement of cash flows. 
• Coordinate with FP&A on variance analysis, helping to identify and explain fluctuations in results versus plan and prior periods. 
• Own the preparation and maintenance of footnotes, disclosures, audit schedules, and supporting documentation for internal and external reporting purposes within the assigned scope. 
• Partner with the Corporate Controller on regulatory reporting and related deliverables, leading the preparation, review, and resolution of assigned schedules and data requirements. 

Internal Controls and Accounting Policy 

• Implement, maintain, and monitor internal controls in accordance with firm policies and regulatory expectations for assigned entities and processes. 
• Identify control gaps, coordinate remediation plans, and drive issues through resolution, escalating significant risks to the Corporate Controller. 
• Draft, maintain, and communicate accounting policies and procedures across the Finance function, including processes related to new products, business lines, and transaction types. 
• Partner with external auditors during the annual audit, coordinating schedules, managing responses for assigned areas, and helping ensure issues are resolved efficiently. 
• Support regulatory reviews, due diligence requests, and other examinations by coordinating accurate and timely accounting information. 

Systems and Process Improvement 

• Oversee the day-to-day integrity of the ERP/GL environment for assigned entities and processes, including data flows, account mappings, and system controls. 
• Lead opportunities to streamline and automate accounting processes, reducing manual effort, improving data quality, and maintaining audit integrity. 
• Coordinate data governance initiatives and reconciliation of accounting data across systems. 

Cross-Functional Partnership and Accounting Leadership 

• Serve as a resource to FP&A, Operations, Compliance, and other teams on accounting matters, ensuring alignment between managerial and financial reporting. 
• Partner with the Corporate Controller and business stakeholders to assess the accounting, control, and reporting implications of new products, transactions, and business activities. 
• Provide day-to-day guidance, review, and coaching to junior accounting staff, helping establish clear expectations and accountability for deliverables. 
• Support special projects and ad hoc analyses as directed by the Corporate Controller or CFO, bringing forward clear findings, recommendations, and potential risks. 
• Assist in preparation of materials for Board, Committee, and Partner meetings as needed, including accurate financial analyses and reporting support.

We are seeking candidates with the following qualifications:

• 8–12+ years of progressive accounting experience, with at least 3–5 years in a Controller, Assistant Controller, or Senior Accounting leadership role. 
• Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field; CPA and Series 27 completion ideal. 
• Experience within financial services required, including experience with a broker-dealer, investment bank, asset manager, or similarly regulated institution. 
• Demonstrated experience leading close processes, financial reporting, audit coordination, and internal-control activities across multiple entities or complex business lines. 
• Strong technical accounting skills with a solid understanding of GAAP financial reporting and internal controls. 
• Working knowledge of broker-dealer regulatory requirements, including FOCUS reporting and net capital considerations, is strongly preferred. 
• Proficiency in ERP/GL systems (e.g., Oracle Fusion Cloud, NetSuite, or similar) 
• Advanced Excel skills, including the ability to work with large data sets, reconciliations, and financial models. 
• Experience reviewing the work of accounting staff and coordinating time-sensitive deliverables across multiple teams. 
• Analytical and detail-oriented, with a demonstrated ability to identify issues and drive them to resolution. 
• Previous experience with Fixed Income or Bond Accounting is strongly preferred. 
• Strong communicator who can collaborate effectively across teams and present information clearly to senior stakeholders. 
• Organized and capable of managing multiple priorities simultaneously while meeting deadlines in a dynamic environment. 
• Able to work independently, exercise sound judgment, and know when to escalate complex or material issues. 
• Comfortable with ambiguity and change, with a bias toward action and continuous improvement. 
• Ownership mindset – takes initiative, follows through, and holds themselves accountable for outcomes. 
• Collaborative and collegial – builds trusted relationships across the firm while willing to respectfully challenge and be challenged. 
• Candidates must be eligible to work permanently in the United States without sponsorship.

Featured Benefits

Health Coverage

• Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance (administered through a national carrier such as Blue Cross Blue Shields )
• Prescription Drug Plans
• Pre-Tax Flexible Spending Account (Health and Dependent Care) (FSA)
• Health Savings Account (HSA)

Time Off & Work-Life Benefits

• Vacation/Personal Days + Holidays
• Financial & Income Protection Benefits
• PT Retirement
• Mission-Driven Employee Stock Ownership Plan
• Voluntary Life Insurance + Long-Term Disability Insurance

Wellness & Everyday Support

• Discounted Fitness Memberships (Free membership for Chicago office)
• Pre-Tax Commuter Benefits – Transit & Parking
• Mental Health support through company provided Employee Assistance Program
• Employee recognition programs (PT Rewards and Annual Awards) 

Compensation: The base salary range for this position is $200,000-$230,000 per year. This is an estimated range based on the circumstances at the time of posting, however, may change based on a combination of factors, including but not limited to skills, experience, education, market factors, geographical location, budget, and demand. This position is also eligible for a bonus component that would be dependent on pre-defined performance factors. All compensation determinations are based on the skills and experience required for the position and commensurate with experience of selected individuals, which may vary above and below the stated amounts. 

For Recruitment Agencies: As our recruitment is primarily handled in-house, we work only occasionally with external agencies, and only those on our existing, pre-approved vendor list. At this time, we are not reviewing or expanding that list. Unsolicited agency resumes, emails or other channels of outreach will not be reviewed. Unsolicited resumes or submissions from external agencies not authorized by our Talent Acquisition team will be considered direct candidate applications. As such, Performance Trust will not assume responsibility for any placement fees associated with these submissions. Outreach to individual employees outside this process will result in permanent removal from consideration for any future approved vendor relationship.

Notice to applicants. In connection with your application, we collect personal information, including your contact details, CV, education, work history, qualifications and licenses, references and interview notes, and, where permitted, any diversity information you choose to provide, which we use for equal-opportunity monitoring. We use this information to assess your application, communicate with you, meet legal and regulatory requirements and, if you are hired, begin your employment. We may disclose it to recruiters, background-check providers, service providers such as our applicant-tracking system, and our affiliates, as needed, but we do not sell it or use it for advertising. Background checks, which may include the regulatory, credit and criminal-record checks required for securities industry roles, take place after a conditional offer of employment and with your authorization, and your offer depends on satisfactory results. We do not make hiring decisions based solely on automated processing. If you are not selected, we may keep your application information to consider you for future positions; to opt out, contact privacy@performancetrust.com. We will still keep the records the law requires.