Western Great Lakes Pilots Association (WGLPA) has anfor a Controller/Office Manager. The job will be in Sault Ste. Marie, MI, but will begin with training for several months in Superior, WI. WGLPA will provide housing during the training period.
Under an exclusive charter from the U.S. Coast Guard, WGLPA provides U.S.-Registered pilots, and dispatches, bills and collects for both U.S. and Canadian-registered pilots, on foreign vessels on the Great Lakes north and west of Port Huron, MI.
The primary responsibilities of the position are: Administer the finances of the company.
Advise the partners as to major economic objectives and policies for the company
Keep the books of the company and its subsidiaries, including P&L, balance sheet, accounts payable, accounts receivable, general ledger, and capital accounts
Manage the computerized invoicing and collection for the company's services
Produce semi-monthly payroll for employees and partners, together with the associated tax withholding and remittance for social security, medicare, worker's compensation, and unemployment taxes, and payroll deductions for the 401(k) plan.
Process payment to all WGLPA contractors and vendors, including drivers, pilot boat
contractors, attorneys, CPA, insurance carriers, etc.
Prepare monthly financial statements
Manage a line of credit, and any other loans/mortgages
Manage the company benefit accounts including retirement accounts and medical, dental, prescription, vision, long-term disability, life, and accident insurances
Advise the partners about insurance coverage for protection against property damage and
potential liabilities
Verify and process expense vouchers from pilots and drivers
Prepare a suite of statements for the two annual company meetings
Attend and participate in membership and Board of Supervisors' meetings
Prepare reports required by regulatory agencies
Prepare for and assist with the annual CPA audit
Prepare for and assist with the annual Coast Guard audit
Responsible for information protection and historical data maintenance
Respond to inquiries from customers, including billing questions and pro forma job cost estimates
Maintain records of company assets
Non-financial responsibilities:
Must have a working knowledge of government regulations concerning pilotage
Must be conversant with the Working Rules and Dispatch Procedures of the company
Ability to lobby on behalf of the organization when the need arises
Data analysis
Collaborate with the company President in the planning and execution of special projects
Supervise the workforce of one office assistant, and four dispatchers (who presently work from home) in compliance with the union contract covering them.
Maintain the personnel files of the company
Assist with union negotiations
Assist with establishment of new office in Sault Ste. Marie, MI.
WGLPA employs a controller/accountant and a clerical person year-around. The controller/accountant manages all the financial aspects of the company. This includes semi-monthly payroll for all employees and partners, and all associated payroll taxes, including social security, medicare, federal taxes, state taxes, workers compensation, and unemployment taxes in several different states. The controller also processes payment to all WGLPA contractors and vendors, including drivers, pilot boat contractors, attorneys, CPA, insurance carriers, retirement plan administrator, etc. He prepares all of the monthly financial statements and budgets for the partnership, and prepares all of the information needed to generate self-employment K-1 tax forms. He manages a line of credit to provide operating cash to start each shipping season. Once pilotage is invoiced, the controller manages all of the payments collected for accounts receivable. The controller is a trustee to the association's 401(k) retirement plan, and handles all monthly payroll deductions and payments to the company's three retirement plans . He manages all of the company benefits including medical, dental, prescription, vision, short-term disability, long-term disability, life, accident, and life insurances. He assists partners and other employees whenever problems arise with insurance carriers. He provides statistical data to the association president from time to time from the databases which track pilot bridge hours, numbers of assignments, revenue generated from various areas and different-sized ships, expenses, demographics, etc. for planning and transparency purposes.
The Clerical Personnel (one position) assists the Accountant/Controller. She maintains the permanent records of the company. She verifies payment of accounts receivable in the Klein system. She processes expense vouchers from the pilots and contract drivers, maintains a database of them. She fields most telephone calls to the company office (other than dispatch calls) and solves problems as they develop, or directs them to the controller. She processes incoming and outgoing mail for all accounts receivable and payable. She prepares the monthly bank statements for reconciliation.
WGLPA's fixed assets consist of two former USCG 41-foot UTB pilot boats and a quantity of spare parts, 20 pairs of Trelleborg CAT ROT and CAT1 navigation devices, 12 mid-size automobiles that are used to move pilots to and from ports as needed, and some office furniture.