Controller - Director of Accounting (Commercial Real Estate)

Our SelectLeaders client is a growing real estate investment and property management organization. The company owns and manages a substantial portfolio of residential and commercial real estate assets, with a complex operating structure that includes 40+ entities and approximately 100 properties. They are seeking an experienced, highly organized, process-driven Controller / Director of Accounting & Finance who can take full ownership of the accounting and finance function. This is a senior leadership role for someone who can manage day-to-day accounting operations, build scalable systems, lead a department, and help guide the company through its next stage of growth. The right candidate will have the opportunity to become a long-term leader and potential future partner in the organization. Position Overview The Controller will be responsible for organizing, managing, and improving the company’s entire accounting and finance department, including financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, KPI tracking, and portfolio-level performance analysis. This person must be capable of operating at both a strategic and tactical level — able to design department-wide systems and processes, while also being willing to review details, solve problems directly, and perform accounting entries when needed. The Controller will be expected to identify opportunities to automate manual processes, improve reporting accuracy and speed, create AI-supported workflows, and help transition the accounting department from a primarily human-led process to a more structured, technology-enabled, AI-supported operating model. This role requires someone with deep accounting experience, strong real estate or property management accounting knowledge, and a demonstrated ability to create structure in a complex, multi-entity environment. The ideal candidate will be able to manage accounting across 40+ entities and approximately 100 properties, develop detailed SOPs and process diagrams, establish meaningful company KPIs, and provide ownership with clear, timely, and actionable financial reporting. Accounting & Financial Management Oversee all accounting and financial reporting functions for the company’s portfolio of properties, entities, and related businesses. Manage accounting across 40+ legal entities and approximately 100 properties. Supervise monthly, quarterly, and annual close processes. Ensure accurate property-level, entity-level, and consolidated financial reporting. Oversee accounts payable, accounts receivable, bank reconciliations, intercompany transactions, owner distributions, lender reporting, and cash management. Review general ledger activity and ensure proper accounting treatment across all entities. Coordinate with outside CPAs, tax advisors, auditors, lenders, investors, and internal ownership. Maintain strong internal controls and ensure financial information is accurate, timely, and useful for management decision-making. Budgeting, Forecasting & KPI Reporting Lead the annual budgeting process for the company, its entities, and its property portfolio. Create and maintain property-level, entity-level, and company-level budgets. Develop budget-to-actual reporting and variance analysis for ownership and senior management. Build financial forecasts, cash flow projections, and capital planning reports. Establish and manage recurring KPI reporting for the company’s accounting, finance, property management, leasing, maintenance, and operational functions. Identify the most important financial and operational KPIs for the business and create a consistent reporting cadence around them. Track and report on metrics such as occupancy, collections, delinquency, operating expenses, NOI, cash flow, maintenance costs, leasing velocity, debt service coverage, entity-level performance, and department productivity. Work with ownership to turn accounting data into practical management insights and decision‑making tools. Improve visibility into portfolio performance through dashboards, recurring reports, and clear executive summaries. Department Leadership & Organization Take ownership of the entire accounting and finance department. Create, document, diagram, and manage departmental workflows and SOPs. Build clear systems for recurring accounting tasks, approval processes, reporting deadlines, and responsibility assignments. Identify weaknesses in existing accounting operations and implement practical solutions. Manage internal accounting staff and help develop a high-performance department. Establish accountability, reporting cadence, and measurable standards for the finance team. Ensure the accounting department can scale as the company grows. AppFolio / Property Management Accounting Manage accounting processes within AppFolio and related systems. Improve workflows for property accounting, tenant ledgers, owner reporting, bank reconciliations, payables, receivables, and property-level reporting. Ensure AppFolio is being used consistently and accurately across the portfolio. Experience implementing, cleaning up, optimizing, or managing AppFolio accounting systems is strongly preferred. Process Improvement, SOPs & AI Transition Lead the transition from manual, human-dependent accounting processes toward a more automated, AI-assisted operating model. Identify repetitive accounting and finance tasks that can be improved through automation, AI tools, offshore staffing, or better process design. Develop written SOPs and process diagrams for all major accounting functions. Help create a structured finance department that is not dependent on undocumented knowledge or individual employees. Implement AI-assisted tools and workflows to improve accounting accuracy, reporting speed, budget tracking, variance analysis, KPI reporting, and executive-level financial visibility. Evaluate and implement technology tools that improve accuracy, speed, accountability, and reporting quality. Work with ownership to design the next-generation accounting and finance infrastructure for the company. Hands-On Execution Be willing and able to perform detailed accounting work when necessary. Review and, when needed, prepare journal entries, reconciliations, schedules, and reports. Troubleshoot accounting issues directly rather than only delegating. Balance strategic leadership with practical execution. Required Qualifications Minimum 10+ years of accounting experience. Significant experience managing accounting operations for a complex business. Demonstrated ability to organize and manage an entire accounting and finance department. Strong understanding of financial statements, general ledger accounting, reconciliations, cash management, budgeting, forecasting, and internal controls. Experience managing multiple entities, properties, cost centers, or business units. Proven ability to create and manage SOPs, workflows, checklists, and reporting systems. Ability to create, manage, and report on company KPIs. Strong leadership, communication, and organizational skills. Comfortable working in a fast‑moving entrepreneurial environment. Willingness to be both a high‑level strategic thinker and a hands‑on accounting operator. Strongly Preferred Experience with AppFolio. Real estate, property management, or real estate investment accounting experience. CPA license. Experience managing offshore accounting personnel or outsourced accounting support. Experience implementing automation, AI tools, or technology‑enabled accounting processes. Experience building dashboards, budget‑to‑actual reports, financial models, and KPI reporting systems. Experience working with ownership, investors, lenders, and outside tax professionals. Base Salary Range: $160,000 - $195,000 base plus discretionary bonus #J-18808-Ljbffr Bisnow