Controller - Construction Operations & Finance

Job Description

Job Description

About Us

We’re a growing commercial electrical subcontractor delivering high-quality work across a variety of projects, from large-scale commercial construction to complex tenant improvements. We are looking for an experienced  Controller who can do more than manage the books—we’re looking for someone who understands the construction business and can help oversee the company as a whole.

This position will work closely with ownership and leadership to monitor the financial and operational health of the company, evaluate project performance, identify risks, and help ensure that our projects and overall business remain profitable.

The ideal candidate is someone who understands that successful construction management goes beyond accounting. You should be comfortable looking at a project from start to finish, asking questions, identifying problems early, and working with project managers, field personnel, and leadership to find solutions.

Position Summary

The Controller will oversee the company’s financial and business operations, with a strong focus on project profitability, job costing, cash flow, and overall company performance .

This person will serve as a key member of the leadership team and will be expected to understand what is happening across the business—not just within the accounting department.

You will work closely with ownership and project management to:

• Monitor the profitability of individual projects and the company as a whole
• Identify projects that are performing well, at risk, or trending toward a loss
• Analyze job costs, labor, materials, change orders, billing, and project progress
• Review project performance and help identify areas where the company may be losing money
• Provide leadership with accurate, timely information to make business decisions
• Oversee accounting and financial operations
• Monitor cash flow and the company's overall financial position
• Help establish processes and accountability to improve profitability and efficiency

Key Responsibilities

Project & Construction Operations

• Review project budgets, contracts, committed costs, actual costs, and projected final costs
• Monitor job profitability from project start through completion
• Analyze job costing and WIP reports to identify cost overruns and potential losses
• Work closely with Project Managers and leadership to understand project performance
• Identify projects that are trending over budget or below expected margins and communicate concerns to ownership
• Review labor, material, equipment, subcontractor, and other project costs
• Monitor change orders, billings, retainage, and accounts receivable to ensure projects are being properly billed
• Help identify missed billings, unapproved change orders, cost overruns, and other factors affecting profitability
• Evaluate whether projects are meeting expected margins and provide recommendations when they are not
• Help establish and maintain accountability for project budgets and financial performance
• Participate in project reviews and provide financial and operational insight
• Understand the relationship between field operations, project management, estimating, accounting, and profitability

Company-Wide Business Oversight

• Work closely with ownership to monitor the overall health and performance of the company
• Analyze revenue, gross profit, overhead, cash flow, and operating expenses
• Help leadership identify opportunities to increase profitability and reduce unnecessary costs
• Develop and monitor budgets and forecasts
• Track company performance against financial and operational goals
• Identify business risks and bring potential problems to leadership's attention before they become larger issues
• Help improve processes, systems, and internal controls throughout the company
• Evaluate operational efficiency and make recommendations for improvement
• Assist ownership with strategic planning and business decisions
• Help establish measurable performance expectations and accountability across departments

Accounting & Financial Management

• Oversee day-to-day accounting operations, including AR, AP, payroll, general ledger, and bank reconciliations
• Oversee monthly, quarterly, and annual financial reporting
• Maintain accurate job costing and WIP schedules
• Monitor cash flow and accounts receivable
• Prepare budgets, forecasts, and financial projections
• Ensure financial records are accurate and timely
• Oversee tax preparation, audits, and other financial compliance activities
• Evaluate and improve accounting procedures, systems, and internal controls
• Work with outside CPAs, banks, insurance providers, and other financial professionals as needed

What We're Looking For

We are open to candidates with different professional backgrounds. Construction industry experience is highly valued , and we are willing to consider candidates who have strong experience managing construction operations, projects, or financial performance—even if their career path does not fit a traditional Controller role.

The ideal candidate will have:

• 5+ years of experience in the construction industry, accounting, finance, project management, operations, or a related field
• Strong understanding of commercial construction and how projects are managed from estimating through completion
• Experience with construction project financials, job costing, budgets, and profitability
• Ability to understand financial statements and use financial information to make business decisions
• Experience identifying cost overruns, project risks, and profitability issues
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Excellent communication and leadership skills
• Ability to work directly with owners, project managers, and field personnel
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Ability to take ownership of responsibilities and operate independently
• Proficiency with accounting and construction management software; experience with QuickBooks is a plus

The Right Person for This Role

We are looking for someone who is hands-on, analytical, and business-minded .

You should be the type of person who can look at a project and ask:

• Are we actually making money on this job?
• Are our costs tracking with our budget?
• Are labor and material costs where they should be?
• Are we billing everything we are entitled to bill?
• Are change orders being captured?
• Is this project trending toward a loss?
• Why is this project underperforming?
• What can we do now to improve the outcome?
• What does ownership need to know about the company's financial or operational position?

This is a role for someone who wants to understand and help manage the business—not simply report the numbers after the fact.

What We Offer

• Competitive salary + performance-based bonuses
• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• Retirement plan with company match
• Paid time off and holidays
• Opportunity to work directly with company ownership
• Significant responsibility and influence over company operations and growth
• Opportunity to help build systems and processes within a growing company