Controller

Location: South Houston, TX | Office Schedule: Fully In Office Our client, a growing private equity backed construction company, is looking for a hands‑on Controller to lead their accounting function. This is a high visibility role for someone who wants ownership over close, job cost accounting, and financial reporting while playing a direct role in the company's M&A growth strategy. Own the monthly close process, ensuring accuracy and consistency across all business divisions Prepare and deliver monthly and quarterly financial reporting packages for executive leadership and the private equity sponsor Maintain GAAP compliant financial statements, applying appropriate treatment for construction specific items such as WIP, ASC 606 revenue recognition, and CIP Support lender covenant reporting, including EBITDA calculations, add back documentation, and compliance certificates Oversee project cost accounting across labor, materials, subcontractors, and equipment, ensuring accurate cost coding and GL alignment Lead monthly WIP reporting, cost to complete analysis, and margin review across the active project portfolio Partner with the finance and controls team to validate job budgets, change order treatment, and revenue recognition on long term contracts Flag cost overruns, billing gaps, and margin deterioration early, before they surface as reportable variances Manage AR aging, invoicing cycles, and collections, with a focus on the company's largest client relationships Reconcile AR against client billing portals and resolve invoice level disputes in a timely manner Maintain and update a rolling 13 week cash flow forecast in coordination with senior finance leadership Monitor DSO trends and drive improvements to the cash conversion cycle Own tax reporting and compliance across the entity structure, including federal and state income tax, franchise tax, sales and use tax, and property tax Manage relationships with external tax advisors on annual compliance, planning, and any examinations Lead the annual audit process as primary liaison to external auditors, managing deliverables and timely completion of audited financials Ensure accounting positions and disclosures are defensible under GAAP and consistent with the company's tax posture Serve as accounting lead on M&A transactions, supporting financial due diligence, quality of earnings analysis, and purchase price allocation Coordinate with external advisors, legal counsel, and the sponsor on deal accounting, opening balance sheet preparation, and integration planning Establish accounting policies and chart of accounts structures for newly acquired entities and integrate them into the broader reporting framework Lead post close integration, bringing acquired operations into the close process, WIP reporting, and covenant compliance on a defined timeline Lead and develop the accounting team, including project finance and transactional staff Drive continuous improvement in ERP utilization, reporting automation, and month end efficiency Partner with senior finance leadership on FP&A integration, including budget to actual variance analysis, margin tracking, and operational KPI reporting Design, implement, and enforce accounting policies and internal controls suited to a growing, PE backed platform Required Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance; CPA strongly preferred 8 to 10+ years of progressive accounting experience, including at least 3 to 5 years as a Controller or Assistant Controller Experience in construction, utility, or project based field services accounting, including WIP, job cost systems, and percentage of completion revenue recognition Familiarity with private equity backed reporting environments, including sponsor packages, covenant compliance, and EBITDA reconciliation Exposure to M&A transactions, including financial due diligence, purchase price allocation, or post close integration Experience managing external tax and audit professionals, with working knowledge of multi entity tax compliance Proficiency with ERP or project accounting systems (Vista/Viewpoint, Spectrum, JD Edwards, or similar); strong Excel skills required Strong attention to detail and comfort operating in a high volume, deadline driven environment Preferred Experience with utility T&D or substation construction, including field division structures and crew based cost tracking Understanding of credit agreement compliance, including EBITDA definitions, add back categories, and lender reporting Hands‑on M&A accounting experience within a PE backed platform, including quality of earnings support and ASC 805 purchase price allocation Experience with large utility client billing environments, including portal reconciliation and dispute resolution workflows #J-18808-Ljbffr StevenDouglas