Accounting Manager

Job Title:

Senior Accountant – Construction & Real Estate (Accounting Manager)

Location:

North County San Diego, CA (100% On-Site)

Pay rate:

$100,000 – $120,000+ per year, DOE, plus discretionary bonus

Overview:

Since 2006 this founder-led, boutique architecture, interior design, and design-build firm has delivered 200+ custom residential and commercial projects. The work includes coastal modern homes, boutique hospitality, galleries and urban infill. The group has grown into an architecture firm, an in-house construction company, consulting businesses and a small real estate portfolio. It now needs one experienced, hands-on accounting lead in the office to bring everything together.

This is not a seat where you close one piece of the books and pass it on. You’ll be the only in-house accounting person. You’ll report directly to the founders, own the numbers across six entities and set the structure the business runs on. Senior Accountant and Accounting Manager are both fair titles for it. The scope is controller-level, and the job comes with real authority and visibility.

What you’ll own:

• Construction accounting for the in-house build company: job costing, WIP schedules, progress invoicing, fund control and contract administration
• Lien compliance: preliminary notices, lien releases and joint checks
• Multi-entity accounting across 4 operating companies and 2 real estate LLCs, including intercompany billing
• Property accounting for a boutique hospitality property and a long-term rental, including CAM reconciliations
• Full-cycle AP, AR and general ledger
• Payroll and benefits administration
• Financial statements, cash flow reports and reporting to partners and stakeholders
• Leading a small remote team (controller and part-time construction bookkeeper), keeping work on track and accountable
• Helping define, and later oversee, an offshore staff accountant role as the team grows
• Keeping a small, busy design office running: phones, general admin, HR basics and office upkeep

Tools you’ll use:

QuickBooks (Online and Desktop), Buildertrend, Excel and Google Workspace

What makes you great here:

You work on your own and spot problems before anyone else does. You move easily between a WIP schedule and a ringing phone. You like building structure where there wasn’t any, and you’d rather be the go-to person in a small, creative company than one specialist among many.

Compensation & Perks:

• $100,000 – $120,000+ base salary, DOE, with flexibility for the right person
• Discretionary bonus
• Full-time, Monday – Friday, with a flexible schedule
• 100% on site in a coastal design studio
• Medical, dental and vision insurance
• Retirement plan
• Paid time off and paid holidays
• Direct access to the founders and a real voice in how the finance function is built
• Room to grow: this role will help build and lead an expanding accounting team

Requirements:

• 4–5+ years of construction and/or real estate accounting experience
• Hands-on construction accounting experience: WIP, job costing, progress billing, fund control, preliminary notices, lien releases and joint checks
• Multi-entity accounting experience, including intercompany billing
• Full-cycle accounting experience (AP, AR, GL, reporting), not limited to a single function
• 2+ years of QuickBooks experience (Online and Desktop preferred)
• Strong Excel and Google Workspace skills
• Proven ability to work independently and take ownership with little day-to-day direction
• Experience managing or holding a small team accountable, remote or in person
• Comfortable with office management and admin duties, including answering phones
• Polished, professional phone and email manner
• Able to work on site full-time in North County San Diego

Nice to Have:

• Buildertrend experience
• Accounting degree or coursework
• Hospitality or rental property accounting experience (CAM, lodging revenue)
• Background with a design-build firm, residential general contractor or real estate holding company
• Experience working with or managing offshore staff

This is a full-time, on-site position and is not remote. The company is unable to provide visa sponsorship for this role.

We are an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status or any other legally protected status.