Controller

Controller Westlawn — Houston, TX

Company Summary

Westlawn is a private investment firm based in Houston, TX focused on long-term investment in the global oil and gas industry. We acquire operated and non-operated interests in producing, development, and exploration assets, as well as technologies that improve production. Our portfolio spans multiple legal entities and jurisdictions across the Americas and beyond.

Position Summary

We are seeking a Controller to lead the accounting function across our multi-entity, multi-jurisdiction oil & gas portfolio. This role owns an accurate and on-time close, the integrity and control of accounting data, financial reporting under both US GAAP and IFRS, the external audit, and payment and cash-disbursement controls. The role also drives modernization of the accounting organization through systems optimization and AI-enabled workflows. The ideal candidate pairs a CPA and Big 4 foundation with upstream oil & gas depth, strong technical and systems ability (Quorum ODA, advanced Excel, AI/automation), and experience operating across international entities and currencies.

Key Responsibilities

Close, Data Integrity & Controls

• Own the close schedule and deliver it accurately and on time, with a focus on making improvements
• Control the integrity, completeness, and accuracy of accounting data across all entities
• Own the general ledger, consolidations, and account reconciliations across the multi-entity structure
• Partner with the NMS corporate team to perform all required cost reimbursements and intercompany entries
• Maintain and strengthen internal controls, accounting policies, and close discipline
• Liaise with Treasury to ensure payment and cash-disbursement controls — banking-instruction integrity, preparer/approver segregation, and disbursement approval workflow

Audit

• Serve as primary liaison for external auditors and manage the annual audit across jurisdictions

Financial Reporting

• Own financial reporting — deliver timely, accurate financial statements under US GAAP (US entities) and IFRS (Brazil, Peru, and Oman)

Oil & Gas Accounting (primarily non-operated)

• Provide leadership to the team and technical oversight of revenue and joint-venture accounting, ensuring it is consistently applied
• Provide team leadership and support for non-operated revenue accounting from operator statements — working-interest, royalty, and ORRI revenue, and severance/production taxes
• Oversee the team that reviews incoming joint interest billings (JIBs) against JOA and COPAS terms and reconciles operator joint-account statements, cash calls, prepayments, and suspense — ensuring improper or non-chargeable costs are identified and resolved
• Oversee DD&A, depletion, ARO, and impairment at the entity level based on Westlawn’s net interest in reserves and costs
• Review lease operating statements (LOS) and field-level cost reporting for reasonableness and cost control

International

• Manage accounting for international entities, including multi-currency (FX) transactions, remeasurement/translation, and intercompany activity
• Support the foreign team as they perform statutory and local reporting requirements, and coordinate with local advisors as necessary

Systems & Technology

• Optimize the company’s oil & gas accounting platform, Quorum ODA — including integrations, upgrades, and data integrity
• Manage and perform monthly data transfers from the foreign accounting systems into Quorum ODA
• Lead or support system implementations, conversions, and process automation initiatives
• Champion the adoption of AI and agentic workflows across the accounting function — close automation, reconciliation agents, reporting, and exception handling — and evaluate emerging tools for practical deployment
• Build and maintain advanced Excel models supporting reconciliation, cash flow, and financial reporting

Leadership

• Lead, develop, and mentor the accounting team (currently 5 FTE)
• Partner with operations, treasury, and finance leadership on budgeting, forecasting, and ad hoc analysis

Required Qualifications

• Active CPA license (required)
• 8–10+ years of progressive accounting experience with increasing scope and leadership responsibility
• Upstream oil & gas accounting experience (required); non-operated working-interest accounting strongly preferred, with deep working knowledge of non-op revenue, JIB review/audit, COPAS, AFE elections, DD&A, and ARO
• Financial statement preparation under both US GAAP and IFRS (preferred)
• Demonstrated ownership of the close, internal controls, and the external audit
• Hands-on experience with Quorum ODA strongly preferred; comparable oil & gas platforms considered (e.g., Enertia, PakEnergy/WolfePak, W Energy, P2 BOLO/Excalibur)
• Advanced Excel and financial modeling skills
• Hands-on use of AI tools, automation, or agentic workflows in an accounting or finance context

Preferred Qualifications

• Big 4 public accounting foundation (audit or assurance serving energy clients strongly preferred)
• International or multi-entity accounting experience, including multi-currency (FX) consolidation and foreign-jurisdiction statutory reporting
• Experience in an investment-manager or fund environment
• Experience leading an accounting system implementation or conversion

Benefits & Perks

• Company-Paid Lunch Stipend: Lunch is provided via GrubHub
• Company-Paid Benefits: 100% Employer-Paid Medical in our High Deductible Health Plan, Dental and Vision benefits for employees and their families, 16 weeks of Paid Parental Leave, Employee Assistance Program, Life insurance, Short-Term Disability and Long-Term Disability
• 401(k): Company will match 100% of your contributions up to 6%
• Optional Employee-Paid Benefits: Medical insurance in our PPO plan and a variety of other benefits such as Health Savings Accounts (with Company Contribution!), Flexible Spending Accounts, Supplemental Life Insurance, Wellhub and more.
• Time Off: 25 days of Paid Time Off plus 12 company holidays

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

NORTHMARK STRATEGIES LLC IS AN EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER. THE COMPANY'S POLICY IS NOT TO DISCRIMINATE AGAINST ANY APPLICANT OR EMPLOYEE BASED ON RACE, COLOR, RELIGION, NATIONAL ORIGIN, GENDER, AGE, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, GENDER IDENTITY OR EXPRESSION, MARITAL STATUS, MENTAL OR PHYSICAL DISABILITY, AND GENETIC INFORMATION, OR ANY OTHER BASIS PROTECTED BY APPLICABLE LAW.

THE FIRM ALSO PROHIBITS HARASSMENT OF APPLICANTS OR EMPLOYEES BASED ON ANY OF THESE PROTECTED CATEGORIES.

NorthMark Strategies is a leading strategic capital firm, combining capital, innovation, and engineering to drive long-term value. From operating complex businesses to backing breakthrough technologies, our mission is to deploy capital and build enduring businesses. Our team combines intelligent risk-taking, operational excellence, exceptional talent, and world-class computing capacity to create shareholder value. Our values are Integrity, Ability, and Energy, and the company aims to hire individuals who possess those qualities. At NorthMark Strategies, we believe the future isn’t something to hope for, it’s something to build. We don’t just invest, we create. Bringing together strategic insight and technical horsepower to deliver outcomes that endure.

#J-18808-Ljbffr