Controller

Controller

Gilbert Mechanical, a Legence company For more than 40 years, it has been Gilbert's mission to provide outstanding mechanical, electrical, plumbing, controls, and fire protection services in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. Today, Gilbert employs more than 200 people in the Twin Cities market, and its clients represent a diverse range of technical market sectors, with specialization in the healthcare industry. Our fun, open and innovative culture is supported by forward thinking industry leaders who are united in collaboration and the pursuit of breakthrough ideas. Gilbert's philosophy includes mutual respect for all individuals, application of innovation and a rigorous serve-the-customer mentality. We create a culture of teaching and learning through cross mentoring that spans generations, disciplines, interests and talents. We strive to give each person exposure to the widest array of experiences possible to help them grow further and faster than they could anywhere else.

Location: Edina, MN. In-office Full-time.

Hours: M-F 7am - 4pm, ideally

Travel: Yes

The Controller is responsible for leading Gilbert's core accounting operations and ensuring the accuracy, integrity, and timeliness of all financial reporting. This role supports the development and implementation of financial practices and resource management strategies, partnering with executive leadership, and Corporate Finance on planning, budgeting, cash flow visibility, and policy execution. The Controller fosters strong cross-functional relationships, collaborating effectively across all departments—including Payroll and HR—while maintaining a disciplined, controls-driven, and risk-aware approach to daily, monthly, and quarterly responsibilities. This leader is detail-oriented, results-driven, and skilled at prioritizing multiple competing deadlines, viewing challenges as opportunities to improve processes and guide the accounting team. The position requires strong ownership of construction-focused accounting, financial reporting, internal controls, and project-based cost accounting within a dynamic, fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities/Duties

• Policies & Controls
  • Ensure that efficient policies and procedures and the proper internal controls are in place.
  • Review journal entries, account and bank reconciliations.
  • Maintain a disciplined month-end close calendar and ensure compliance with GAAP and internal policies.
• Financial Reporting
  • Responsible for month-end closing process and coordinating the closing of the company's accounting books.
  • Report financial results in conformity with GAAP together with financial and accounting policies established by Corporate Accounting.
• Percentage of Completion Accounting (Construction)
  • Develop and maintain effective Percentage of Completion forecast capability.
  • Assess adequacy of resource deployment commensurate with known project schedules and workload.
  • Ensure adequate cost accumulation on each project.
  • Oversee the construction project accounting process from start to finish.
  • Prepare and analyze month-end reporting (WIP report, over/under, gross margin, revenue recognition, revenue projection, shift of work and variances to plan, forecast adjustments, earnings fade/gain, preconstruction costs).
• Project Forecasting
  • Work closely with project managers and operations leadership to ensure accurate job cost data.
  • Provide financial insights to support project performance and forecast accuracy.
  • Escalate risks related to margin performance or cost trends.
• Cash Management
  • Oversee and manage cash inflows and outflows, managing collections to ensure strong cash position.
• Audits
  • Partner with external auditors to support annual audit procedures, along with ad-hoc insurance, tax, project, fringe benefit and sales tax audits.
  • Ensure timely communication and provide accurate documentation, including "Prepared by Client" deliverables.
• Transaction Processing & Team Management
  • Manage/Supervise AR, AP, Job Costing, General Ledger, Contracts Management.
  • Partner with Payroll and HR to ensure financial accuracy, compliance, and coordinated operational workflows.
  • Oversee construction billing, WIP, cost accounting, partner with Operations on contract administration within the finance function. Monitor and manage job costing, general ledger, fixed assets.
• Monthly Performance Review
  • Maintain KPI dashboards and steer monthly analytical process to assess operational and financial performance, including labor efficiency and productivity, margin scalability, and cash conversion.
  • Review expense projections and provide recommendations regarding cost reduction as well as opportunities to redeploy resources across projects and departments.
  • Identify and communicate financial trends, risks, and opportunities to leadership.
  • Assess risks and opportunities spanning revenue growth, margin expansion and cash conversion.
• Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A)
  • Support annual planning cycle, including preparation and consolidation of budget requests across businesses, analytics, and management review.
  • Provide financial schedules and analysis for leadership review.
• Operational & Financial Analysis
  • Lead various operational and financial analyses and prepare other ad hoc operational and financial reports as requested.
• ERP / Systems
  • Support implementation of any new ERP tools as required.
  • Utilize and optimize Sage to improve accuracy, reporting, and process efficiency.
  • Improve system controls, standardization, and data integrity.

Education/Experience: Bachelor's Degree in Accounting and 7+ years construction accounting experience.

Physical demands: For office: Largely sedentary, some walking, bending, standing and lifting up to 25 lbs. Able to work on computer for extended periods of time.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in accounting.
• 7+ years of accounting experience preferred.
• Construction industry experience preferred; CCIFP certification ideal; CFMA membership preferred.
• Certified Public Accountant (CPA) preferred.
• Strong financial analysis, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities.
• Excellent time management and organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines.
• Strong follow-through, customer service orientation, and responsiveness.
• Effective communicator and relationship-builder across teams and departments.
• Demonstrated success developing teams and applying strong leadership and talent-development skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, especially Excel.
• Experience with Sage 300 CRE ideal; Spectrum; OneStream a plus; construction ERP experience strongly preferred.
• Positive attitude, sound judgment, strong sense of responsibility and ownership.
• High ethical standards; objective, candid, and committed to transparency.
• Committed to continuous improvement and strengthening financial processes.

Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Compensation: $135k-$160k, depending on experience. This role is also eligible for an annual performance‑based bonus. Bonus eligibility and payout are determined by role, individual performance, and company performance, and are not guaranteed.

About Legence Legence (Nasdaq: LGN) is a leading provider of engineering, consulting, installation, and maintenance services for mission-critical systems in buildings. The company specializes in designing, fabricating, and installing complex HVAC, process piping, and other mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) systems—enhancing energy efficiency, reliability, and sustainability in new and existing facilities. Legence also delivers long-term performance through strategic upgrades and holistic solutions. Serving some of the world's most technically demanding sectors, Legence counts over 60% of the Nasdaq-100 Index among its clients.

Benefits Overview Health & Welfare: Company Paid medical, dental, vision, prescription drug, accident & sickness benefit, basic group life and AD&D, and Employee Assistance Program Time Off Benefits: Paid vacation, company-paid holidays, and paid sick leave Financial Benefits: 401(k) retirement savings plan

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