Controller

Job Description

Job Description

Description:

We are seeking an experienced Controller to join our Houston office.  This position will lead the accounting and financial reporting functions of a growing commercial general contracting company. The Controller will be responsible for overseeing the company’s accounting operations, managing the monthly financial close, and ensuring accurate and timely financial reporting. This position will report directly to the Chief Executive Officer. 

The ideal candidate has hands-on experience in construction accounting, including percentage-of-completion accounting, work-in-progress (WIP) schedules, job costing, contract accounting, retainage, change orders, and construction financial reporting. This position will partner closely with executive leadership to ensure job financials accurately reflect project performance and profitability.

Key Responsibilities

Accounting & Financial Reporting

•Lead and manage the monthly, quarterly, and annual financial close process. 

•Ensure the general ledger is accurate, complete, and properly reconciled each month.

•Deliver accurate monthly financial statements, including the balance sheet, income statement, cash flow reporting, and supporting schedules on a timely basis. 

•Establish and maintain strong accounting policies, procedures, and internal controls.

•Oversee accounts payable, accounts receivable, general ledger, and cash management functions.

•Coordinate year-end financial reporting and work with external auditors as needed.

Construction & Job-Cost Accounting

•Manage accounting for multiple commercial construction projects using percentage-of-completion accounting.

•Prepare and review monthly Work-in-Progress (WIP) schedules across the company’s active projects based on percentage of completion. Prepare monthly construction projection reporting and analyzing results. 

•Analyze job costs, committed costs, billings, costs-to-complete, estimated gross profit, and projected job margins.

•Review project financial results and identify variances, risks, and opportunities.

•Ensure accurate accounting for contracts, change orders, subcontractors, retainage, allowances, and other construction-related transactions.

•Monitor job cost coding and ensure costs are properly allocated to projects and cost categories.

•Review project forecasts and assess the impact of changes in estimated costs and contract values on revenue and gross profit.

•Identify potential underbillings, overbillings, loss jobs, margin erosion, and other project-level financial risks.

•Prepare the bank compliance reports and correspond with the banker.

•Oversight of lien releases and assuring documentation is complete as part of the AP process.  

•Oversee and/or communicate with the customers for timely collections of outstanding invoices. 

Month-End Close

•Ensure all project costs, subcontractor invoices, accruals, payroll, billings, and other transactions are recorded in the appropriate accounting period.

•Calculate and record monthly percentage-of-completion revenue and gross profit adjustments.

•Reconcile WIP schedules to the general ledger.

•Review balance sheet accounts and ensure all significant accounts are properly reconciled and supported.

•Deliver accurate monthly financial results to ownership and management on a timely basis.

Cash Flow & Business Management

•Prepare and maintain cash flow forecasts.

•Monitor accounts receivable, collections, payables, subcontractor payments, retainage, and project cash requirements.

•Work with operations to improve cash flow and working capital.

•Provide management with financial analysis and recommendations to support business decisions.

•Develop and monitor key financial and operational metrics.

Leadership & Process Improvement

•Lead, mentor, and develop the accounting team.

•Improve accounting processes, controls, and reporting systems as the company grows.

•Serve as the financial expert within the organization and help non-financial leaders understand project and company financial performance.

•Assist executive leadership with budgeting, forecasting, strategic planning, and other financial initiatives.

•Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.

•10+ years of progressive accounting experience, preferably with a commercial general contractor or construction company.

•Deep understanding of percentage-of-completion accounting and WIP reporting.

•Demonstrated experience managing a monthly close process.

•Strong understanding of construction job costing and project financials.

•Experience analyzing cost-to-complete estimates and projected project margins.

•Strong understanding of GAAP and financial statement preparation.

•Advanced Excel and financial analysis skills.

•Strong communication skills and the ability to work directly with executive leadership and operations.

•Demonstrated ability to build processes, improve controls, and lead an accounting function.

Preferred Qualifications

•CPA or CPA-track experience.

•Experience with commercial construction projects.

•Experience with construction accounting platforms such as Spectrum, Procore, or similar systems.

•Experience managing or reviewing WIP schedules for multiple active projects.

•Experience working directly with project managers to develop cost-to-complete estimates and project forecasts.