CONTROLLERPE-Backed Commercial Specialty Construction Contractor THE OPPORTUNITYOur client is a long-established, middle market ($50M+ in revenues) specialty construction company serving the Pennsylvania market. The company is backed by a middle-market private equity sponsor and is positioned for its next phase of growth and operational development.
The Controller will serve as the senior day-to-day accounting leader for the business, with responsibility for accurate and timely financial reporting, construction accounting, job costing, cash management, internal controls, and the monthly close process. This individual will work closely with senior leadership and operating teams.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES- Lead all core accounting activities, including the monthly close, financial statement preparation, general ledger, accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll, and balance sheet reconciliations.
- Own construction accounting and project-level financial reporting, including work-in-process (WIP) schedules, percentage-of-completion revenue recognition, job costing, retainage, and contract accounting.
- Partner with project managers and operating leaders in recurring project reviews to evaluate job performance, margin trends, cost-to-complete assumptions, risk exposures, and opportunities for corrective action.
- Maintain and continuously improve job costing processes, ensuring project data is accurate, timely, and useful to operating leadership.
- Manage cash flow and working capital, including cash forecasting, collections visibility, vendor payments, and liquidity planning.
- Support the preparation of annual budgets, periodic P&L forecasts, backlog forecasts, and other forward-looking financial analyses.
- Develop and maintain management reporting, dashboards, and KPIs that provide visibility into revenue, gross margin, backlog, project profitability, cash generation, and other key operating metrics.
- Strengthen accounting policies, internal controls, documentation, and financial processes while identifying opportunities to improve efficiency, scalability, and profitability.
- Coordinate with outside CPA and tax providers in support of annual financial statement reviews/audits, tax filings, and other compliance requirements.
- Support construction-specific administrative and financial requirements, including bonding, lien releases, certificates of insurance, sales/use tax, and related regulatory or contractual obligations.
- Lead, develop, and hold accountable the accounting team, creating clear responsibilities, effective workflows, and a high standard of accuracy and responsiveness.
- Serve as a hands-on business partner to senior leadership and contribute to broader finance and operational initiatives associated with the company's continued growth.
CANDIDATE PROFILE- 5+ years of recent Controller, Assistant Controller, or comparable accounting leadership experience within a commercial construction, specialty subcontracting, engineering, facilities services, or closely related project-based business.
- Experience in an organization of comparable or greater scale, with the ability to operate effectively in a hands-on, lower-middle-market environment.
- Strong knowledge of GAAP and construction accounting, including percentage-of-completion revenue recognition, WIP reporting, job costing, retainage, and project profitability analysis.
- Working knowledge of commercial construction concepts such as bonding, lien releases, change orders, contract terms, insurance/COI requirements, and multi-state tax considerations.
- Strong communication and leadership skills, with the confidence to work directly with executives, project managers, field/operations leaders, outside advisors, and private equity stakeholders.
- A practical, detail-oriented, and proactive operating style; comfortable balancing day-to-day execution with process improvement and higher-level analysis.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, project-driven business and to create structure in areas that may require further professionalization.
EDUCATION & CREDENTIALS - Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, or a related field required.
- CPA designation (active or inactive) is preferred but is not required.
- Prior public accounting experience is advantageous but not required.
