Position Summary
The Controller leads and oversees the firm's day-to-day financial, job cost accounting, and compliance operations. This position acts as a critical strategic and operational partner to the executive leadership team and Project Managers, ensuring rigorous financial discipline, proactive risk management, and accurate reporting across all active construction projects. The ideal candidate brings proven mastery of construction accounting principles (ASC 606 revenue recognition, Percentage-of-Completion, and Work-in-Progress schedules), robust internal control expertise, and strong staff leadership skills.
Core Responsibilities & Duties
Work-in-Progress (WIP) & Job Cost Accounting
- Direct the monthly Work-in-Progress (WIP) reporting cycle; calculate over/under billings, analyze gross margin variances, and evaluate cost-to-complete projections.
- Collaborate monthly with Project Managers and Project Executives to review job cost reports, forecast revisions, pending change orders, and labor burden allocations.
- Enforce ASC 606 (Revenue from Contracts with Customers) under the Percentage-of-Completion Method (PCM).
Financial Reporting & General Ledger
- Oversee the monthly, quarterly, and fiscal year-end financial close, ensuring all balance sheet reconciliations are completed accurately and on schedule.
- Prepare comprehensive monthly financial statements (Income Statement, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow, and Divisional Performance Reports).
- Maintain and optimize the General Ledger chart of accounts to ensure precise allocation across business units, job cost codes, and overhead centers.
Billing, Receivables & Cash Flow Management
- Direct contract progress billing operations using standard AIA G702/G703 formats, Schedule of Values (SOV), and owner-specific requirements.
- Oversee retainage billing, collection workflows, aging analyses, and proactive credit risk mitigation.
- Develop and maintain rolling 13-week operating cash flow forecasts to optimize working capital, line-of-credit draws, and capital expenditures.
Payroll Reconciliation & Job Cost Allocation
- Reconcile approved employee worked hours before each payroll cycle and validate that labor hours are accurately allocated to the appropriate projects, job cost codes, departments, and overhead accounts.
- Prepare and export approved worked-hour data for submission to the Payroll Specialist and PEO for payroll processing.
- Coordinate with the Payroll Specialist to identify and resolve discrepancies in worked hours, overtime, PTO, project allocations, or other payroll-related data before payroll processing.
- Perform post-payroll reconciliation of payroll reports against approved worked hours and reconcile payroll expenses and related liabilities to the General Ledger.
- Investigate and resolve payroll and labor allocation discrepancies that may impact job costing, WIP reporting, labor burden, or project profitability.
Subcontractor & Regulatory Compliance
- Supervise Accounts Payable workflows, ensuring strict adherence to joint-check agreements, purchase orders, and payment milestone releases.
- Oversee lien waiver administration (conditional and unconditional progress/final waivers), preliminary notice tracking, and payment bond compliance.
- Ensure compliance with prevailing wage guidelines, certified payroll submissions, and subcontractor Certificate of Insurance (COI) verification.
Audit, Tax, Surety & Banking Relations
- Serve as the primary liaison to independent CPA auditors during annual financial audits and tax preparation.
- Prepare quarterly and annual compliance packages for surety bonding underwriters and commercial banking partners.
- Ensure timely filings of state/local business licenses, sales and use taxes, gross receipts taxes, and payroll taxes across all operating jurisdictions.
Team Leadership & System Optimization
- Manage, mentor, and evaluate the accounting staff (Job Cost Accountants, AP, AR, and Payroll specialists).
- Champion system enhancements and best practices within the construction of ERP platforms and integrated field-management technologies.
Qualifications & Experience
Education & Credentials
- Bachelor's degree in accounting, Finance, or related business discipline (Required).
- Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or Certified Construction Industry Financial Professional (CCIFP) designation (Highly Preferred).
Professional Experience
- 7+ years of progressive accounting and financial management experience, including a minimum of 3-5 years in a leadership role (Controller or Assistant Controller) within a commercial, civil, or residential general contractor.
- Proven track record managing multi-million-dollar project accounting portfolios, complex subcontractor networks, and self-performed labor dynamics.
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel (XLOOKUP, nested formulas, pivot tables, cash flow modeling, and financial data modeling).
- Comprehensive knowledge of AIA contract billing documents, standard AGC/AIA contract clauses, and state-specific construction mechanics lien statutes.
Key Competencies
- Exceptional cross-functional communication skills; capable of translating financial data into actionable insights for operational field personnel.
- High ethical standards, meticulous attention to detail, and a structured, process-oriented leadership approach.
