Property Accounting Manager

CDS, Inc.

$80K — $95K *
Real Estate & Construction
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or related field required
  • 7+ years of progressive accounting experience, including month-end close, financial statement prep, and auditing
  • 3+ years of supervisory or management experience preferred
  • Experience in property management accounting or affordable housing preferred
  • Advanced Microsoft Excel skills required; familiarity with property management/accounting software like Yardi or RealPage preferred

Responsibilities

  • Lead and develop accounting staff, reviewing performance and ensuring quality standards
  • Conduct month-end close processes, including bank and account reconciliations
  • Maintain accurate financial records for assigned properties and prepare financial reports
  • Oversee accounts payable, cash management, and vendor invoice approvals
  • Direct the budgeting process and periodic financial forecasts, collaborating with operations
  • Manage audit processes and ensure compliance with relevant guidelines and regulations
  • Identify and recommend improvements to internal controls and accounting processes

Benefits

  • Opportunities for professional development and training
  • Collaborative and supportive work environment
  • Engagement in high-level accounting practices and decision-making
  • Potential for involvement in strategic financial initiatives
  • Health and wellness programs (specific benefits not detailed)
Full Job Description
Summary: The Property Accounting Manager provides leadership, direction, and oversight for the property accounting function and is accountable for the accuracy, timeliness, and integrity of financial information across an assigned portfolio. This position manages day-to-day accounting operations, directs month-end and year-end close activities, oversees financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, cash management, audit preparation, regulatory compliance, and internal controls, and serves as a strategic finance partner to operations and leadership.

Essential Job Functions:

  • Department Leadership and Staff Supervision: Manage, train, coach and develop accounting staff, assign and review work, monitor performance, provide regular feedback, support professional development, and ensure deadlines and quality standards are consistently met.
  • Month-End Close: Perform month-end close activities, including bank reconciliations, account reconciliations, journal entries, budget to actual comparisons and prior-year comparisons.
  • Financial Records and Reporting: Maintain complete and accurate financial records for an assigned portfolio of properties, including rent schedules, recurring financial schedules, fixed asset records, and depreciation schedules. Identify trends, explain variances, communicate risks and opportunities, and provide actionable recommendations to support leadership decisions.
  • Accounts Payable and Cash Management: Review vendor invoices for accuracy, approve payments based on due dates and available cash flow, manage positive pay uploads, review positive pay exceptions, maintain accurate cash balances, and record daily cash activity. Prepare and file 1099 forms accurately and by required deadline.
  • Revenue, Tenant, and Property Accounting: Review rent rolls, recurring charges, tenant ledger activity, rental revenue, receivables, adjustments, and related account activity. Coordinate with property operations to resolve billing discrepancies, tenant account issues, and financial questions in a timely and professional manner.
  • Budgeting and Forecasting: Lead the annual budget, periodic forecasting, and cash flow projections. Partner with operations to ensure assumptions are accurate, supported, and aligned with property and organizational objectives.
  • Audit, Compliance, and Regulatory Reporting: Manage audit preparation, supporting schedules, documentation requests, and follow-up responses. Ensure compliance with GAAP, internal policies, lender requirements, ownership agreements, regulatory requirements, affordable housing requirements, and applicable reporting deadlines.
  • Internal Controls and Risk Management: Maintain and strengthen accounting controls, approval workflows, segregation of duties, documentation standards, and review procedures. Identify control gaps, recommend corrective actions, and ensure consistent adherence to financial policies and procedures.
  • Systems, Process Improvement, and Department Initiatives: Evaluate current processes, reporting tools, and system usage; recommend and implement improvements that enhance accuracy, efficiency, consistency, transparency, and customer service. Support system enhancements, policy updates, training materials, and special projects.
  • Cross-Functional Collaboration: Serve as a primary accounting resource for property operations, leadership, asset management, compliance, lenders, auditors, and external partners. Communicate financial information clearly and proactively to support effective decision-making.
  • Additional Duties: Perform other related duties as assigned by the supervisor.


Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

  • Demonstrated ability to lead, supervise, coach, and develop accounting staff while setting expectations, managing performance, and fostering accountability.
  • Advanced knowledge of accounting principles, GAAP, financial reporting, reconciliations, budgeting, forecasting, variance analysis, and internal controls.
  • Strong understanding of property management accounting, affordable housing accounting requirements, operating agreements, lender requirements, and multi-entity or portfolio-based accounting environments.
  • Ability to review detailed accounting work, identify errors or unusual activity, evaluate financial results, and recommend appropriate corrective action.
  • Strong analytical, critical thinking, research, reconciliation, documentation, and problem-resolution skills.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain financial results, policies, deadlines, and complex accounting matters to finance and non-finance stakeholders.
  • Ability to manage multiple priorities, recurring deadlines, competing requests, confidential information, and time-sensitive reporting requirements with accuracy and professionalism.
  • High level of integrity, discretion, accountability, attention to detail, and commitment to sound financial stewardship.
  • Ability to build productive working relationships with accounting staff, property operations, leadership, vendors, auditors, lenders, and external partners.
  • Proficiency with Microsoft Excel and accounting/property management systems; ability to support system improvements, reporting enhancements, and process modernization


Education and Experience:
  • Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a closely related field required.
  • Minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible accounting experience required, including hands-on responsibility for month-end close, financial statement preparation, account reconciliations, audit support, budgeting, forecasting, and financial analysis.
  • Minimum of three (3) years of experience supervising, leading, or mentoring accounting staff preferred; prior management experience strongly preferred.
  • Experience in property management accounting, affordable housing, real estate, nonprofit finance, multi-entity accounting, or portfolio-based financial reporting strongly preferred.
  • Advanced Microsoft Excel skills required, including the ability to work with large data sets, reconciliations, reporting schedules, formulas, and analysis tools.
  • Experience with Yardi, RealPage, or similar property management/accounting software strongly preferred.


All experience and education requirements, except when required by federal, state, or local laws or requirements, may be waived at the discretion of management with the approval of the Chief Executive Officer, in collaboration with Human Resources.

Physical Requirements/Working Conditions:
  • Sedentary working environment
  • Ability to reach above shoulder level.
  • Ability to turn/twist upper body.
  • Able to use hand repetitive action for fine manipulating, keyboarding and typing.


Corporate Qualifications/Expectations:
  • Adhere to all CDS Life Transitions, Inc. policies and procedures.
  • Adhere to the Agency Mission, Vision, Shared Values, and Customer Service Standards.
  • Attend mandatory education and training modules as scheduled; obtain and maintain all required certifications/training by State regulations and CDS policy
  • Act as a professional representative of CDS Life Transitions, Inc. in regard to appearance, behavior, temperament, communication, language, and dress.


The statements herein are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed but are not to be seen as a complete list of responsibilities, duties, skills, required of personnel so classified. Also, they do not establish a contract for employment and are subject to change at the direction of the employer.

The listed salary range represents the organization's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting. The offered salary will be determined by applicant qualifications and experience, education, position-specific licensing/training, and departmental budgets.

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