Controller - Construction/ Real Estate (Morris County)
Controller- Construction/ Real Estate Position Summary Our client is seeking an experienced Controller to lead day-to-day accounting and financial reporting across its construction businesses and partner entities. Reporting directly to the CFO, the Controller will own the monthly and quarterly close, consolidated financial statements, job cost and WIP reporting, cash reporting, and internal controls. The Controller will lead an accounting team of eight or more employees, including the Senior Accountant, Senior Project Accountant, and Senior Billing & Collections Specialist. This person will work closely with the Director of Finance, who has been with them for more than 15 years and brings extensive knowledge of the company’s operations, financial processes, and history. The Controller will also partner with operations leaders, project teams, and external advisors to deliver accurate, timely financial information that supports business decisions. This is a hands-on leadership role requiring strong technical accounting skills, sound judgment, and consistent execution. The successful candidate will take ownership of priorities established by the CFO, independently drive work to completion, and proactively communicate progress and potential obstacles. They must be comfortable working directly in the details, reviewing staff work, resolving issues, and holding the team accountable. Key Responsibilities Own the monthly, quarterly, and annual close across multiple entities, ensuring timely completion of reconciliations, journal entries, and financial reporting. Build and maintain the annual close calendar, enforce deadlines, and resolve bottlenecks before they affect delivery. Review and finalize entity-level and consolidated financial statements in accordance with GAAP, including intercompany reconciliations and eliminations. Investigate variances and present clear explanations to the CFO and business leaders. Oversee weekly and monthly WIP reporting, including job profitability, estimated costs to complete, change orders, underbillings, and overbillings. Partner with operations and project teams to resolve issues. Review weekly cash reporting and support the CFO with cash flow planning, working capital management, annual budgets, and forecasts. Oversee accounts payable, billing, collections, intercompany accounting, fixed assets, and other core accounting processes. Review and approve payments in accordance with company controls. Establish consistent reporting and review processes with partner entities and ensure their accounting teams resolve open items promptly. Maintain strong internal controls and documented procedures. Ensure complete supporting documentation and timely sign-offs in FloQast. Identify process improvements and implement best practices to enhance efficiency & accountability. Coordinate with external auditors, tax advisors, and other service providers, ensuring schedules and supporting documentation are accurate and delivered on time. Actively manage and develop the accounting team, set priorities, review work quality, and address missed deadlines and performance gaps. Establish cross-training and coverage across critical processes. Partner with the CFO on financial analysis, reporting improvements, and the evaluation and implementation of a future ERP system. Translate CFO priorities and directives into action and drive work to completion with minimal oversight. Resolve issues independently within the role’s authority and escalate concerns with supporting facts and recommended solutions. Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in accounting or finance required; CPA preferred. 8 years of progressive accounting experience, including construction accounting and 3 years managing an accounting team. Strong knowledge of GAAP, job costing, WIP, revenue recognition, multi-entity consolidations, and intercompany accounting. Proven success owning the close, developing teams, strengthening controls, and preparing budgets and forecasts. Hands-on leader who executes CFO priorities, resolves issues, and delivers results with minimal oversight. Strong Excel skills and experience improving accounting processes through automation. Sage 300, Procore, FloQast, and Sage Intacct experience preferred; ERP implementation experience a plus. Strong communication, organization, and follow-through, with the ability to partner effectively with operations and senior leadership.
