Controller- Construction Industry
About Us
Our client is a certified WBE subcontractor specializing in water and sewer construction across Maryland, DC and Virginia. The business operates three divisions: field labor, turnkey restoration and mat work, and turnkey traffic control. The same ownership group manages three affiliated companies: an emerging prime contractor, a labor services company, and a shared administrative services company. The group is above $20M in annual revenue and growing about 50% a year, with a goal of becoming a $1B family of companies. We run on EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System). All four companies keep their books in Foundation Software. The Role The Controller owns accounting for all four companies and reports to the COO. This is a full-time, remote position. You will run the monthly close, own job-cost and WIP reporting, produce the numbers the owners rely on, and own the surety, bonding and banking relationships. You will lead an in-house team of five: a senior bookkeeper, an AR specialist, a payroll specialist and two reporting specialists. An outsourced construction-accounting firm supports the function today. This is the permanent, long-term seat. You will take ownership from that firm, bring the work in-house and build the department as the group scales. What You Will Own Close and reporting Run the monthly close for four companies on a set calendar, targeting the 10th business day. Produce monthly P&L, balance sheet and cash flow statements for each company, plus a consolidated set. Report profit by division (labor, turnkey, traffic control) and by job. Own intercompany billing and eliminations between the four companies, including labor billed between affiliated companies at cost plus markup. Prepare the year-end package for the outside CPA. Construction accounting Prepare the monthly WIP schedule: percent complete, over/under billings, earned revenue and projected margin by job. Keep backlog current for both the minority-participation report and the bonding package. Set up and review AIA progress billing (G702/G703), retainage, change orders and lien waivers. Own the job-cost structure (cost codes, cost types, divisions) so field cost lands on the right job. Payroll and compliance Oversee weekly payroll across several states, including union fringes on certain jobs. Own prevailing wage and Davis-Bacon compliance: certified payroll, wage determinations and fringe treatment. Oversee workers' comp class coding and the annual audit, payroll tax filings and 1099s. AP, cash and assets Run accrual-basis AP with month-end cutoff, so costs land in the month they are incurred. Own bank and credit-card reconciliations and the 13-week cash forecast. Manage AR aging and collections strategy alongside the AR specialist. Maintain the fixed-asset register for vehicles, equipment and fleet leases, including depreciation and equipment cost allocation to jobs. Foundation Software Own Foundation as the system of record for all four companies: chart of accounts, divisions, security, year-end close, payroll and AR/AP. Write and maintain close, AP and billing procedures, and train the team on them. Build the internal controls that come with growth: segregation of duties, payment approvals and positive pay. Surety, banking and prequalification Own the relationships with the surety, the bonding agent and the banks. Prepare and submit bonding applications, and keep bonding capacity ahead of the bid pipeline. Complete prequalification packages for jurisdictions, agencies and general contractors. Manage the line of credit: applications, renewals, covenant reporting and lender information requests. Answer surety and bank requests for WIP, backlog, financial statements and other information on deadline. Success In The First 90 Days By Outcome Day 30 Knows each company's books and has a written plan, agreed with the outsourced firm, for taking over day-to-day ownership. Monthly close calendar is published and the team is working to it. Day 60 First month closed on calendar for all four companies, with a consolidated P&L and a WIP schedule the owners can act on. Day 90 Two consecutive on-time closes. WIP and backlog are ready for the bonding package. Intercompany billing is current, and certified payroll has had no late submissions for 30 days. Required Foundation Software, fully versed and hands-on. That means you have run a close, payroll, AR and AP in it, and you know the setup screens, not only the reports. This is non-negotiable. 7+ years of construction accounting, including at least 3 as a controller or assistant controller at a contractor. Has personally prepared monthly WIP schedules, backlog reports and percent-of-completion revenue recognition (ASC 606). AIA progress billing, retainage and change-order accounting. Prevailing wage, Davis-Bacon and certified payroll in multiple states; union fringe experience preferred. Multi-company and multi-division accounting, including intercompany transactions, eliminations and consolidated reporting. Accrual-basis close with AP cutoff, accruals and reconciliations. Fixed-asset and equipment accounting, including depreciation and equipment cost allocation to jobs. Has managed surety and bank relationships directly, including bonding applications, contractor prequalifications and line-of-credit applications and reporting. QuickBooks Desktop and Online, enough to pull and reconcile historical data from the prior books. Bachelor's degree in accounting or finance. Preferred CPA, or CCIFP (Certified Construction Industry Financial Professional). Has taken over an accounting function from an outsourced firm and brought it in-house. Heavy-civil or utility subcontractor background (water, sewer, site work). DBE, MBE or WBE compliance reporting. Has built an accounting function at a company growing 30% a year or faster. Experience with EOS or a similar operating system. Work Arrangement Item Detail Location Remote, US-based. Must be available during Eastern business hours. Travel Occasional trips to the Maryland office, about quarterly. Reports to Chief Operating Officer Direct reports 5 Systems Foundation Software (4 databases), QuickBooks (historical books), Monday.com, Ninety.io, Claude, Intellix (Capital One treasury), Microsoft 365, ADP (Wisely pay cards only)
Compensation
Competitive salary and bonus, commensurate with experience. Start As soon as possible
Compensation
Range: $150k-$180k