Accounting Manager - Property and Development Accounting

Hines•Houston, TX

3d•Onsite

About The Position

When you join Hines, you will embark on a career journey fueled by vision and guided by leaders who set the standards of our industry. Our legacy is rooted in innovation and excellence, earning us a spot on Fast Company’s esteemed annual list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies, as well as recognition as one of U.S. News & World Report’s Best Companies to Work For in 2024. Discover endless opportunities to grow and make your mark at Hines. As the Accounting Manager with Hines, you will lead the accounting function for Hines' self-storage sub-product type, including oversight of accounting operations, operator relationships, financial reporting, processes and controls, and development of the accounting team. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to: Works closely with the Controller, Asset Management, Property Management, Accountants, and other applicable Hines personnel to ensure accurate and timely accounting and financial reporting for the self-storage portfolio. Act as a primary accounting point of contact for third-party self-storage operators and coordinate reporting, accounting requirements, issue resolution, and implementation of standardized processes. Establish and maintain clear accounting ownership across Accounting, Asset Management, Property Management, and third-party operators, including oversight of payments, accruals, cash activity, and compliance responsibilities. Treasury oversight including review of bank reconciliations, contribution/distribution calculations, payments, and cash flow projections across Hines-managed and operator-held bank accounts. Review funding request to investors and lenders. Track property tax bills across the portfolio and ensure operators are provided with invoices for payment well in advance of deadlines. Track activity for TRS entities to keep income and cash separate from the operating entities and ensure proper tax compliance. Review and coordinate approval of reserves and write-offs in accordance with governing agreements. Ensure all accounting records and reports are maintained timely, accurately, and in accordance with GAAP or other applicable basis of accounting, with particular focus on self-storage-specific accounting policies, recurring entries, chart of accounts, capex guidance, acquisitions, and other complex or unusual items. General ledger review and analysis. Review operator management fees and other significant property-level charges, ensuring proper calculation, support, invoicing, and recording on a timely basis. Review monthly/quarterly financial statements, operator reporting packages, and supporting schedules, including standardized mapping and upload processes, working closely with Asset Management, Property Management, operators, and Accountants to ensure accuracy and consistency. Develop and document repeatable self-storage accounting procedures and best practices so knowledge is centralized within the team and scalable as acquisitions are integrated. Research accounting guidance and draft position memos documenting accounting treatment of new/unusual items. Build and maintain effective internal controls and audit-ready processes across the self-storage portfolio, including standardized procedures and clear ownership of recurring activities. May assist Asset Management and Property Management with annual property budget and reconciliation between Argus model and budget/forecasts. Prepare audited financial statements and footnotes and provide support for more complex accounting areas. Coordinate tax accounting and compliance oversight across the self-storage portfolio, including tax projections, tax workpapers, and recurring deadlines across multiple jurisdictions; assist with more complex items as needed. Contribute to the development of Senior Accountants and Accountants through supervision, training, and providing feedback for annual and ongoing reviews. Prepare and teach/lead various Hines training courses to Accountants. Lead process standardization and improvement initiatives for self-storage accounting, including operator integration, recurring processes, reporting, controls, and implementation of scalable best practices. Prepare and coordinate investor, management, and other significant internal or external reporting, with an emphasis on consistent and scalable self-storage reporting. Demonstrate commitment to professional development by actively pursuing continuous education opportunities to enhance accounting skills including obtaining CPA certification.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from an accredited university.
Five or more years professional accounting experience.
Previous supervisory experience is required.
Strong analytical, organizational and time management skills.
Excellent communication and collaboration skills.
Ability to build effective relationships with third-party operators and coordinate across Accounting, Asset Management, Property Management, and other stakeholders.
Set priorities and proactively meet deadlines.
Ability to multi-task and manage multiple assignments.
Analytical capability with strengths in process standardization, continuous improvement, and development of scalable accounting practices.

Nice To Haves

CPA designation (or intention to work toward CPA designation) is preferred.
Experience with multi-entity environments, third-party operators, or multi-jurisdiction accounting and compliance is preferred.
Public accounting experience is strongly preferred.
Commercial real estate experience is strongly preferred; self-storage, property-level operating accounting, or experience working with third-party operators is advantageous.
Experience leading cross-functional process or standardization initiatives is preferred.
Proficiency utilizing various systems; Oracle & JD Edwards system experience advantageous.

Responsibilities

Lead the accounting function for Hines' self-storage sub-product type, including oversight of accounting operations, operator relationships, financial reporting, processes and controls, and development of the accounting team.
Works closely with the Controller, Asset Management, Property Management, Accountants, and other applicable Hines personnel to ensure accurate and timely accounting and financial reporting for the self-storage portfolio.
Act as a primary accounting point of contact for third-party self-storage operators and coordinate reporting, accounting requirements, issue resolution, and implementation of standardized processes.
Establish and maintain clear accounting ownership across Accounting, Asset Management, Property Management, and third-party operators, including oversight of payments, accruals, cash activity, and compliance responsibilities.
Treasury oversight including review of bank reconciliations, contribution/distribution calculations, payments, and cash flow projections across Hines-managed and operator-held bank accounts.
Review funding request to investors and lenders.
Track property tax bills across the portfolio and ensure operators are provided with invoices for payment well in advance of deadlines.
Track activity for TRS entities to keep income and cash separate from the operating entities and ensure proper tax compliance.
Review and coordinate approval of reserves and write-offs in accordance with governing agreements.
Ensure all accounting records and reports are maintained timely, accurately, and in accordance with GAAP or other applicable basis of accounting, with particular focus on self-storage-specific accounting policies, recurring entries, chart of accounts, capex guidance, acquisitions, and other complex or unusual items.
General ledger review and analysis.
Review operator management fees and other significant property-level charges, ensuring proper calculation, support, invoicing, and recording on a timely basis.
Review monthly/quarterly financial statements, operator reporting packages, and supporting schedules, including standardized mapping and upload processes, working closely with Asset Management, Property Management, operators, and Accountants to ensure accuracy and consistency.
Develop and document repeatable self-storage accounting procedures and best practices so knowledge is centralized within the team and scalable as acquisitions are integrated.
Research accounting guidance and draft position memos documenting accounting treatment of new/unusual items.
Build and maintain effective internal controls and audit-ready processes across the self-storage portfolio, including standardized procedures and clear ownership of recurring activities.
May assist Asset Management and Property Management with annual property budget and reconciliation between Argus model and budget/forecasts.
Prepare audited financial statements and footnotes and provide support for more complex accounting areas.
Coordinate tax accounting and compliance oversight across the self-storage portfolio, including tax projections, tax workpapers, and recurring deadlines across multiple jurisdictions; assist with more complex items as needed.
Contribute to the development of Senior Accountants and Accountants through supervision, training, and providing feedback for annual and ongoing reviews.
Prepare and teach/lead various Hines training courses to Accountants.
Lead process standardization and improvement initiatives for self-storage accounting, including operator integration, recurring processes, reporting, controls, and implementation of scalable best practices.
Prepare and coordinate investor, management, and other significant internal or external reporting, with an emphasis on consistent and scalable self-storage reporting.
Demonstrate commitment to professional development by actively pursuing continuous education opportunities to enhance accounting skills including obtaining CPA certification.