Client Advisory Services (CAS) Accounting Manager (Construction & Real Estate)

Mowery & Schoenfeld • Lincolnshire, IL

2d

About The Position

We are adding a Client Advisory Services (CAS) Manager to our growing Construction & Real Estate advisory niche. This role will work closely with privately held construction companies, real estate owners, developers, property managers, and other businesses to improve accounting processes, reporting, and decision-making. The ideal candidate has meaningful experience in construction and real estate accounting from either public accounting or private industry. This person should be driven, analytical, client-service oriented, and comfortable solving messy accounting and reporting challenges in practical ways. The role offers significant opportunity to grow over time in a team environment that is investing in industry specialization and CAS advisory growth.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field
• 5+ years of progressive accounting experience in either public accounting or private industry
• Meaningful experience with construction accounting, real estate accounting, property accounting, or project-based accounting.
• Strong understanding of U.S. GAAP and accrual-basis financial reporting.
• Experience with QuickBooks, Sage, Yardi, or other common industry platforms.
• Ability to review monthly financial statements and identify issues, trends, inconsistencies, and opportunities for improvement.
• Experience managing deadlines, client expectations, multiple priorities, and recurring deliverables.
• Strong analytical, organizational, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, solve problems, and take ownership of client work.
• Client-service mindset with the ability to communicate effectively with business owners, controllers, CFOs, and operational leaders.
• Interest in helping grow the construction and real estate industry niche over time.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a primary day-to-day advisor for construction and real estate clients, helping management teams improve accounting processes, reporting, and decision-making.
• Review and oversee monthly financial reporting packages.
• Advise clients on construction accounting matters, including WIP schedules, percentage-of-completion concepts, job cost reporting, over/under billings, and project profitability.
• Advise real estate clients on property accounting matters.
• Help clients develop reporting tools that provide clearer insight into project performance, property performance, working capital, cash flow, and profitability.
• Translate technical accounting issues into clear, practical recommendations for owners and other non-accounting stakeholders.
• Manage multiple clients and projects simultaneously.
• Lead client onboarding, initial assessments, month-end close design, workflow development, and implementation of repeatable reporting processes.
• Own engagement timelines, budgets, deliverables, review processes, and client communication.
• Identify accounting process gaps and recommend improvements to increase accuracy, timeliness, and scalability.
• Coordinate with tax, assurance, transaction advisory, and other teams to deliver integrated service to clients.
• Proactively identify opportunities to expand existing client relationships through advisory, reporting, process improvement, and technology-related services.
• Evaluate clients’ current accounting systems, workflows, reporting tools, and reconciliation processes.
• Support implementation or improvement of accounting software and related applications.
• Build scalable accounting workflows, reconciliations, reporting packages, and supporting documentation.
• Leverage technology and automation to improve client reporting and reduce manual work.
• Assist clients with multi-entity reporting, intercompany activity, and management reporting structures.
• Manage and develop staff and senior accountants supporting client engagements.
• Review workpapers, reconciliations, financial statements, reporting packages, and client deliverables for accuracy and quality.
• Create and improve templates, checklists, reporting packages, training materials, and best-practice documentation.
• Help build a repeatable service model for the firm’s Construction & Real Estate CAS niche.
• Participate in internal training and knowledge-sharing.
• Support business development activities, including client expansion opportunities, proposal preparation, networking, and industry visibility.

Benefits

• Comprehensive tax, assurance, transaction advisory, outsourced accounting, wealth management, international tax, and business advisory services.
• M&S Cares program for community support.
• Supportive environment focused on growth.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager