Construction Controller

Bear Property Management•Pleasant Prairie, WI

7d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Construction Controller serves as the senior financial leader for Bear Real Estate Group’s Construction Division which includes Construction Management Associates (“CMA”) & Bear Homes, encompassing multifamily apartment construction, commercial construction, site development, general contracting, and single-family homebuilding. The position is responsible for construction accounting, financial reporting, project controls, job-cost integrity, WIP reporting, forecasting, cash flow, and internal controls. The Controller serves as a strategic financial partner to construction and development leadership, providing insight into project performance, costs, margins, cash requirements, risks, and forecasts. The Construction Controller reports to the CFO and works closely with the other Bear Real Estate Group Controllers to ensure consistent accounting practices, reliable financial reporting, and alignment with enterprise-wide financial policies.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field required.
CPA or CMA preferred.
8+ years of progressive accounting or finance experience, including significant construction, homebuilding, or project-controls experience.
Experience leading an accounting team and owning close, financial reporting, budgeting, and forecasting.
Strong knowledge of job-cost accounting, WIP, cost-to-complete forecasting, revenue recognition, and internal controls.
Working knowledge of construction contracts, AIA billing, lien waivers, retainage, change orders, draws, and payment/performance bonds.
Experience with construction or homebuilding ERP/project management systems preferred.
Strong Excel, analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills.

Nice To Haves

CPA or CMA preferred.
Experience with construction or homebuilding ERP/project management systems preferred.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary financial partner to Construction Division leadership, providing analysis, recommendations, and decision support.
Participate in budgeting, forecasting, strategic planning, and project financial decision-making.
Provide visibility into project performance, cost trends, margins, cash requirements, commitments, and risks.
Partner with Development from project inception through completion on project budgets, construction costs, financial reporting, and project controls.
Maintain appropriate independence between project management, approval, accounting, and payment functions and promptly escalate material control or financial reporting concerns.
Collaborate with controller group on enterprise-wide initiatives across Bear Real Estate Group.
Own the completeness, accuracy, and timeliness of CMA and Bear Homes financial statements.
Lead monthly, quarterly, and year-end close processes, including reconciliations, accruals, WIP, revenue recognition, allocations, and management reporting.
Review results against budget, forecast, and prior periods and communicate key variances and operational drivers.
Ensure proper accounting for construction, land development, indirect, warranty, and homebuilding costs.
Maintain appropriate accounting procedures, workpapers, and supporting documentation.
Coordinate external audit, tax return, banking, insurance, and bonding requirements for CMA.
Oversee project accounting and financial controls from project setup through final closeout.
Ensure accurate tracking of budgets, committed costs, actual costs, change orders, contingencies, retainage, and projected final costs.
Partner with Director of Construction and Project Managers on job-cost performance, percent complete, cost-to-complete forecasts, margins, and financial risks.
Ensure construction accounting records reconcile with project management and cost-control systems.
Oversee timely and accurate owner and lender draws, including AIA pay applications, lien waivers, sworn statements, and supporting documentation.
Provide financial oversight and standards for the project-controls function supporting construction.
Oversee job-cost accounting, WIP, margin analysis, and financial reporting for single-family homebuilding.
Ensure accurate accounting for land and lots, spec and semi-custom homes, purchase orders, selections, change orders, deposits, draws, and closings.
Monitor home-level profitability, backlog, homes under construction, completed inventory, inventory aging, and expected closings.
Partner with Bear Homes leadership and staff on budgets, cost variances, cycle time, margins, and cash conversion.
Prepare and maintain cash flow forecasts.
Monitor receivables, payables, retainage, draw funding, vendor commitments, subcontractor obligations, inventory, and other working-capital activity.
Support compliance with lending agreements, owner contracts, and financial reporting requirements.
Identify financial, contractual, compliance, and process risks and escalate material issues promptly and oversee compliance with applicable financial, tax, labor, and payroll related regulations.
Serve as the primary financial contact for bonding and surety-related financial information and reporting.
Support lender, surety, insurance, and other external financial relationships with accurate financial information.
Maintain strong fraud prevention controls, including segregation of duties, approval authorities, payment controls, vendor verification procedures, and monitoring unusual transactions or risk indicators.
Lead, organize, and develop the construction accounting and project-controls team.
Establish clear responsibilities, deadlines, review standards, and accountability.
Review key work product for accuracy, completeness, consistency, and compliance with BREG policies.
Improve processes, systems, reporting, and internal controls across construction.
Develop dashboards and KPIs that improve project accountability and financial decision-making.