Controller, Electrical Contractor (Small Shop)

GMEA Services•Austin, TX

13d•Remote

About The Position

The Controller is the financial lead for a fast-growing electrical contracting company focused primarily on industrial and commercial projects. This hands-on role oversees the full accounting function, from day-to-day bookkeeping through financial reporting and banking and surety relationships. The Controller manages job costing and billing, payroll and accounts payable, and provides the owner with financial guidance to support pricing, cash management, and company growth. The position reports to the Owner/President and is remote with occasional on-site work. Standard business hours apply, with busier periods during month-end, year-end, audits, and bonding renewals.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance, or equivalent experience.
5 to 7 years of accounting experience, including at least 3 years in construction or job-cost accounting.
Working knowledge of WIP, percentage-of-completion, retainage, and progress billing.
Experience running payroll and accounts payable/accounts receivable.
Proficiency in Excel and construction accounting software.
Ability to work independently and handle multiple responsibilities.
Hands-on, detail-oriented approach and comfort both doing the work and managing it.
Clear communication with the owner, project managers, and field staff.
Sound judgment in forecasting and cash management.
Discretion in handling confidential information.
Ability to build simple, scalable processes as the company grows.

Nice To Haves

CPA or CCIFP credential, or progress toward either.
Electrical or specialty trade contractor experience.
Experience with QuickBooks Online.
Experience with prevailing wage and certified payroll.
Experience preparing financials for sureties and banks.

Responsibilities

Set up jobs, cost codes, and budgets; track actual labor hours and material costs against estimates.
Prepare monthly work-in-progress schedules, including costs to complete, over- and under-billings, and projected gross profit.
Meet monthly with project managers and the owner to review job status, change orders, and margins.
Identify cost overruns and underbilling early.
Prepare progress billings, pay applications (AIA G702/G703 as needed), time-and-material and service invoices.
Track retainage, change orders, and stored-materials billing.
Follow up on past-due accounts and manage lien notices and releases.
Process vendor, supplier, and subcontractor invoices and code them to the correct jobs.
Collect lien waivers, W-9s, and insurance certificates.
Run weekly or biweekly payroll, including certified payroll on prevailing-wage jobs.
Handle union fringe reporting and remittances, if applicable.
Allocate labor burden and workers’ compensation costs to jobs.
Complete monthly close, including reconciliations, accruals, and journal entries.
Prepare monthly financial statements and job-cost reports.
Maintain compliance with GAAP and ASC 606 for long-term contracts.
Work with the outside CPA on year-end work, reviews or audits, and tax filings.
Prepare financial and WIP packages for the bank and surety.
Monitor loan covenants and bonding requirements.
Maintain a rolling cash-flow forecast tied to billing and payment timing.
Manage line-of-credit draws, vehicle and equipment financing, and supplier account terms.
Maintain practical internal controls over purchasing, disbursements, and payroll.
Handle sales and use tax, insurance audits, and licensing-related filings.
Manage accounting software and recommend improvements as the company grows.
Support budgeting and pricing decisions through overhead and burden-rate analysis.