Controller

KR WOLFE•Phoenix, AZ

11d•$110,000 - $150,000

About The Position

Reporting directly to the CFO, and directly supervising the AP and AR team, the Controller serves as an integral leader in the Accounting & Finance function. This role owns the full integrity, accuracy, and strategic usefulness of the company’s financial operations, reporting, internal controls, and systems. You will set the standard for financial discipline across a labor-intensive, multi-division services and construction business. This includes progress and milestone billing, change orders, complex multi-contract management, job costing, WIP schedules, over/under billing, retainage, and multi-state operations. You will lead the continued maturation of Quickbase as the company’s primary operational and financial platform, drive divisional profitability insight, and build a high-performing accounting team that delivers timely, reliable information to leadership. This is a hands-on leadership role requiring both deep technical accounting expertise and the ability to operate at a strategic level with the Executive Leadership Team. You will own the financial health of the organization and be accountable for turning data into clear, actionable guidance that supports growth and operational excellence.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field; CPA strongly preferred.
Minimum 8–12 years of progressive accounting experience, including at least 4–6 years in a Controller, Assistant Controller, or senior accounting leadership role within labor-intensive services, construction, or related project-based industries.
Proven mastery of GAAP, internal controls, financial reporting, and both cash and accrual accounting.
Deep, hands-on expertise in construction and service-industry accounting: progress and milestone billing, change orders, retainage, lien releases, over/under billing, WIP schedules, job costing, and multi-contract management.
Strong proficiency with ERP or ERP-like platforms (Quickbase experience highly valued; SAP, NetSuite, Oracle, Sage or similar also accepted) and the ability to drive system configuration and process design for project-based accounting.
Demonstrated ability to produce and interpret full financial statements and perform rigorous budget-to-actual and profitability analysis.
Experience managing complex, multi-portal customer billing environments and coordinating closely with project/operations teams.
Excellent leadership presence and communication skills for interactions with banks, auditors, insurers, and the Executive Leadership Team.
Proven track record of building and mentoring high-performing accounting teams.
Advanced Excel skills and comfort with data analytics / BI tools for financial modeling and reporting.

Nice To Haves

MBA or Master’s degree in Accounting/Finance.
Multi-state operations experience, including sales/use tax, payroll tax, and nexus considerations.
Familiarity with healthcare (HIPAA-adjacent considerations), education, and/or government contracting environments (including FAR awareness).
Background in risk management, insurance evaluation, and bonding.
Experience leading or significantly influencing the selection and implementation of financial systems.

Responsibilities

Own the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of comprehensive internal controls that safeguard assets, ensure GAAP compliance, and guarantee the accuracy, reliability, and timeliness of all financial data.
Establish and maintain policies covering both cash and accrual accounting methods, with particular rigor, around revenue recognition for service and construction contracts (progress billings, milestones, change orders, retainage, over/under billing).
Lead risk identification and mitigation related to fraud, error, and control gaps, with particular attention to contract modifications as a control risk; conduct periodic process audits and drive corrective actions to closure.
Ensure full compliance with applicable federal, state, and local regulations affecting construction and service contracting, including lien-related documentation and retention requirements.
Lead and hold ultimate accountability for Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, Payroll, and General Ledger functions.
Own the monthly, quarterly, and annual close processes. Deliver accurate, timely financial statements (P&L, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow, and supporting schedules including WIP schedules) with clear variance analysis and actionable insights.
Drive cash-flow optimization through disciplined AR collections, strategic AP management, accurate cash forecasting, and mitigation of billing discrepancies and revenue delays.
Ensure job-cost integrity and proper allocation of direct costs, overhead, and burden across projects and divisions, including analysis of labor efficiency.
Own the financial architecture and continuous enhancement of Quickbase as the company’s primary operational and financial system of record (functioning similarly to an ERP).
Partner closely with the in-house developer, operations, and IT to prioritize, design, and validate enhancements that deliver real-time visibility into project costs, revenues, profitability, progress billings, WIP, change orders, and cash position.
Apply experience from enterprise ERP environments (SAP, NetSuite, Oracle, Sage, or equivalents) to raise the maturity of job costing, automated reporting, billing workflows, and financial controls inside Quickbase.
Train and enforce consistent use of financial modules across the accounting team and key operational users.
Own in-depth financial performance analysis across all key divisions across multiple sectors (Renovation, Construction, Installation, Integration, Field Service, and others as they evolve).
Produce clear, decision-ready reporting on gross margins, labor efficiency, overhead absorption, ROI, and trend analysis. Translate findings into recommended actions for the Executive Leadership Team.
Maintain rigorous over/under billing analysis, WIP schedules, and revenue recognition practices that accurately reflect project progress and contractual milestones.
Lead annual budgeting, rolling forecasts, scenario modeling, and cash-flow projections that support strategic growth in healthcare, commercial, education, and government markets.
Provide oversight of multi-portal, multi-contract billing environments involving progress payments, milestone billing, change orders, retainage, lien releases/waivers, and varied payment terms.
Ensure seamless coordination between accounting, project managers, and operations so that billing accurately tracks contractual deliverables and accelerates cash conversion through timely mitigation of billing discrepancies and revenue delays.
Serve as the primary financial point of contact for banks, external auditors, insurance providers, tax authorities, bonding agents, and legal advisors.
Lead the annual audit process end-to-end: prepare schedules, manage fieldwork, respond to inquiries, and drive timely clean opinions.
Negotiate and manage banking relationships, lines of credit, bonding programs, and other external financial arrangements in alignment with company risk appetite and growth plans.
Build, mentor, and hold accountable a high-performing accounting team (AR, AP, Payroll, and any future roles). Create clear ownership, development plans, and succession depth.
Foster a culture of accuracy, continuous improvement, cross-training, and professional growth aligned with our core values.
Act as a visible finance partner to operations and the broader leadership team, translating financial complexity into clear guidance.