Director of Finance & Business Systems

Petticoat-Schmitt•Jacksonville, FL

1d•Onsite

About The Position

At Petticoat-Schmitt Civil Contractors, Inc., we don't just build infrastructure�we build life-changing infrastructure. We are a privately owned, employee-owned (ESOP) civil contracting firm based in Jacksonville, FL. We specialize in public works, water resources (including water and wastewater treatment plants), and site development, with expertise in underground utilities, roadway construction, and related civil infrastructure. We are seeking a Director of Finance & Business Systems to lead our Accounting, Payroll, and Business Systems functions. Reporting directly to the Chief Operating Officer and working closely with the Interim Chief Financial Officer, this senior leadership role is responsible for providing timely, accurate financial and operational information that supports executive leadership, project teams, and strategic decision-making. This is a hands-on leadership position within a fast-paced heavy civil construction environment. The successful candidate must be comfortable moving between executive-level financial strategy and detailed accounting operations while partnering closely with Operations to improve business performance. Responsibilities include overseeing financial reporting, cash management, job costing, Work-in-Progress (WIP) reporting, business systems, process improvement, and the development of a high-performing finance team. This position is designed to provide day-to-day leadership of the Finance and Business Systems functions while helping build scalable processes, strengthen internal controls, and position the company for continued growth.

Requirements

Strong understanding of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).
Advanced knowledge of financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, and cash management.
Extensive experience with Work-in-Progress (WIP) accounting, job costing, and percentage-of-completion accounting.
Strong understanding of internal controls, financial processes, and payroll administration.
Demonstrated ability to analyze financial information and translate it into actionable operational decisions.
Experience implementing and improving ERP systems and business software.
Advanced Microsoft Excel skills with experience developing financial models and executive dashboards.
Excellent analytical, organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills.
Proven leadership ability with experience developing high-performing teams.
Ability to work effectively at both strategic and detailed operational levels within a growing organization.
Bachelor's Degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field.
7–10 years of progressive accounting and finance leadership experience.
Demonstrated Controller-level experience with responsibility for financial reporting, month-end close, budgeting, cash management, and internal controls.
Experience leading accounting and finance teams.
Experience managing financial reporting within a multi-department or project-based organization.
Ability to pass a pre-employment background check and drug screen.
Professional appearance and conduct.
Commitment to living Petticoat-Schmitt's values of Accountability, Character, and Teamwork.

Nice To Haves

CPA, CMA, MBA, or other advanced financial credential.
Experience in both public accounting and private industry.
Construction, heavy civil, engineering, manufacturing, or other project-based industry experience.
Experience managing accounting and reporting across multiple legal entities.
Experience leading annual financial statement audits.
Experience with ERP implementations, business systems integration, and process improvement initiatives.
Strong understanding of construction billing, WIP reporting, retainage, and project profitability.

Responsibilities

Lead the Accounting, Payroll, and Business Systems teams while establishing a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and exceptional customer service.
Own the monthly close process, ensuring financial statements are complete, accurate, timely, and meaningful to management.
Prepare and review monthly financial statements, variance analyses, and executive reporting packages.
Lead the annual budgeting process and maintain rolling financial forecasts in partnership with Executive Leadership.
Develop and maintain short-term and long-term cash flow forecasts while monitoring liquidity, borrowing needs, collections, accounts payable, and working capital.
Maintain the integrity of the general ledger through effective reconciliation processes, account reviews, and accounting policies.
Lead Work-in-Progress (WIP) reporting and job cost reviews to ensure accurate project financial reporting.
Analyze project profitability, cost-to-complete estimates, underbillings, overbillings, retainage, change orders, and margin risk.
Partner closely with Operations, Project Managers, and Project Engineers to improve the accuracy and usefulness of project financial information.
Develop operational KPI reporting that supports executive decision-making, including backlog, project performance, labor productivity, equipment utilization, collections, and cash flow.
Serve as the business owner for the company's ERP system and supporting financial and business applications.
Lead ERP upgrades, software implementations, reporting enhancements, and business process improvements.
Identify opportunities to improve workflow efficiency, automation, reporting capabilities, and data integrity.
Develop scalable financial processes that support continued company growth.
Recruit, coach, mentor, and develop Accounting, Payroll, and Business Systems team members.
Establish clear performance expectations and provide regular coaching and professional development.
Foster collaboration between Finance, Operations, Estimating, Project Management, and Executive Leadership.
Build a culture focused on accountability, service, continuous improvement, and operational partnership.
Strengthen internal controls, approval processes, segregation of duties, and financial policies.
Coordinate annual financial statement audits and serve as the primary contact for external auditors.
Work closely with lenders, insurance providers, tax advisors, CPA firms, and other external business partners.
Support tax compliance, lender reporting, insurance renewals, and other regulatory reporting requirements.
Assist executive leadership with strategic initiatives, acquisitions, financial modeling, and special projects.

Benefits

Competitive salary based on experience.
Paid time off and paid holidays.
Annual Profit Sharing – Participate in company-wide profit sharing once annual goals are achieved.
Monthly Safety Bonus – Earned when the company goes recordable-incident free.
Comprehensive Health Coverage Options, including a 100% company-paid High Deductible Health Plan (employee-only coverage).
Dental, vision, short/long-term disability, and accident coverage.
Up to $50,000 employer-paid life insurance.
401(k) with 100% company match on the first 4%.
Ongoing leadership development and professional growth opportunities.
Access to financial and health advisory resources.