Real Estate Project Controller

The Crosby Company•Salem, NH

About The Position

The Real Estate Project Controller serves as a member of the Finance and Operations Team; and will play a critical role in driving excellence in support of real estate project delivery supporting Principals, as well as other Family Office organizations, providing financial and operational controls across a portfolio of real estate project initiatives. This role partners closely with owner’s representatives, General Contractors, Subcontractors, Architects, Designers, Engineers, and all other vendors and operations teams to ensure projects are managed using cost controls, contract compliance, and transparency throughout the project lifecycle. The role supports the Principal Household and Property teams with the same vendor contract compliance and cost control discipline. This role manages all aspects of the vendor lifecycle, oversees project budgets, and coordinates with key teams—including Financial Planning, Legal, and Tax—to ensure accurate data capture and to analyze Principal projects for differences in costs and approaches.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in finance/accounting/economics or equivalent with 10+ years of experience
Experience supporting residential real estate, facilities, or capital projects, including project financial management
Strong understanding of Project Controls processes, systems, and financial governance
Proven experience with vendor management, contract financial oversight, and compliance documentation
Demonstrated ability to deliver executive level financial reporting, analysis, and actionable insights
Strong analytical, strategic, and communication skills with the ability to manage competing priorities and influence senior leaders
A strong curiosity for solving real estate and project controls challenges, with a continuous improvement mindset focused on building scalable, repeatable processes
Proven ability to design, strengthen, and modernize controls frameworks, leveraging tools and technology to improve cost visibility, governance, and oversight
Effective project management and collaboration skills, with a track record of driving alignment and accountability across cross-functional teams
Proactive, self-directed leader who sets a high standard, models ownership, and fosters a culture of discipline and follow through
Strong technical and analytical aptitude, with the ability to prioritize work, assess risk, and focus on outcomes
Flexible and adaptable, able to support multiple projects simultaneously and step into varied roles as organizational needs evolve

Nice To Haves

MBA or CPA preferred

Responsibilities

Initiate Project Scope Document and set up
Contract Administration including Non-disclosure Agreements (NDA), Contract compliance, and monitoring
Create project budget template.
Budget approval record keeper
Ongoing project management, accounting, reporting to Trust.
Trust liaison for budget increases, overruns, forecast
Invoice Review and validation, budget reconciliation
Project, file, document management
Insurance Requirement management and liaison with Trust and Legal
Project Close, final documentation
Monthly budget reporting, change order management
Final reconciliation, postmortem reporting
Any required audits
Other ad hoc requests as required
Coordinate with vendor and Legal on NDA process
Statement of Work (SOW) creation SOW and review
Ensure vendor contracts for real estate projects and maintenance are following terms and adhere to cost controls. Escalate and resolve exceptions as they arise with appropriate teams.
Assist owner’s representatives and project managers with requested documentation to support vendor negotiations
Provide financial support and documentation to insurance risk managers
Perform pencil edits and audits (if necessary) with appropriate teams to ensure vendor billing adheres to vendor contract financial terms.
Work with legal and risk teams for vendor contract review
Perform due diligence procedures over Vendors, make recommendations based on results
Provide regular updates of contract status and compliance to management and principals
Develop vendor contract policies and procedures to support consistent vendor practices as well as the owner’s operational requirements.
Communicate policies and procedures to owner’s representatives and project managers.
Oversee and manage procurement policies and procedures for real estate vendor contract management.
Work with legal to keep contract templates up to date and best fit our needs.
Provide periodic governance updates to management, vendors, and/or principals.