Senior Controller, Property Accounting

Arqline • Charlotte, NC

14d • Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Controller, Property Accounting leads property accounting across a portfolio of 100+ properties. This is a leadership role that operates through a layer of Assistant Controllers and property accounting teams rather than reviewing individual property financials. The Senior Controller sets the standards, structure, and priorities for the function, owns escalations that require senior judgment, and serves as a strategic partner to the VP of Accounting & Corporate Controller (Alfred) on how the organization scales.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
• Ten (10)+ years of progressive accounting experience, including several years leading a property accounting function at scale, such as 100+ properties or a comparable portfolio size.
• Real estate or property management accounting background required, including multifamily, commercial, or mixed-use portfolios.
• Proven experience managing through a layer of Assistant Controllers or accounting managers, not only individual contributors.
• A track record of building and scaling accounting organizations across multiple legal entities, systems, and stakeholder groups.
• Experience owning audit, tax, and institutional client relationships at a senior level, with a team handling detailed execution.
• Deep familiarity with property accounting systems such as Yardi or RealPage, including system migrations or standardization projects at an oversight level.
• Strong judgment and the ability to operate with significant autonomy, focusing personal attention on the exceptions and decisions that require senior involvement.
• Executive-level communication skills, with experience presenting to senior leadership, ownership, or institutional clients.

Nice To Haves

• CPA preferred.

Responsibilities

• Own the monthly close process across a 100+ property portfolio by directing a team of Assistant Controllers and property accounting managers, setting the timeline, standards, and accountability rather than personally closing each property.
• Set the standards and structure for property-level financial reporting and owner/client reporting packages, with Assistant Controllers and their teams responsible for property-by-property review and sign-off.
• Build and lead a multi-layer property accounting organization, including hiring, developing, and managing Assistant Controllers who in turn manage teams of property accountants.
• Establish the controls and review framework for accounts receivable, accounts payable, and bank reconciliations at the property level, with day-to-day execution and first-line review owned by Assistant Controllers and the Operations/AP teams, and step in on exceptions requiring senior judgment.
• Set the review and approval framework for journal entries and reconciliations, delegated to property accountants and Assistant Controllers, while retaining accountability for the integrity of the overall process.
• Own the overall external audit and compliance relationship for property-level accounting, serving as the senior point of contact while the team handles detailed support.
• Act as the senior accounting lead for the largest institutional client relationships, with oversight of team deliverables and ownership of high-level escalations.
• Act as the senior escalation point for property management operations on accounting matters and represent Accounting in cross-functional and ownership-facing discussions.
• Partner directly with senior finance leadership on system strategy, including ongoing platform migrations, chart-of-accounts design, and standardization decisions across the portfolio.
• Lead process improvement and control initiatives across the property accounting function, from identifying gaps to designing and driving the solution through the team.

Benefits

• Diversity and Inclusion Statement: Arqline is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. We believe that diversity in thought, background, and experience contributes to our success. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or disability.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior