Construction Controller

Construction Controller
Columbus, Ohio (43123)
Salary: $110,000 -150,000 a year, ESOP, Benefits, 401k, 15+ Days PTO, etc.
About the Role
We are seeking an experienced Controller to lead the accounting function for our $20M commercial and industrial painting contracting business. As the senior finance leader in the organization, you will own financial reporting, job costing, and internal controls, while serving as a key advisor to ownership on financial strategy and business performance.
This is a hands-on role suited to someone fluent in construction accounting — comfortable managing WIP schedules and job cost detail as well as advising leadership on the bigger financial picture. As an ESOP company, we're looking for someone who takes ownership (literally and figuratively) of the company's financial health and communicates results clearly to employee-owners.
Construction & Job Cost Accounting

• Prepare and maintain the monthly Work-in-Progress (WIP) schedule; manage percentage-of-completion revenue recognition across active jobs
• Oversee job costing by project, tracking labor, materials, subcontractor, and overhead costs against estimates
• Review and process change orders, ensuring accurate contract value updates and cost tracking
• Manage progress billing/AIA-style billing, retainage tracking, and lien waiver processes
• Partner with project managers and estimators to reconcile job cost reports and flag margin variances early
• Monitor backlog reporting and underbilling/overbilling positions

Core Accounting & Reporting

• Own the monthly, quarterly, and annual close process, ensuring accurate and timely financial statements
• Manage AP, AR, payroll (including certified payroll/prevailing wage if applicable), general ledger, and bank reconciliations
• Develop and maintain internal controls and accounting policies
• Prepare budgets, forecasts, and cash flow projections; monitor performance against plan
• Serve as primary point of contact for external auditors, sureties, bonding agents, and banking relationships
• Ensure compliance with tax filings, multi-state payroll/sales tax, and regulatory requirements ESOP & Leadership
• Support the annual ESOP valuation process, working with the trustee and third-party appraiser
• Help communicate company financial performance to employee-owners in an accessible way
• Manage and mentor accounting staff; oversee outsourced bookkeeping or payroll functions as applicable
• Evaluate and improve accounting systems, job costing tools, and processes

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field required; CPA strongly preferred
• 7+ years of progressive accounting experience, including prior Controller or senior accounting leadership experience
• Construction industry accounting experience required — strong working knowledge of WIP schedules, percentage-of-completion accounting, job costing, change orders, and retainage
• Experience with Deltek ComputerEase or similar construction-specific accounting software (e.g., Sage 300 CRE, Foundation, Viewpoint) strongly preferred
• Familiarity with surety bonding and banking relationships in a contractor setting
• ESOP company experience a plus, though not required
• Strong knowledge of GAAP and financial reporting standards
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to explain financial results to project managers, field leadership, and employee-owners alike
• High level of integrity and discretion in handling confidential financial information

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