Controller - Clean Energy & Renewable Energy
AlphaHire • Santa Cruz, California • Full Time
Posted on Tue, Sep 15, 2026
We are looking for a Controller to lead accounting and financial operations for a project-based contractor supporting commercial clean-energy and infrastructure projects. This is a hands-on leadership role with full ownership of the finance function, including job costing, WIP accounting, payroll compliance, financial reporting, process development, and ERP strategy. The ideal candidate comes from a small-to-mid-sized construction or contractor environment and has built or redesigned finance processes rather than simply operating an established department. Solar, EV, or microgrid experience is a plus but is not required.
Responsibilities
- Own the full accounting function, including general ledger, accounts payable, accounts receivable, billing, reconciliations, month-end close, and financial reporting.
- Lead construction job costing and WIP accounting, including percentage-of-completion revenue recognition, project profitability analysis, cost-to-complete reviews, and variance identification.
- Oversee union and prevailing wage payroll compliance, including certified payroll, fringe benefit reporting, and multi-local wage and rate requirements.
- Review, validate, and analyze monthly financial statements to identify anomalies, trends, risks, and opportunities requiring management attention.
- Manage intercompany accounting, reconciliations, transactions, and eliminations while maintaining accurate financial records across related entities.
- Lead ERP migrations, system changes, or accounting-system consolidations, including requirements definition, process redesign, data migration, testing, implementation, and user adoption.
- Build and redesign accounting and finance processes, controls, reporting structures, and workflows to create a scalable function from the ground up.
- Develop budgets, forecasts, cash flow projections, and financial analyses that provide leadership with clear visibility into company and project performance.
- Partner directly with operations and project teams to connect job-level financial performance with operational decisions, cost control, billing, and project execution.
- Operate as a hands-on finance leader in a lean organization, taking ownership of critical accounting and financial responsibilities without relying on a large support team.
Requirements
- 5+ years of progressive accounting and finance experience, including Controller, Assistant Controller, or comparable senior-level responsibility.
- Direct construction or contractor accounting experience required, including job costing, WIP schedules, and percentage-of-completion revenue recognition.
- Hands-on experience with union and prevailing wage payroll compliance, including certified payroll, fringe benefit reporting, and multi-local rate management.
- Proven experience leading an ERP migration, accounting-system implementation, or system consolidation rather than simply using an ERP in day-to-day operations.
- Demonstrated track record of building, establishing, or substantially redesigning a finance function or accounting process from the ground up.
- Experience with intercompany transactions, reconciliations, and financial reporting across related entities.
- Strong ability to review, validate, and analyze financial statements and independently identify anomalies, trends, discrepancies, and business risks.
- Small-to-mid-sized company experience required, with the ability to operate independently and remain hands-on without a large finance or accounting team; solar, EV, microgrid, or clean-energy experience is a plus but not required.
Benefits
- Compensation: Competitive salary based on experience.
- Benefits may include health insurance, retirement plan options, paid time off, and other company-sponsored programs.
AuditFriendly salary estimate
The employer did not post a salary for this role. Based on AuditFriendly's salary intelligence model (comparable live postings, role, seniority, and location), we estimate base pay of $110,000–$170,000 per year (median ~$137,000). This is an AuditFriendly estimate, not an employer-provided figure.
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