Controller (Multifamily & Affordable Housing)

Columbia Residential is the leading property management and Development Company in this region, specializing in the low-affordable market. Our mission is to provide quality, affordable housing for low-and moderate-income families while fostering an environment for our team members to excel, thrive, and be recognized. We are a growing, mission-driven real estate organization that prides itself on the culture of excellence, integrity, responsibility, responsiveness, respect and character.

This critical role will be responsible for overseeing the accounting department within the company, requiring a strong technical accounting background, exceptional research and problem-solving skills, and meticulous attention to detail. The ideal candidate will be a self-starter with a proven ability to analyze complex accounting issues, develop and implement solutions, and ensure accurate financial reporting. Experience managing a team is required as this role will be critical in developing a team with superior internal controls, forward thinking and solutions based. The controller will also be expected to partner with other team leaders from different departments and be forward thinking with the ability to independently think and self-start. 

Responsibilities

Team Management:

• Mentor and develop accounting staff in a fast-paced, growth environment.
• Hire, build, and develop the accounting department by mentoring, educating, and reviewing the work of all members of the accounting team.
• Lead and manage accounting department communications, deadlines, and schedules.
• Run a diverse team at various levels to accomplish department tasks.
• Ensure department deadlines are managed and met timely. 
• Provide effective communication company wide and maintain property portfolio allocations. 

Internal Controls, Department Improvements and Compliance:

• Drive improvements in financial reporting, cash flow processes and general ledger accuracy.
• Work directly with our internal and external audit teams to support the audit by providing supporting audit schedules, evidence, and process overview.
• Identify and implement continuous improvement initiatives to mitigate risk in the accounting processes including reconciliation of data, reporting, cash collections and overall analysis.
• Oversee the completion and support of the month-end process which may include the approval of any necessary accruals, reconciling all balance sheet accounts for accuracy, analyzing and explaining income statement and balance sheet budget to actual variances.
• Spearhead special projects through completion and perform other duties as assigned. 

Department Exposure and Company Communication:

• Partner with leadership on system efficiencies and analytics to streamline accounting operations and automate processes to increase company revenue.
• Facilitate cross training with other departments including attending discovery meetings and regional meetings etc. to inform, initiate and encourage educational discussions surrounding accounting policies and procedures.
• Participate in the annual property and corporate operating budget process and the quarterly reforecasts as needed.
• Deliver financial insights and reports to senior management, investors, and asset management. 

Requirements and Expectations: 

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting from an accredited university or college. 
• 5-7 years of Accounting Management experience utilizing GAAP based accounting required. 
• Property Management or Real Estate experience is required.
• Assume ownership and responsibility of the assigned property portfolio.
• Highly motivated and detailed individual who is driven to achieve excellence in every area.
• Strong candidates will have excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to prioritize and meet multiple deadlines and manage expectations. 
• Remain calm under pressure and maintain a positive attitude. 
• Self-starter and solutions oriented who can proficiently utilize technology to perform standard accounting tasks.