Corporate Controller
Motive Companies • La Puente, California • Full Time • $150,000–$175,000 / year
Posted on Tue, Sep 29, 2026
Corporate Controller
Reports To: Chief Financial OfficerLocation: Covina, CA – Hybrid
Travel: Approximately once per quarter
Employment Type: Full-Time, Exempt
Direct / Indirect Reports: Corporate accounting team and offshore consultantsA fast-growing, private equity-backed platform of residential and commercial plumbing and HVAC service companies is seeking a Corporate Controller to join its leadership team. The organization currently operates several business units and continues to grow through an active acquisition strategy.The company combines established local operating businesses with centralized back-office infrastructure, systems, and best practices. As the organization continues to scale, it is building a finance function capable of providing investors, lenders, executives, and operating leaders with timely, accurate, and decision-ready financial information.
Position Summary
The Corporate Controller will own the accounting and financial reporting function across the entire organization. This leader will drive a fast and accurate monthly close and consolidation process across business units, deliver monthly reporting to executive leadership, the company's private equity sponsor, and lenders, integrate newly acquired businesses, and develop the processes, controls, systems, and accounting team required to support continued growth.The ideal candidate is a hands-on, multi-entity accounting leader who is equally comfortable working through the details of job costing and WIP schedules as they are presenting consolidated financial results to senior leadership.Key Responsibilities
Accounting Operations & Monthly Close
- Own monthly, quarterly, and annual close processes for all business units and the holding company, targeting completion within 7–10 business days.
- Prepare consolidated financial statements, including intercompany eliminations, management fee allocations, and shared-service cost allocations.
- Standardize the chart of accounts, close calendar, accounting checklists, and reconciliation processes across business units.
- Review and approve journal entries, balance sheet reconciliations, accruals, and reserves.
- Oversee accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll accounting, fixed assets, and inventory/truck stock accounting.
Financial Reporting
- Partner directly with FP&A to deliver monthly financial reporting packages to executive leadership, investors, and lenders.
- Prepare and review P&L, balance sheet, cash flow, and KPI reporting by business unit.
- Calculate and document Adjusted EBITDA, including applicable pro forma adjustments for acquired businesses.
- Produce business-unit performance reporting highlighting gross margins across service lines, including service, maintenance agreements, replacement/install work, and new construction.
- Support board materials and ad hoc financial analysis.
Revenue, Job Costing & WIP
- Ensure proper revenue recognition under ASC 606, including over-time recognition for construction and installation projects and deferred revenue for maintenance/service agreements.
- Oversee monthly WIP schedules, percentage-of-completion calculations, and over/under billings for project-based work.
- Partner with operations to improve job-costing accuracy across labor, materials, equipment, and subcontractors.
M&A & Integration
- Lead accounting diligence support for add-on acquisitions in partnership with executive leadership, investors, and third-party quality-of-earnings providers.
- Apply purchase accounting under ASC 805, including opening balance sheets, working-capital true-ups, and earn-out tracking.
- Own the finance integration process for acquired businesses, including migration to standardized charts of accounts, systems, close processes, and internal controls.
- Convert acquired companies from cash or tax-basis accounting to GAAP accrual accounting.
- Establish a repeatable integration process capable of bringing newly acquired businesses onto standardized financial processes within established timelines.
Audit, Tax & Internal Controls
- Serve as the primary contact for the annual external financial statement audit and maintain audit readiness throughout the year.
- Design and maintain a scalable internal-control framework across decentralized operations.
- Establish appropriate segregation of duties, approval matrices, and cash controls.
- Coordinate with external tax advisors regarding federal, state, and multi-state income taxes, sales and use taxes, property taxes, and 1099 reporting.
- Develop and enforce accounting policies covering areas such as capitalization, revenue recognition, expense reimbursement, fleet, and equipment.
Cash, Working Capital & Planning
- Support 13-week cash-flow forecasting and daily/weekly cash reporting.
- Drive working-capital improvements, including AR collections/DSO, vendor terms, and inventory management.
- Partner with FP&A on annual budgeting, monthly forecasting, and budget-to-actual variance analysis across business units.
Systems & Team Leadership
- Lead, develop, and hold accountable the corporate accounting team while helping build a scalable shared-services model.
- Oversee accounting systems and integrations with field-service, fleet, credit-card, and payroll platforms.
- Drive automation, financial reporting, dashboard, consolidation, and standardized KPI improvements.
- Serve as a trusted financial partner to business-unit general managers and other operational leaders.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Accounting.
- 8–12+ years of progressive accounting experience.
- At least 3–5 years of experience in a Controller or Assistant Controller capacity.
- Significant multi-entity consolidation experience, ideally involving 10+ entities.
- Strong intercompany accounting and elimination experience.
- Strong working knowledge of U.S. GAAP, ASC 606, and ASC 805.
- Experience managing external audits and developing internal controls.
- Proven experience leading and developing accounting teams, including remote or decentralized employees.
- Advanced Microsoft Excel skills.
- Experience working with cloud-based ERP/accounting systems.
- CPA license.
- Private equity-backed, acquisition-driven, or buy-and-build/roll-up experience.
- Accounting experience within home services, plumbing, HVAC, electrical, construction, or contracting.
- Hands-on experience preparing or overseeing WIP schedules and percentage-of-completion accounting.
- Experience with acquisition integration and accounting-system conversions.
- Familiarity with field-service and ERP platforms commonly used within construction and service organizations.
What Success Looks Like
During the first 90 days, the Corporate Controller will assess accounting operations across all 16 business units, establish a consistent close calendar, and deliver timely monthly financial reporting.Within the first six months, the organization should have a standardized chart of accounts and reconciliation process, reliable covenant reporting, and a documented acquisition-integration playbook.Within the first 12 months, the goal is to consistently close within 7–10 business days, complete a clean external audit without material weaknesses, and integrate newly acquired businesses according to established timelines.Key Competencies
- Hands-on leadership style and willingness to work directly in the details.
- Strong financial and operational communication skills.
- Ability to communicate effectively with both non-financial operators and sophisticated financial stakeholders.
- High sense of urgency, ownership, and attention to detail.
- Process-builder mentality with a focus on standardization and scalability.
- Strong integrity and professional judgment.
- Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, evolving, acquisition-driven organization.
Compensation & Benefits
Base Salary: $150,000–$175,000Annual Performance Bonus: 20% targetBenefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance, 401(k) with company match, paid time off, and paid holidays.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Accounting.
- 8-12+ years of progressive accounting experience.
- At least 3-5 years of experience in a Controller or Assistant Controller capacity.
- Significant multi-entity consolidation experience, ideally involving 10+ entities.
- Strong intercompany accounting and elimination experience.
- Strong working knowledge of U.S. GAAP, ASC 606, and ASC 805.
- Experience managing external audits and developing internal controls.
- Proven experience leading and developing accounting teams, including remote or decentralized employees.
- Advanced Microsoft Excel skills.
- Experience working with cloud-based ERP/accounting systems.
- CPA license.
- Private equity-backed, acquisition-driven, or buy-and-build/roll-up experience.
- Accounting experience within home services, plumbing, HVAC, electrical, construction, or contracting.
- Hands-on experience preparing or overseeing WIP schedules and percentage-of-completion accounting.
- Experience with acquisition integration and accounting-system conversions.
- Familiarity with field-service and ERP platforms commonly used within construction and service organizations.
What Success Looks Like
During the first 90 days, the Corporate Controller will assess accounting operations across all 16 business units, establish a consistent close calendar, and deliver timely monthly financial reporting.Within the first six months, the organization should have a standardized chart of accounts and reconciliation process, reliable covenant reporting, and a documented acquisition-integration playbook.Within the first 12 months, the goal is to consistently close within 7-10 business days, complete a clean external audit without material weaknesses, and integrate newly acquired businesses according to established timelines.Key Competencies
- Hands-on leadership style and willingness to work directly in the details.
- Strong financial and operational communication skills.
- Ability to communicate effectively with both non-financial operators and sophisticated financial stakeholders.
- High sense of urgency, ownership, and attention to detail.
- Process-builder mentality with a focus on standardization and scalability.
- Strong integrity and professional judgment.
- Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, evolving, acquisition-driven organization.
Compensation & Benefits
Base Salary: $150,000-$175,000Annual Performance Bonus: 20% targetBenefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance, 401(k) with company match, paid time off, and paid holidays
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What the data says about this job
- Advertised pay for Controller: a median of $130,000 across 5,027 priced postings. This posting advertises $150,000 to $175,000, 25% above that median. Explore the market
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