Property Accounting Manager

About the role

The Property Accounting Manager is a key leadership role responsible for overseeing all property-level accounting operations while actively building a high-performing team. This position will lead the accounting group in applying generally accepted accounting principals (GAAP) to analyze financial information, reconcile financial statements, prepare journal entries, assist in budget development, and prepare standard accounting and financial reports for ownership. This position goes beyond traditional accounting management by championing staff development, establishing scalable processes, and serving as the department's subject-matter expert for third-party clients. The ideal candidate is a hands-on mentor who leads by example, drives continuous improvement, and takes ownership of both financial accuracy and team growth.

This role will report to the Director of Property Accounting within the Accounting team at the Mills Properties home office location in St. Louis, MO.

Pay based on experience

Key Responsibilities

Accounting Operations

• Supervises the team of accountants by interviewing, hiring, orienting, and training team members, and manages their performance in accordance with Company policies, values, and business practices. 
• Oversee the full-cycle property accounting function, including accounts payable/receivable , bank reconciliations, general ledger maintenance, and month-end close.
• Oversees and approves financial transactions and information in preparation for entry into various financial statements and accounting reports by checking calculations, reviewing basis for figures, balancing and reconciling figures, and making exceptions as necessary. 
• Support annual budget preparation, forecasting, and variance analysis.
• Approves and authorizes exceptions to bank reconciliations and wire transfers for deposit and ensures accuracy. 
• Acts as liaison to internal and external auditors by explaining journal entries and financial transactions, providing research data and information as requested, and answering questions necessary to complete the audit in a timely manner. 
• Ensures customer satisfaction by responding to requests from owners, business leaders, property managers, and others related to financial reports, statements, and established budgets. 

Team Training & Development

• Supervises the team of accountants by interviewing, hiring, orienting, and training team members, and manages their performance in accordance with Company policies, values, and business practices.
• Actively mentor and develop accounting staff, fostering a culture of learning, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Conduct regular one-on-ones and performance check-ins to provide constructive feedback and recognize achievements.
• Identify skill gaps on the team and proactively address them through coaching, external training, or structured development plans.
• Lead by example in work quality, responsiveness, and professional conduct to set a high standard for the team.
• Cross-train team members to build redundancy and resilience across critical accounting functions.

Process Improvement & Documentation

• Own the documentation of all accounting processes, maintaining a comprehensive, up-to-date procedure manual.
• Proactively identify inefficiencies and implement improvements to reduce errors, eliminate redundancy, and increase throughput.
• Standardize workflows and templates across the portfolio to ensure consistency and scalability.
• Establish and enforce internal controls, documenting SOPs and communicating them clearly to the team.
• Lead change management efforts when introducing new systems, tools, or procedures, ensuring buy-in and adoption at all levels.

  Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Accuracy and timeliness of financial reporting of the accounting team
• Compliance with company accounting standards and policies
• Responsiveness and support to internal and external clients

Required Skills & Competencies

• Expert in Excel.
• Experience with Yardi and/or Real Page software.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Effectively collaborate with various departments in the organization to proactively address potential issues.
• Compelling communicator at all levels (including C-level) with the ability to convey ideas and concepts concisely through interpersonal, written, and verbal communication.

What you need

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
• 5+ years of progressive accounting experience, with at least 2 years in a supervisory or management role.
• Strong financial acumen and a thorough understanding of GAAP
• Demonstrated track record of training and developing accounting staff.

Preferred

• CPA designation or active progress toward licensure.
• Experience creating and maintaining process documentation and SOPs.
• Experience with Yardi, MRI, AppFolio, or comparable property management accounting software.
• Experience supporting external audits or tax preparation for real estate entities.

Core Competencies

Mills Properties, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

This description is not intended to be, and should not be construed as, an all-inclusive list of all responsibilities, skills, efforts, or working conditions associated with the job. While this description is intended to be an accurate reflection of the job requirements, management reserves the right to modify, add, or remove duties and to assign other duties as necessary.