The Assistant Controller will support the company’s accounting and financial operations, with a strong focus on real estate accounting, property-level financial reporting, accounts payable and receivable, reconciliations, budgeting, and month-end close.
This position is ideal for an experienced accounting professional who is comfortable working in a small-company environment where they may be responsible for multiple areas of the accounting function. The Assistant Controller will work closely with management, property managers, vendors, tenants, lenders, and outside accounting professionals to ensure financial information is accurate, timely, and well organized.
The successful candidate should be highly organized, detail-oriented, analytical, and comfortable taking ownership of accounting responsibilities with limited supervision.
Essential Responsibilities
Accounting & Financial Operations
- Assist with managing the company’s day-to-day accounting operations.
- Maintain accurate general ledger accounts and accounting records.
- Prepare and post journal entries, accruals, and adjusting entries.
- Perform monthly bank, credit card, and balance sheet reconciliations.
- Assist with month-end and year-end closing processes.
- Review accounting transactions for accuracy, completeness, and proper coding.
- Maintain organized supporting documentation for all financial transactions.
- Assist with maintaining the company’s chart of accounts and accounting procedures.
Real Estate & Property Accounting
- Maintain accounting records for individual properties and entities.
- Track property-level income, operating expenses, capital expenditures, and other financial activity.
- Record and reconcile tenant payments, rental income, CAM charges, and other property-related income.
- Assist with tenant account reconciliations and outstanding receivables.
- Review property expenses and vendor invoices for proper coding and allocation.
- Assist with tracking property improvements, repairs, capital projects, and fixed assets.
- Prepare property-level income statements and financial reports.
- Assist management with analyzing property performance and operating expenses.
Accounts Payable & Accounts Receivable
- Oversee or assist with processing vendor invoices and payments.
- Review invoices for proper authorization, coding, and supporting documentation.
- Monitor accounts payable aging and vendor balances.
- Monitor accounts receivable and tenant balances.
- Assist with collections and follow-up on outstanding receivables.
- Reconcile vendor and tenant accounts as needed.
Financial Reporting
- Prepare monthly financial statements and management reports.
- Prepare property-level financial statements and reporting packages.
- Assist with variance analysis comparing actual results to budget.
- Identify unusual transactions, variances, or financial trends and bring them to management’s attention.
- Assist in preparing financial information for ownership, lenders, investors, and outside accountants.
- Maintain financial schedules and supporting documentation.
Budgeting & Forecasting
- Assist with preparation of annual operating budgets.
- Maintain property budgets and forecasts.
- Track actual performance against budget throughout the year.
- Assist management in identifying areas of increased expenses or declining revenue.
- Prepare financial information needed for property acquisitions, dispositions, refinancing, and other transactions.
Tax, Audit & Compliance Support
- Assist outside CPAs and tax professionals with tax preparation and compliance requests.
- Prepare schedules and documentation for annual tax filings and audits.
- Assist with lender reporting and compliance requirements.
- Maintain organized records for financial, tax, and regulatory purposes.
- Assist with year-end 1099 preparation and other required reporting.
Management Support
- Provide financial and accounting information to the company’s owners and management team.
- Assist with cash-flow monitoring and forecasting.
- Help establish and maintain accounting policies, procedures, and internal controls.
- Identify opportunities to improve accounting processes and efficiency.
- Assist with special projects, acquisitions, refinancing, due diligence, and other financial initiatives as needed.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, or a related field preferred.
- 3–7 years of progressive accounting experience, preferably including real estate or property accounting.
- Experience with general ledger accounting and financial statement preparation.
- Strong understanding of debits, credits, reconciliations, accruals, and month-end close procedures.
- Experience with accounting software such as QuickBooks, Yardi, AppFolio, MRI, Sage, or similar platforms preferred.
- Strong Excel skills, including formulas, spreadsheets, and financial analysis.
- Real estate accounting experience strongly preferred.
- Experience with multiple legal entities and/or properties is a plus.
Skills & Attributes
- High level of accuracy and attention to detail.
- Strong organizational and time-management skills.
- Ability to prioritize multiple responsibilities and meet deadlines.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
- Ability to work independently and take ownership of assigned responsibilities.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to maintain confidentiality regarding financial and company information.
- Professional, dependable, and solutions-oriented.
- Comfortable working in a small, entrepreneurial environment where flexibility and hands-on involvement are important.
Preferred Real Estate Experience
Preference may be given to candidates with experience in:
- Commercial real estate accounting
- Residential or multifamily property accounting
- Property management accounting
- Tenant billing and collections
- CAM reconciliations
- Real estate development accounting
- Construction or capital project accounting
- Multiple-property and multiple-entity accounting
- Real estate acquisitions and dispositions
- Loan and lender reporting
Performance Expectations
Within the first 90 days, the Assistant Controller should demonstrate the ability to:
- Accurately manage assigned accounting functions.
- Complete reconciliations and accounting tasks within established deadlines.
- Support a timely monthly close.
- Produce accurate property-level financial reports.
- Identify and communicate accounting discrepancies.
- Maintain organized financial records.
- Develop a strong understanding of the company’s properties, entities, accounting systems, and financial processes.
Equal Opportunity Employer:
[Company Name] is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing a professional work environment based on qualifications, performance, and business needs.
It is our goal to transform properties from their current state to ones we are proud to call our own. In the past 25 years, we have had a tremendous amount of success in the acquisition, development, management, and renovation of commercial real estate.
