Full-Time Fractional Controller (Construction Industries Experience Required)

Overview

This Controller role supports a portfolio of construction clients, primarily general contractors and specialty trade contractors. The position owns accounting operations, job cost accounting, work-in-progress (WIP) reporting, revenue recognition, and monthly financial reporting. It reports directly to the VP of Operations and also provides fractional support to client executive leadership.

Responsibilities

• Lead month-end close for each assigned client, including job cost review, accruals, and a WIP schedule tied to the general ledger.
• Own WIP schedule development and reconciliation, identifying and explaining overbillings and underbillings and their impact on cash, margin, and bonding capacity.
• Lead monthly estimate-to-complete meetings with project managers and owners; challenge assumptions and document every change.
• Oversee billing processes, including review of AIA G702/G703 pay applications, schedules of values, change orders, and retainage prior to submission, plus review of subcontractor pay applications and lien waivers before payment.
• Present monthly results to owners and leadership, clearly explaining what changed on each job and why.

Construction Accounting

• Design and maintain cost code structures that separate:
  • Direct job costs (labor, materials, subcontractors, equipment)
  • Indirect job costs allocated to jobs (field supervision, small tools, insurance, equipment overhead)
  • General and administrative expenses
• Calculate percent complete using costs incurred to date divided by total estimated costs, and apply revenue recognition on that basis.
• Keep estimated total costs current, at least monthly and whenever a change order, scope change, or cost overrun occurs; quantify the revenue and margin impact when estimates change.
• Track gross profit and gross profit margin by job against the original bid and the prior month; report profit fade or gain with underlying causes.
• Support certified payroll and prevailing wage reporting where applicable, along with job-level insurance and bonding requirements.

Cash, Reporting, and Lender Support

• Build rolling 13-week cash forecasts tied to billing and retainage cycles; track line-of-credit availability and prepare covenant compliance calculations.
• Prepare WIP schedules and financial packages for sureties, bonding agents, and lenders.
• Prepare annual budgets, overhead rate analysis, and backlog and gross profit forecasts for CFO and owner review.
• Deliver accurate month-end reporting packages and track key performance indicators (backlog, gross profit by job, over and under billings, days sales outstanding, retainage receivable).
• Establish internal controls and coordinate reviews, audits, and tax workflows with external CPAs.

Team and AI Orchestration

• Supervise accounting workstreams for both internal and client-side staff while using AI workflows to streamline recurring deliverables.

Requirements

• Experience: Eight or more years of progressive accounting experience, including at least three years owning job cost, WIP, and percentage-of-completion revenue recognition for a general contractor or specialty trade contractor.
• Technical accounting: Strong command of GAAP, ASC 606 as applied to construction contracts, job cost accounting, and multi-entity reporting.
• Systems: Demonstrated expertise in at least one construction ERP or job cost platform, plus advanced Excel.
• Revenue recognition fluency: Command of ASC 606 over-time revenue recognition using the cost-to-cost method, including how changes in estimated costs flow through as a cumulative catch-up adjustment.
• Field-to-finance judgment: Ability to challenge project managers on estimates, spot profit fade early, and explain job-level results to owners in plain language.
• Multi-client capacity: Ability to carry a portfolio of concurrent clients, keep each on schedule, and switch context without losing quality.
• AI-first mindset: Actively uses AI tools to automate reconciliations, reporting, and recurring analysis.
• Excellent virtual communication skills for high-frequency remote client engagement (written and verbal).

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience building Claude Projects, custom GPTs, or similar AI workflows.
• CPA or CCIFP.
• Bachelor's degree in accounting or finance.

Compensation & Benefits

• Starting at $95,000+ per year (DOE).
• PTO: 120 hours per year (3 weeks)
• Health stipend
• 10 company-paid holidays
• Sick time
• Performance bonus

Location

• USA only. Fully remote working arrangement.
• Standard working hours (8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. in your local time zone; MST or PST preferred).
• Travel: Infrequent (one time per month or less) for initial client discovery assessments or strategic team meetings.
• Annual all-team retreat: Typically late summer or early fall; required attendance.

Work Schedule

• Full-time (40+ hours per week).