Construction Controller in Kenosha, Wisconsin at Bear Real Estate Group
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Job Description
Position Summary:
The Construction Controller serves as the senior financial leader for Bear Real Estate Group’s Construction Division which includes Construction Management Associates (“CMA”) & Bear Homes, encompassing multifamily apartment construction, commercial construction, site development, general contracting, and single-family homebuilding.
The position is responsible for construction accounting, financial reporting, project controls, job-cost integrity, WIP reporting, forecasting, cash flow, and internal controls. The Controller serves as a strategic financial partner to construction and development leadership, providing insight into project performance, costs, margins, cash requirements, risks, and forecasts. The Construction Controller reports to the CFO and works closely with the other Bear Real Estate Group Controllers to ensure consistent accounting practices, reliable financial reporting, and alignment with enterprise-wide financial policies.
Financial Leadership & Business Partnership:
- Serve as the primary financial partner to Construction Division leadership, providing analysis, recommendations, and decision support.
- Participate in budgeting, forecasting, strategic planning, and project financial decision-making.
- Provide visibility into project performance, cost trends, margins, cash requirements, commitments, and risks.
- Partner with Development from project inception through completion on project budgets, construction costs, financial reporting, and project controls.
- Maintain appropriate independence between project management, approval, accounting, and payment functions and promptly escalate material control or financial reporting concerns.
- Collaborate with controller group on enterprise-wide initiatives across Bear Real Estate Group.
Accounting Operations & Financial Reporting:
- Own the completeness, accuracy, and timeliness of CMA and Bear Homes financial statements.
- Lead monthly, quarterly, and year-end close processes, including reconciliations, accruals, WIP, revenue recognition, allocations, and management reporting.
- Review results against budget, forecast, and prior periods and communicate key variances and operational drivers.
- Ensure proper accounting for construction, land development, indirect, warranty, and homebuilding costs.
- Maintain appropriate accounting procedures, workpapers, and supporting documentation.
- Coordinate external audit, tax return, banking, insurance, and bonding requirements for CMA.
Project Accounting & Controls:
- Oversee project accounting and financial controls from project setup through final closeout.
- Ensure accurate tracking of budgets, committed costs, actual costs, change orders, contingencies, retainage, and projected final costs.
- Partner with Director of Construction and Project Managers on job-cost performance, percent complete, cost-to-complete forecasts, margins, and financial risks.
- Ensure construction accounting records reconcile with project management and cost-control systems.
- Oversee timely and accurate owner and lender draws, including AIA pay applications, lien waivers, sworn statements, and supporting documentation.
- Provide financial oversight and standards for the project-controls function supporting construction.
Single-Family Homebuilding:
- Oversee job-cost accounting, WIP, margin analysis, and financial reporting for single-family homebuilding.
- Ensure accurate accounting for land and lots, spec and semi-custom homes, purchase orders, selections, change orders, deposits, draws, and closings.
- Monitor home-level profitability, backlog, homes under construction, completed inventory, inventory aging, and expected closings.
- Partner with Bear Homes leadership and staff on budgets, cost variances, cycle time, margins, and cash conversion.
Cash Flow, Risk & External Relationships:
- Prepare and maintain cash flow forecasts.
- Monitor receivables, payables, retainage, draw funding, vendor commitments, subcontractor obligations, inventory, and other working-capital activity.
- Support compliance with lending agreements, owner contracts, and financial reporting requirements.
- Identify financial, contractual, compliance, and process risks and escalate material issues promptly and oversee compliance with applicable financial, tax, labor, and payroll related regulations.
- Serve as the primary financial contact for bonding and surety-related financial information and reporting.
- Support lender, surety, insurance, and other external financial relationships with accurate financial information.
- Maintain strong fraud prevention controls, including segregation of duties, approval authorities, payment controls, vendor verification procedures, and monitoring unusual transactions or risk indicators.
Team Leadership & Process Improvement:
- Lead, organize, and develop the construction accounting and project-controls team.
- Establish clear responsibilities, deadlines, review standards, and accountability.
- Review key work product for accuracy, completeness, consistency, and compliance with BREG policies.
- Improve processes, systems, reporting, and internal controls across construction.
- Develop dashboards and KPIs that improve project accountability and financial decision-making.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field required.
- CPA or CMA preferred.
- 8+ years of progressive accounting or finance experience, including significant construction, homebuilding, or project-controls experience.
- Experience leading an accounting team and owning close, financial reporting, budgeting, and forecasting.
- Strong knowledge of job-cost accounting, WIP, cost-to-complete forecasting, revenue recognition, and internal controls.
- Working knowledge of construction contracts, AIA billing, lien waivers, retainage, change orders, draws, and payment/performance bonds.
- Experience with construction or homebuilding ERP/project management systems preferred.
- Strong Excel, analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills.
Core competencies:
- Financial leadership and business partnership
- Construction and homebuilding business acumen
- Project financial management and cost control
- Ownership, accountability, and sound judgment
- Internal controls and risk management
- Team leadership and development
- Analytical thinking and problem solving
- Cross-functional collaboration
- Clear communication
- Continuous improvement and systems mindset
Physical Demand and Work Environment:
- Continually required to sit for extended periods and use hands/fingers for computer and keyboard work.
- Frequently required to talk and hear.
- Occasionally required to lift or carry items up to 25 pounds.
- Occasional travel to project sites or other company locations may be required.
What You'll Love About Working Here:
- Invest in Your Future: 401(k) with company match, plus annual merit-based increases
- Prioritize Your Health: Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life insurance, Long-Term Disability, and FSA and HSA options.
- Recharge and Renew: Generous paid time off and 8+ paid holidays.
- Voluntary Benefits: Short Term Disability, Accident, Critical Illness, and Hospital Indemnity.
- Keep Growing: Ongoing education, leadership training, and advancement opportunities across all departments.
- Celebrate Together: Annual employee appreciation events, team outings, and company-wide recognition programs.
- Make an Impact: Contribute to meaningful projects that shape neighborhoods and improve lives.
The above is intended to describe the general content of and requirements for the performance of this job. It is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities or physical requirements. Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Bear Real Estate Group is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.