NORF Companies Director of Finance in New Orleans, Louisiana at Hernandez Consulting and Construction

NORF Companies Director of Finance

Your New Company
NORF Companies (“NORF”) is a veteran-owned real estate investment firm specializing in historic redevelopment and tax-advantaged investment strategies. Based in New Orleans, NORF acquires, develops, and revitalizes properties across North America, with a primary focus on the Southeast region.

Our work is centered on creating long-term value for investors while improving the communities in which we invest. We operate in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment where team members are given meaningful responsibility, direct exposure to leadership, and the opportunity to help shape the growth of the organization.

We are seeking an experienced, strategic, and hands-on Director of Finance to lead the company’s finance and accounting functions across a growing real estate investment, development, and property portfolio.

Your New Role
NORF Companies is seeking a Director of Finance in the New Orleans, Louisiana area to serve as a key member of the senior leadership team. This role will be responsible for leading the company’s financial strategy, accounting operations, forecasting, budgeting, reporting, internal controls, job costing, and financial planning across multiple entities and projects.

The Director of Finance will work closely with executive leadership to provide financial insight, improve reporting and controls, support investment and development activity, and help guide the company’s long-term financial performance.

This is a hands-on leadership role requiring both strategic financial judgment and the ability to operate in the details. The ideal candidate will have strong experience in real estate development, construction, property management, or investment environments and will be comfortable leading finance functions in a growing, entrepreneurial organization.

What You Will Be Doing

Financial Leadership & Strategy

• Serve as a senior financial leader and strategic advisor to executive leadership
• Lead the development and ongoing evaluation of short-term and long-term financial objectives
• Provide timely financial analysis, recommendations, and insight to support business decisions
• Advise leadership on the financial implications of operating decisions, new projects, financing strategies, and growth opportunities
• Evaluate financial performance, identify trends, and recommend opportunities to improve profitability, efficiency, and cash flow
• Support strategic planning, deal analysis, project evaluation, and investment decision-making
• Build strong working relationships with senior leaders and department heads to understand business needs and provide practical financial solutions

Finance & Accounting Operations

• Direct and oversee all finance and accounting functions across multiple entities, properties, and development projects
• Ensure timely and accurate preparation of financial statements, budgets, forecasts, consolidations, and management reports
• Oversee monthly, quarterly, and annual close processes
• Lead budgeting, financial forecasting, cash flow planning, and variance analysis
• Manage accounting processes related to real estate development, property operations, construction activity, and investment structures
• Oversee accounts payable, accounts receivable, general ledger, reconciliations, payroll-related financial entries, and financial reporting workflows
• Maintain accurate accounting records in QuickBooks, including preparing and posting journal entries directly, as well as reviewing and approving the entries of the accounting assistant for accuracy, proper account coding, and supporting documentation
• Ensure compliance with GAAP and applicable federal, state, and local financial and tax reporting requirements
• Coordinate with external CPAs, tax advisors, auditors, lenders, and other financial partners as needed

Job Costing, Development & Project Finance

• Lead the development, implementation, and maintenance of a comprehensive job cost system
• Oversee project-level financial tracking, construction costs, Work-In-Progress reporting, and development budgets
• Monitor project performance against approved budgets and provide timely reporting to leadership
• Support construction draw processes, lender reporting, and project funding requests
• Partner with development, operations, and leadership teams to improve project-level financial visibility
• Identify financial risks, budget variances, and cost control opportunities across active projects

Reporting, Controls & Compliance

• Ensure the finance function provides accurate, credible, and timely reporting to leadership, investors, lenders, and other stakeholders
• Establish, maintain, and improve internal controls, accounting policies, and financial procedures
• Support investor reporting, lender reporting, partnership compliance, and financing-related documentation
• Review financial processes and systems to improve accuracy, efficiency, and scalability
• Evaluate the financial impact of new initiatives, regulatory changes, financing structures, and business strategies
• Maintain a strong control environment while supporting the speed and flexibility required in a growing organization

Team Leadership & Process Improvement

• Lead, develop, and support finance and accounting team members
• Set clear expectations, improve workflows, and help build a scalable finance function
• Promote accountability, accuracy, and continuous improvement across the finance and accounting team
• Partner cross-functionally with operations, development, property management, and executive leadership
• Identify opportunities to streamline systems, improve reporting, and strengthen financial processes
• Support a culture of collaboration, urgency, integrity, and results

What You Will Need to Succeed

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field
• 10+ years of progressively responsible finance or accounting leadership experience
• Experience leading finance and accounting functions across multiple entities
• Strong understanding of GAAP, financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, and internal controls
• Experience with construction accounting, job costing, and Work-In-Progress reporting
• Hands on proficiency with QuickBooks is required, including the ability to prepare and post entries directly and to review and approve the entries of accounting support staff
• Advanced Excel skills with demonstrated financial modeling experience, including building and maintaining proformas, cash flow models, and scenario analyses
• Working knowledge of historic tax credits and other tax advantaged investment structures, including the accounting and compliance considerations associated with these programs
• Strong financial analysis, cash flow management, and business planning skills
• Ability to translate financial information into clear, actionable recommendations for leadership
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and team leadership skills
• High level of integrity, accountability, urgency, and sound judgment
• Ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced, growth-oriented environment

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in real estate development, property management, construction, or real estate investment environments
• MBA and/or CPA preferred
• Experience with investor reporting, lender reporting, partnership compliance, and financing support
• Experience developing or improving job cost systems, financial reporting processes, and internal controls
• Prior experience working in an entrepreneurial or growth-stage organization

What Makes Someone Successful in This Role
The ideal candidate is:

• Strategic enough to advise leadership, but hands-on enough to dig into the details
• Comfortable leading finance in a complex, multi-entity real estate environment
• Highly analytical, organized, and deadline-driven
• Able to improve systems, processes, reporting, and controls without slowing the business down
• A strong communicator who can work effectively with executives, accounting staff, project teams, lenders, investors, and external advisors
• Proactive in identifying financial risks, solving problems, and recommending business improvements
• Dependable, ethical, and results-oriented
• Adaptable in a growing entrepreneurial organization

Our Core Values
INTEGRITY
We are accountable, honest, and ethical in everything we do.
WORK TOGETHER
We operate as a collaborative, mission-focused team.
DEDICATED TO SUCCEED
We work hard, solve problems, and drive results.
BUILD ENDURING VALUE
We create lasting relationships and long-term impact in the communities we serve.
Benefits
NORF Companies offers a competitive compensation and benefits package, including:

• Medical insurance with 80% employer-paid premium contribution
• Employer-paid life insurance
• Short-term and long-term disability coverage
• 401(k) with company match
• Three weeks of PTO
• Eight paid holidays annually
• Optional dental and vision coverage
• Opportunity for long-term career growth within a growing real estate investment firm

NORF Companies is an equal opportunity employer. NORF Companies does not discriminate based on race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, national origin, veteran status, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided based on qualifications, merit, and business needs.