Controller

TITLE: Controller

REPORTS TO: President/Founder

COMPENSATION: $135k - $150k bonus

LOCATION: Carlsbad (1-2 days/week on site)

Please email your word document to dan.c@conexusrecruiting.com and reference the subject – “Carlsbad Controller”

Company:

A growing engineering/construction/utilities services company has partnered with Conexus to add a Controller to their team. Our client needs this person to have strong experience with project costing/accounting.

Purpose Of Your Position:

The Controller will report to the President/Founder and be the driving force behind improving processes and supporting business growth. This person will have ownership over accounting and support on some corporate budgeting/forecasting/cash flow analysis.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Managed full-cycle accounting operations, including project-based billing, job cost tracking, and reconciliation of labor, materials, and permitting expenses.
• Partnered with project teams to monitor budgets, analyze cost variances, and provide timely financial insights to support active utility infrastructure projects.
• Oversaw AP/AR processes, ensuring accurate coding, timely payments, and adherence to project billing schedules tied to contract milestones.
• Executed monthly close procedures including journal entries, accruals, and balance sheet reconciliations across multiple active projects.
• Generated internal reporting packages and dashboards focused on project profitability, budget utilization, and overall financial health.
• Contributed to annual budgeting and quarterly forecasting, incorporating contract timelines, staffing plans, and supply chain considerations.
• Ensured compliance with tax filings and labor cost tracking, particularly in relation to prevailing wage requirements and multi-jurisdictional work.
• Supported annual reviews and audit preparation by maintaining organized financial records and detailed project cost documentation.
• Drove process improvements in accounting workflows, including enhanced job cost tracking and automation of permit and inspection expense coding.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a closely related field.
• 5–7 years of progressive accounting or financial management experience, preferably in a construction, engineering, or project-driven environment.
• Proven track record managing project-based financials, including cost tracking, milestone billing, and job profitability analysis.
• Familiarity with scaling accounting processes and introducing automation tools to support a growing operations-focused business.
• Comfortable using QuickBooks for day-to-day accounting, along with strong Excel and Google Sheets skills for financial modeling and reporting.
• Experience with timekeeping and job costing platforms (such as TSheets or similar), as well as exposure to automating workflows across accounting functions.
• Solid grasp of GAAP principles and experience managing month-end close, reconciliations, and financial reporting in a project-based setting.
• Organized, proactive, and adaptable—comfortable operating in a lean, fast-paced environment with shifting project demands.
• Skilled at identifying inefficiencies and implementing process improvements across accounting and operations workflows.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to collaborate effectively across project teams and field operations.