Chief Financial Officer / Construction Controller
Chief Financial Officer / Construction Controller
Location: Skagit County, Washington
Company: Hamilton Construction, LLC
Employment Type: Full-Time
Reports To: Owner/President
About the Company Hamilton Construction is an established construction company with extensive experience in heavy civil, marine, infrastructure and public works construction. The company operates in Washington and Alaska and works on projects involving government agencies, municipalities, general construction, equipment- intensive operations and specialty fabrication.
We are seeking an experienced Chief Financial Officer / Construction Controller to provide financial leadership for the company and its related business entities.
This is a hands-on senior management position for an individual who understands that construction finance is substantially different from ordinary business accounting.
The successful candidate will understand job costing, work-in-progress (WIP) reporting, construction contracts, bonding, retainage, change orders, equipment costs, cash flow, payroll, financial statements and construction risk.
Position Overview The CFO/Construction Controller will oversee the company’s financial and accounting functions and serve as a key financial advisor to the Owner and management team.
This individual will be responsible for maintaining accurate financial information, developing meaningful financial reporting, monitoring job profitability and cash flow, coordinating with outside CPAs, supporting bonding requirements, and helping management make informed business decisions.
The position will have significant responsibility for financial oversight of multiple related entities and construction operations.
Key Responsibilities Construction Accounting & Job Costing
- Oversee construction accounting and financial reporting for multiple entities.
- Maintain accurate job-cost accounting and project financial information.
- Review job costs, committed costs, billings, retainage, change orders and contract status.
- Prepare and analyze monthly and year-to-date financial statements.
- Review Work-in-Progress (WIP) schedules and identify over/under billings and potential job losses.
- Monitor gross profit by project and investigate significant cost variances.
- Work closely with project managers, estimators and company management to understand project financial performance.
- Monitor cost-to-complete estimates and projected final job profitability.
- Ensure appropriate accounting for equipment, materials, labor, subcontractors and indirect costs.
Financial Management
- Prepare monthly financial statements and management reports.
- Develop cash-flow forecasts and monitor working capital.
- Assist ownership with budgeting and long-range financial planning.
- Monitor accounts receivable, accounts payable and cash requirements.
- Analyze financial trends and identify opportunities to improve profitability.
- Provide financial analysis for major equipment purchases, sales and financing decisions.
- Establish and monitor internal financial controls.
Bonding & Surety
- Prepare financial information required by the company’s bonding/surety relationships.
- Maintain accurate WIP schedules and supporting financial information.
- Work with the company’s CPA and surety representatives on financial reporting and bonding requirements.
- Monitor working capital, debt, equity and other financial measures affecting bonding capacity.
- Assist management in evaluating the financial impact of pursuing major projects.
Construction Contracts & Risk
- Review financial aspects of construction contracts and major subcontracts.
- Monitor retainage, change orders, claims, disputed costs and contract receivables.
- Assist management in evaluating project financial risks before and during construction.
- Understand the financial implications of public works contracts, prevailing wage requirements and government contracting.
- Coordinate with management and outside advisors regarding insurance, bonding, taxes and other financial risks. Banking & Financing
- Maintain relationships with banks and financial institutions.
- Manage company banking relationships and financing arrangements.
- Monitor company debt, equipment financing and lines of credit.
- Assist ownership with financing and capital investment decisions.
- Prepare financial information requested by lenders.
Tax, CPA & Audit Coordination
- Serve as the primary financial liaison with the company’s outside CPA/accounting firm.
- Coordinate year-end tax preparation and financial reporting.
- Provide accurate schedules and supporting documentation to outside accountants.
- Review tax returns and financial statements with ownership and outside advisors.
- Identify opportunities for improved tax planning and financial structure.
Management & Leadership
- Supervise and develop accounting and administrative personnel.
- Establish accounting procedures and financial reporting standards.
- Improve accounting processes and use of accounting technology.
- Provide financial information in a manner that is understandable and useful to non-accounting managers.
- Work closely with ownership and senior management on strategic decisions.
- Maintain confidentiality regarding company finances, employee compensation and ownership matters.
Construction Experience Required The ideal candidate will have significant experience in one or more of the following:
- General contracting
- Heavy civil construction
- Marine construction
- Government/public works construction
- Infrastructure construction
- Equipment-intensive construction
- Construction subcontracting
- Construction manufacturing/fabrication
Experience with construction job costing and WIP accounting is strongly preferred.
Experience with surety/bonding requirements and construction financial statements is highly desirable.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business or a related field preferred.
- CPA designation preferred but not required.
- 7+ years of progressively responsible accounting/finance experience.
- Significant construction accounting experience.
- Previous Controller, CFO, Director of Finance or senior construction accounting experience preferred.
- Strong understanding of GAAP and financial reporting.
- Strong Excel skills.
- Experience with construction accounting software; experience with Sage 100 Contractor or similar systems is a plus.
- Ability to analyze financial information and communicate conclusions clearly to company ownership and operations personnel.
- Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
- High level of integrity and confidentiality.
The Person We Are Looking For This is not a traditional corporate CFO position. We are specifically looking for a hands-on financial leader with substantial construction accounting and job-costing experience.
We are looking for someone who is more than an accountant.
The Successful Candidate Will Be a Business-minded Financial Leader Who Understands How a Construction Company Actually Makes And Loses Money. You Should Be Comfortable Walking Into a Project Meeting And Asking
“Why is this job showing a 12% margin when we expected 20%?” You should understand the difference between billings, revenue, cash flow and actual job profitability, and be able to explain those differences to the Owner and Project Managers.
You should also be comfortable working directly with owners, project managers, employees, banks, bonding companies, CPAs and government agencies.
Compensation Competitive Compensation Based On Experience And Qualifications.
The company is willing to offer a strong compensation package for the right individual with substantial construction financial management experience. Benefits include Paid Time Off and Negotiable
Why Join Hamilton Construction? This is an opportunity to become a key member of an established construction company and have a direct influence on financial performance, project profitability, growth and long-term company strategy.
The CFO/Construction Controller will work directly with company ownership and will have meaningful responsibility and authority rather than functioning solely as an accounting department manager.
To Apply: Please submit a resume and a brief description of your construction accounting and financial management experience.
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