Job Description - Controller (Construction & Real Estate Industries)

Company Background

Vessel Advisors delivers financial clarity and operational certainty to growth-stage CEOs and their companies. We serve as an outsourced financial team with a focus on strategic finance, technology, and metrics. We provide a full accounting and finance team at a fraction of the cost, and we scale up or down with our clients as they do. We work primarily with dynamic, growth-stage business leaders who need to develop and implement strategic financial and operational plans. We get to serve as trusted advisors to dynamic business leaders and equip them with the financial information they need when they need it.

Position Summary

The Controller position at Vessel Advisors reports directly to the VP of Operations and client executive leadership on a fractional basis. This role is responsible for directing all accounting, financial reporting, cash management, budgeting, tax coordination, and internal control functions across multi-entity industrial real estate development projects, operating properties, and construction management entities.

Additionally, this position serves as a hands-on technical lead—overseeing credit card approvals, invoice workflows, Sage Intacct reporting, cash flow projections, third-party accounting review (CohnReznick), and our ongoing Sage Intacct setup and system modification initiative. The ideal candidate blends deep commercial/industrial construction accounting expertise with an AI-first mindset, orchestrating workflows through modern tools to scale client financial operations.

Requirements

What We're Looking For

• AI-First Mindset: Possess a deep, self-driven curiosity for AI, actively integrating tools into personal and professional workflows to eliminate 80–90% of manual effort—far beyond basic text drafting or email generation.
• Hands-on Platform Experience: Direct experience designing and deploying customized AI solutions, including Claude Artifacts, custom GPTs, tailored Projects, and specialized prompt skills.
• Agentic Management: Naturally approach work as an orchestrator, leveraging and managing multiple AI agents concurrently to execute complex financial and operational deliverables.
• Construction & Industrial Real Estate Expertise: Proven background as a Controller managing vertically integrated industrial real estate development, project capitalization, land acquisition, and construction management entities.
• Tech-Savvy & Systems Expertise: Deep proficiency with Sage Intacct (including system setups, modifications, and customized reporting), Excel, and Google Workspace. Familiarity with MRI, Nexus AP automation, ADP payroll, Procore, Yardi, QBO, BILL, and Textura is highly valued.
• Extreme Ownership & Proactive Focus: Deeply organized, comfortable leading fractional engagements, managing tight deadlines, and operating with perfectionist standards across multi-entity consolidations.
• Excellent Virtual Communicator: Superior written (Slack, email) and verbal skills for high-frequency remote client engagement.

Day to Day Operations

• Transaction Approvals: Execute daily/weekly review and approval of all client credit card transactions and vendor invoices to maintain operational momentum.
• Outside Accounting Firm Oversight: Review work papers, monthly close packages, and financial deliverables provided by CohnReznick (outside accounting firm performing base accounting).
• Systems Modification & Reporting: Head up the active modification and optimization of the client's Sage Intacct setup; design and run custom Sage Intacct financial and operational reports.

Construction & Real Estate Development Accounting

• Job Cost & WIP Management: Track project costs, capitalize development expenditures, manage monthly Work-in-Progress (WIP) schedules, track committed costs, and calculate Percentage of Completion (POC) revenue recognition.
• Billing & Capital Stack Management: Manage AIA G702/G703 progress billings, subcontractor pay applications, retainage, change orders, lender draw packages, development loan requisitions, NNN/CAM reconciliations, and capital calls.

Fractional Leadership, Treasury, & Analysis

• Rolling Cash Flow & Liquidity: Lead company-wide cash flow projections, liquidity planning, debt covenant compliance, and line-of-credit management.
• Budgeting & Financial Modeling: Prepare annual budgets, long-range forecasts, project pro formas, and sources/uses schedules.
• Consolidated Reporting & Controls: Deliver accurate month-end consolidated reporting packages, track KPIs, establish internal controls, and coordinate annual audit/tax workflows with external CPAs.
• Team & AI Orchestration: Supervise internal, client, and third-party staff while deploying multi-agent AI workflows to streamline accounting deliverables.

Qualifications & Requirements

• Experience: 8–10+ years of progressive accounting leadership (Controller, Director of Accounting, or CAO) with significant tenure in commercial/industrial real estate development and construction.
• Technical Accounting: Mastery of GAAP, multi-entity consolidations, job cost accounting, debt/equity waterfall allocations, and joint venture structures.
• Systems: Demonstrated expertise in Sage Intacct (setup/modification experience strongly preferred), coupled with hands-on skill in building custom GPTs, Claude Artifacts, and automated workflows.
• Education & Credentials: Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance required. CPA, CCIFP, or Master’s degree strongly preferred.

Physical Location & Details

• Type: Full-Time (40+ Hours per week)
• 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).
• Ability to Travel Preferred: Infrequent (1x per month or less) for initial client discovery assessments or strategic team meetings.
• Compensation: Starting at $95,000+ per year (DOE).

Benefits

Benefits:

• PTO at 120hr per year (3 weeks)
• Health stipend
• 10 Company Paid Holidays
• Sick Time
• Performance Bonus