Divisional Controller (Construction)

Divisional Construction Controller - Confidential Search

Position Title: Divisional Construction Controller - Atlanta, GA area
Department: Finance / Construction Operations
Reports To: Chief Financial Officer (CFO) / Vice President of Operations
Position Type: Full-Time, Executive Leadership
Industry: Commercial Construction, Healthcare, and Mission-Critical Infrastructure
Location: Greater Atlanta, Georgia region
Job Type: Full-Time.
Schedule: Monday-Friday (travel to client locations as required).
Salary: Based on experience: Up to $175K/year 
Benefits: Medical, Dental, Life Insurance, 401K and PTO.
Relocation Assistance: Offered.
Sponsorship: Not available.
Required: To qualify as an applicant you must be a 'U.S. Person' as defined by the government (a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident/Green Card holder, refugee, or asylee). H1-B visa - does not - qualify.  Do you meet this requirement?

Required Education and Professional Experience:

Education and Professional Certifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Construction Management, or a related field required.

• Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or Certified Construction Industry Financial Professional (CCIFP) designation highly preferred.

• Advanced coursework, continuing education, or professional development in construction accounting, project controls, financial management, or construction contract administration is beneficial.

Professional Experience

• Minimum of 8–10 years of progressive experience in construction accounting, project financial management, or construction finance.

• Minimum of 3–5 years of experience in a regional controller, divisional controller, corporate controller, or equivalent senior construction finance leadership role.

• Demonstrated experience managing construction portfolios exceeding $100 million in annual project volume or financial responsibility.

• Proven experience overseeing large-scale commercial construction projects with individual project values ranging from $75 million to $150 million.

• Direct experience in healthcare construction, including hospitals and medical centers, and mission-critical environments, including data centers, is required.

• Demonstrated expertise in complete construction job costing, cost-to-complete forecasting, WIP schedules, percentage-of-completion calculations, and project profitability analysis.

• Previous experience leading project accountants, financial analysts, and cross-functional project teams, including responsibility for 8–10 direct reports, is strongly preferred.

• Experience with complex subcontractor relationships, joint ventures, owner billing, contract changes, retainage, and project closeout is required.

Position Summary:

The Divisional Construction Controller provides strategic financial leadership, operational oversight, and comprehensive accounting management for a high-volume commercial construction division specializing in large-scale, capital-intensive projects. This position is responsible for the financial integrity, profitability, cash flow management, cost control, forecasting, and regulatory compliance of a construction portfolio that includes hospitals, medical centers, hyperscale data centers, and other complex commercial facilities.

Serving as a key financial partner to executive leadership, divisional management, project executives, and project management teams, the Divisional Construction Controller establishes and maintains rigorous financial controls throughout the entire construction lifecycle, from pre-construction budgeting and project setup through active construction, final billing, and project closeout.

The successful candidate will possess extensive knowledge of construction accounting, job costing, work-in-progress (WIP) reporting, percentage-of-completion accounting, and comprehensive project financial analysis. This individual must be capable of evaluating and managing construction projects ranging from $75 million to $150 million per project, overseeing annual construction financial portfolios exceeding $100 million, and ensuring accurate reporting of overall job costs, committed costs, cost-to-complete projections, projected final costs, and anticipated profitability.

The Divisional Construction Controller will lead a decentralized financial organization supporting up to 100 employees across the broader operational structure, with direct management responsibility for approximately 8–10 direct reports. This role requires a hands-on financial leader who can translate complex project-level data into actionable business intelligence, identify financial risks before they affect profitability, and implement strategies that protect margins, optimize working capital, and support sustainable divisional growth.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Divisional Financial Leadership and Executive Reporting

• Direct and oversee all financial accounting, reporting, budgeting, forecasting, and internal control activities for the construction division.

• Prepare, review, and analyze monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements, management reports, and divisional performance metrics.

• Ensure the accuracy, completeness, and timeliness of financial reporting in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and company policies.

• Develop and present financial performance reports, cash flow projections, profitability analyses, and budget variance explanations to executive leadership and other key stakeholders.

• Establish financial reporting standards and key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure project performance, divisional profitability, working capital, and operational efficiency.

• Partner with senior leadership to develop annual operating budgets, strategic financial plans, resource allocation strategies, and long-range financial forecasts.

• Identify financial trends, operational inefficiencies, and emerging risks that could adversely affect divisional performance.

• Provide financial guidance and recommendations to support business decisions, contract negotiations, project awards, and growth initiatives.

2. Construction Accounting, Job Costing, and Project Financial Controls

• Oversee the complete construction job-cost accounting process, ensuring accurate recording, classification, allocation, and reporting of all project expenditures.

• Maintain comprehensive oversight of job cost structures, including cost codes, cost types, labor, materials, equipment, subcontractors, general conditions, indirect costs, and project overhead.

• Ensure project budgets and cost breakdown structures are established accurately during project setup and maintained throughout the project lifecycle.

• Monitor original contract values, approved and pending change orders, revised contract values, actual costs, committed costs, accrued costs, forecasted costs, and projected final costs.

• Analyze overall job costs and cost-to-complete estimates to identify potential overruns, underperforming cost codes, and opportunities for cost recovery.

• Review project cost reports and reconcile financial data against project schedules, procurement records, subcontract commitments, and field reporting.

• Establish and enforce consistent job-cost reporting standards across all projects and regional accounting teams.

• Ensure project management teams maintain accurate, current, and supportable financial forecasts.

• Provide detailed analysis of project cost performance, including labor productivity, equipment utilization, material escalation, subcontractor performance, and indirect cost recovery.

• Ensure that financial data accurately reflects the financial status of each project and the overall construction portfolio.

3. Work-in-Progress (WIP) and Percentage-of-Completion Accounting

• Direct the preparation, review, and reconciliation of the master Work-in-Progress (WIP) schedule for the construction division.

• Calculate, validate, and approve percentage-of-completion figures for individual projects using the company's approved accounting methodology.

• Ensure appropriate revenue and gross profit recognition based on contract terms, incurred costs, estimated costs to complete, and applicable accounting standards.

• Review estimated costs at completion, projected gross profit, earned revenue, billings to date, cash collections, and underbilling or overbilling positions.

• Identify and investigate project fade, margin erosion, significant WIP adjustments, unanticipated losses, and discrepancies between operational forecasts and reported financial results.

• Work directly with project executives and project managers to validate cost-to-complete estimates and establish realistic final cost projections.

• Evaluate the financial implications of approved and pending change orders, claims, schedule delays, productivity issues, and subcontractor disputes.

• Establish review procedures to ensure WIP schedules are accurate, consistent, fully supported, and completed within required reporting deadlines.

• Communicate material project financial risks and recommended corrective actions to executive leadership.

4. Budget Management, Forecasting, and Margin Protection

• Oversee project budgets and forecasts for major construction projects generally ranging from $75 million to $150 million.

• Conduct regular financial reviews comparing original budgets, approved budgets, committed costs, actual expenditures, and projected final costs.

• Investigate significant budget variances and require corrective action plans from responsible project teams.

• Monitor project gross margins from award through completion, identifying early warning signs of project fade and potential losses.

• Develop financial models to evaluate alternative project scenarios, cost escalation, schedule impacts, procurement changes, and potential claims.

• Review high-value change orders, owner billings, subcontractor payment applications, and cost adjustments to ensure financial accuracy and appropriate authorization.

• Work with project leadership to evaluate the financial impact of design changes, unforeseen conditions, schedule acceleration, and scope modifications.

• Establish escalation procedures for projects experiencing significant cost overruns, revenue recognition concerns, or margin deterioration.

• Support pre-construction and estimating teams with historical cost data, bid analysis, project risk assessments, and financial feasibility reviews.

5. Mission-Critical Data Center and Specialized Infrastructure Financial Oversight

• Provide financial oversight for hyperscale data centers and other mission-critical construction projects requiring specialized equipment, complex procurement, and accelerated delivery schedules.

• Monitor project costs associated with mission-critical mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) systems; backup power infrastructure; generators; chillers; switchgear; UPS systems; cooling systems; and related specialized equipment.

• Track long-lead equipment commitments, deposits, procurement milestones, vendor payments, material deliveries, and equipment-related cash flow requirements.

• Coordinate with project executives, procurement teams, and project managers to ensure equipment commitments and expenditures are reflected accurately in job-cost reports and financial forecasts.

• Evaluate the financial effects of equipment lead times, supply chain disruptions, schedule compression, commissioning requirements, and changes in project specifications.

• Ensure cost coding and financial reporting accurately capture the complexity of mission-critical systems and specialized construction packages.

• Support compliance with contractual confidentiality requirements, owner-specific financial controls, and applicable data center security protocols.

6. Healthcare Construction Financial Oversight and Regulatory Compliance

• Oversee financial reporting and project accounting for hospitals, medical centers, and other healthcare facilities.

• Monitor project costs associated with specialized healthcare infrastructure, including medical gas systems, critical power, advanced HVAC, cleanrooms, specialized electrical systems, and complex MEP installations.

• Ensure project documentation and financial controls support applicable healthcare construction requirements, including California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD) legacy requirements and current Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) standards, where applicable.

• Coordinate with project teams to track inspection-related milestones, compliance-driven scope changes, specialized subcontractor costs, and owner-mandated requirements.

• Review project funding structures, institutional payment requirements, reimbursement documentation, and owner billing procedures.

• Maintain appropriate financial documentation to support regulatory reviews, owner audits, and institutional reporting requirements.

• Identify financial risks associated with regulatory changes, inspection delays, commissioning requirements, and healthcare-specific project delivery constraints.

7. Billing, Cash Flow, and Working Capital Optimization

• Direct the development and implementation of divisional cash flow forecasts and working capital management strategies.

• Oversee timely and accurate preparation of owner payment applications, including AIA G702/G703 forms where contractually required.

• Coordinate with project managers, architects, consultants, and owners to resolve billing disputes, obtain required approvals, and accelerate payment processing.

• Monitor accounts receivable, retainage, underbillings, overbillings, collections, and outstanding change order billings.

• Establish controls to ensure subcontractor payment applications are reviewed, approved, and processed in accordance with contract requirements and company policy.

• Balance subcontractor payment obligations against owner funding cycles to protect liquidity while maintaining contractual compliance and productive trade relationships.

• Review cash flow forecasts for major equipment purchases, subcontractor mobilization, payroll, material deposits, and other significant project expenditures.

• Identify opportunities to improve billing efficiency, reduce days sales outstanding, minimize unbilled receivables, and strengthen divisional cash flow.

• Monitor and resolve payment delays, disputed invoices, and documentation deficiencies that may affect project liquidity.

8. Subcontractor, Lien Waiver, and Contractual Risk Management

• Oversee the financial administration of subcontractor commitments, payment applications, change orders, retainage, and contract closeout requirements.

• Ensure the collection, review, and validation of conditional and unconditional lien waivers and releases in accordance with applicable law, contractual requirements, and company procedures.

• Monitor subcontractor financial exposure, outstanding commitments, payment disputes, and potential claims.

• Verify that payment documentation is complete and consistent with applicable payment status, contractual obligations, and legal requirements.

• Coordinate with project management, legal counsel, and risk management teams to address potential liens, claims, disputes, and contractual financial exposures.

• Establish standardized controls for subcontractor compliance documentation, vendor payments, and project closeout.

• Identify potential financial liabilities and recommend mitigation strategies to protect the division and the broader organization.

9. Audit Management, Internal Controls, and Financial Compliance

• Serve as the primary financial point of contact for internal audits, external financial audits, owner-led project audits, and joint-venture financial reviews.

• Maintain robust internal controls over project accounting, financial reporting, purchasing, accounts payable, billing, payroll allocations, and cash disbursements.

• Ensure compliance with GAAP, applicable tax requirements, contractual obligations, company policies, and relevant construction industry regulations.

• Review and strengthen financial policies, approval matrices, segregation of duties, and project-level accounting procedures.

• Ensure that project transactions, cost allocations, revenue recognition calculations, and financial adjustments are supported by appropriate documentation.

• Coordinate the preparation of audit schedules, reconciliations, supporting documentation, and responses to audit findings.

• Develop and implement corrective action plans to address control deficiencies, recurring accounting issues, and audit recommendations.

• Maintain appropriate financial controls over joint ventures, project-specific entities, and other contractual arrangements, where applicable.

10. Team Leadership, Talent Development, and Organizational Management

• Lead, mentor, and develop a decentralized construction finance organization supporting multiple projects, regions, and operational teams.

• Provide direct supervision to approximately 8–10 employees, including project accounting managers, senior project accountants, regional financial analysts, and other financial personnel, as applicable.

• Establish performance expectations, reporting responsibilities, development plans, and accountability standards for the accounting and finance team.

• Provide functional financial oversight and leadership support to a broader organization of up to 100 employees, as applicable to the division's operating structure.

• Ensure appropriate staffing, workload distribution, and coverage across project accounting, billing, forecasting, WIP reporting, and financial analysis.

• Partner with project executives, project managers, and operational leadership to improve financial accountability at every level of the organization.

• Develop succession plans, cross-training programs, and standardized training for construction accounting and project financial management.

• Foster a culture of accuracy, responsiveness, transparency, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

11. Construction ERP Systems and Process Improvement

• Oversee the effective use and optimization of construction accounting and project management systems, including Sage 300 Construction and Real Estate, Viewpoint Vista, CMiC, and Procore.

• Ensure accurate system configuration and consistent use of cost codes, cost types, project budgets, subcontract commitments, change orders, billing schedules, and financial reporting tools.

• Identify opportunities to automate financial reporting, streamline reconciliations, improve forecasting accuracy, and reduce manual accounting processes.

• Develop standardized financial dashboards, reporting templates, and management tools that improve visibility into project and divisional performance.

• Partner with IT, project management, and operations teams to improve system integration, data integrity, and financial reporting efficiency.

• Establish and enforce consistent accounting workflows and reporting procedures across the division.

• Lead initiatives to improve financial data quality, strengthen internal controls, and support scalable growth.

12. Project Closeout and Financial Completion

• Oversee financial closeout activities to ensure all project costs, revenues, commitments, billings, and collections are properly reconciled.

• Ensure outstanding subcontractor invoices, retainage, lien waivers, change orders, claims, and owner billings are resolved before final closeout, subject to contractual requirements.

• Validate final project costs and gross profit against the most recently approved forecasts and original financial objectives.

• Confirm that open commitments are appropriately closed or reconciled and that remaining liabilities are properly accounted for.

• Review final WIP adjustments and ensure revenue recognition and project profitability are accurately reflected in the division's financial statements.

• Conduct post-project financial reviews to identify lessons learned, cost trends, estimating variances, and opportunities to improve future project performance.

Technical Knowledge and Skills: 

• Advanced knowledge of GAAP and construction-specific accounting practices, including percentage-of-completion revenue recognition and applicable contract accounting standards.

• Comprehensive understanding of construction job costing, cost coding, project budget development, committed costs, cost accruals, estimated costs to complete, and projected final costs.

• Ability to calculate, interpret, validate, and explain percentage-of-completion figures, earned revenue, gross profit, underbillings, overbillings, and WIP adjustments.

• Advanced financial modeling and forecasting skills, including project cash flow modeling, sensitivity analysis, variance analysis, and margin projections.

• Advanced Microsoft Excel proficiency, including complex formulas, pivot tables, data analysis, and financial reporting models.

• Proficiency with construction accounting ERP systems such as CMiC, Viewpoint Vista, and Sage 300, as well as project management platforms such as Procore.

• Knowledge of AIA G702/G703 payment applications, subcontractor payment administration, lien waivers, retainage, and construction contract documentation.

• Working knowledge of construction-related tax requirements, internal controls, financial audits, and regulatory compliance.

• Ability to analyze complex financial data, identify trends, communicate findings clearly, and recommend effective corrective actions.

Scope of Responsibility:    

• Project size: Typically $75 million to $150 million per project.

• Annual financial portfolio: $100 million or greater, depending on divisional volume.

• Direct reports: Approximately 8–10 employees.

• Broader organizational oversight: Financial leadership and functional coordination supporting an organization of up to 100 employees.

• Project types: Hospitals, medical centers, hyperscale data centers, mission-critical infrastructure, and large-scale commercial buildings.

• Financial scope: Divisional financial reporting, complete job costing, WIP management, revenue recognition, cost forecasting, profitability analysis, cash flow, billing, subcontractor financial administration, compliance, and project closeout.

Overall Objective:   

The Divisional Construction Controller is accountable for maintaining the financial integrity and profitability of the construction division while providing executive leadership with reliable, timely, and actionable financial information. Through disciplined construction accounting, comprehensive job-cost oversight, accurate percentage-of-completion reporting, proactive risk management, and effective team leadership, this individual ensures that projects are financially controlled from inception through completion.

The ultimate objective is to protect and maximize project profitability, maintain accurate financial forecasts, optimize working capital, strengthen internal controls, and provide the financial leadership necessary to execute complex healthcare, data center, and large-scale commercial construction projects successfully.


This job description does not reflect or imply that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee(s) in this position. Employee(s) will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by any person authorized to give instructions or assignments.

This description excludes marginal functions of the position that are incidental to the performance of fundamental job duties. All duties and responsibilities are essential job functions and requirements subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities. To perform this job successfully, the incumbent(s) will possess the skills, aptitudes, and abilities to perform each duty proficiently. The requirements listed in this document are the minimum levels of knowledge, skills and abilities.

We are an equal opportunity employer:
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status. ???????

Pay Details: $145,000.00 to $175,000.00 per year

Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled

Military connected talent encouraged to apply

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