Financial Controller

Overview

The organization is a growing property-damage consulting firm that represents the interests of policyholders following fires, floods, and other loss events. The team includes public adjusters, accountants, damage estimators, structural specialists, and personal-property experts who build strong, evidence-based files for clients.

We are seeking an experienced and detail-oriented Financial Controller to oversee financial operations. This role covers corporate accounting, regulatory and financial reporting, budgeting and forecasting, internal control policy development, and financial risk management. The ideal candidate will have deep expertise in accounting standards and financial management practices (including GAAP and ASC 606) and will work closely with executive management to maintain accurate reporting and effective cash management. This position is critical to preserving the organization’s financial health and supporting strategic growth through rigorous oversight of accounting functions and advanced financial analysis.

Responsibilities

• Manage accounting operations, including general ledger, accounts payable/receivable, billing, cost accounting, and payroll processing.
• Ensure compliance with GAAP, ASC 606, and other applicable regulatory standards; manage local, state, and federal reporting requirements and tax filings.
• Lead month-end and year-end close processes, including financial report preparation and analysis.
• Prepare and publish timely financial statements (balance sheet, income statement, cash flow) for internal and external stakeholders.
• Coordinate and direct budget and forecast preparation, and report on variances to support strategic planning.
• Perform detailed account reconciliations, variance analysis, and account analysis using spreadsheets and financial software.
• Coordinate regulatory reporting and research technical accounting issues to maintain compliance.
• Manage treasury functions, including cash management, banking relationships, and liquidity planning.
• Develop and document internal controls, business processes, and accounting policies; ensure quality control over transactions and reporting.
• Manage financial risk and apply data-analysis skills to forecasting, financial modeling, and decision support.
• Lead the conversion from cash-basis to full accrual accounting under GAAP, including ASC 606 revenue recognition for multi-payment and contingency-based claim engagements.
• Maintain and refine the revenue-recognition model (payment-timing assumptions by claim type and loss event, historical collection rates, bad-debt reserves) and validate projections against actual results on a monthly basis.
• Implement and administer milestone- and project-based revenue recognition in the organization’s accounting systems, including project-level tracking for individual claims.
• Lead a general-ledger cleanup initiative: correct historical journal entries, clear suspense/clearing balances, and establish documented standards for recurring transactions.
• Build a repeatable month-end and year-end close process, producing a full close package and a concise executive summary with variance analysis and commentary.
• Stand up and maintain a daily consolidated cash report (bank balances, AR, AP due) and a short-term rolling cash-flow forecast (approximately 12–14 weeks).
• Implement a tiered vendor-invoice and expense approval workflow with system-enforced routing and approval thresholds.
• Establish check custody and disbursement controls, including issuance logs and signature authority; eliminate pre-signed instruments.
• Ensure claim-related vendor costs are tagged to the correct claim for cost-per-claim reporting and that carrier-reimbursable expenses are identified and recovered.
• Own commission accounting: reconcile historical commissions, validate settlement reporting, and administer accurate monthly payouts.
• Oversee accounts receivable, client billing, and collections, including management of external collections counsel and aged-balance strategy.
• Maintain accounting records for multiple affiliated legal entities, including intercompany transactions, allocations, and consolidation.
• Serve as the finance owner for the organization’s accounting systems and integrated finance tools (expense management, payroll); lead implementation of new finance systems and drive user adoption.
• Administer payroll and benefits via third-party providers, including time and attendance, PTO tracking, and expense reimbursement; manage licensing, bonding, and regulatory compliance renewals.
• Supervise and develop accounting staff, formalize finance functions being transitioned from legacy roles or outside providers, and build a scalable finance team and processes.

Qualifications

• Proven experience as a Financial Controller or in a similar senior finance role.
• CPA with 5+ years of combined accounting and finance experience; extensive knowledge of GAAP and ASC 606.
• Thorough knowledge of accounting principles and procedures, including general ledger functions and month-end/year-end close processes.
• Demonstrated expertise with enterprise accounting software and integrated finance tools, and strong proficiency with spreadsheet and office productivity tools.
• Experience in insurance, claims management, or related industries is preferred.
• Strong background in cash management, cost analysis, budgeting, and financial forecasting.
• Excellent analytical skills with the ability to interpret complex financial data and present clear reports for executive decision-making.
• Demonstrated experience remediating disorganized books and establishing a controls environment from scratch within a growing, founder-led organization — a builder, not just a maintainer.