Controller (Hands-On)

Industry: Construction services (blue-collar, field-driven environment)
Type: Full-time, in-person
Preferred location: St. Louis, MO (first choice)
Travel: ~20% (multi-state support)
Reporting to: Director of Finance (dotted-line support to Corporate Controller)

The Opportunity

Our client is a Private Equity-backed platform that acquires market-leading providers in pavement marking and traffic control services. This is a high-velocity operating environment: union + non-union labor, multi-state complexity, and frequent shifts in priorities. If you like order, pace, and getting results inside real-world messiness, you’ll fit.

They’re hiring a hands-on Controller who can own a tight month-end close, stay deep in the details, and lead a team that supports the field.

What You’ll Own

This Controller role is centered on a full month-end close across three states (IL / IN / MO) with real operational complexity:

• One ledger, multiple operating inputs
• Three state tax and compliance requirements
• Three labor environments (including union rules/agreements)
• Construction-style accounting: WIP, job margin, and contract impacts (including Liquidated Damages)

Close expectation: 7-day close (targeting 4–5 days to close + 1–2 days to review/audit your work for accuracy).

Team leadership: Manage 6 direct reports across A/P, A/R, payroll support, and general accounting functions (exact breakdown may vary by region).

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and execute the month-end close process end-to-end; drive timelines, quality, and accountability.
• Own balance sheet integrity: bank recs, cash disbursement recs, payroll-related accounts, customer accounts, and key accruals.
• Post and review journal entries (intercompany, bank activity, payroll benefits/taxes/fees, and other recurring entries).
• Oversee A/P processing controls and coding accuracy; validate tax handling across office locations and offsite material shipments.
• Support A/R and invoicing workflows as needed to keep cash moving and reporting clean.
• Produce and explain monthly financials; provide variance commentary and operational insights to finance leadership and corporate.
• Partner with ops leaders on WIP, job costing, margin movement, and risk items that affect forecast and profitability.
• Track CapEx spend vs budget; support budgeting/forecasting cycles.
• File required tax forms at federal/state/local levels (as applicable, with internal/external partners).
• Support corporate requests on reporting and analysis; be responsive when the Corporate Controller needs data quickly.
• Participate in annual audit activities and PE-backed priorities: acquisition due diligence, integration, and systems/process upgrades.

WIP + Liquidated Damages (What We Mean)

This role needs someone who understands how job performance and contract terms flow into the financials. For example:

• Liquidated Damages (L&Ds) are pre-agreed penalties for missing milestones or completion dates (often daily/weekly amounts, sometimes capped).
• When L&D exposure becomes probable and reasonably estimable, finance typically needs to:
  • Accrue the estimated cost (expense/liability), and
  • Update WIP/forecast assumptions (margin fade shows up fast).

You don’t need to be a lawyer. You do need to understand how contract risk turns into accounting actions and cleaner decision-making.

What Success Looks Like (First 90 Days)

30 days:

• Learn the business rhythm, union/payroll realities, and the close calendar.
• Stabilize reconciliations and identify the top 10 “close breakers.”

60 days:

• Close is predictable and repeatable; fewer surprises, fewer late adjustments.
• WIP reporting is trusted by ops and finance leadership.

90 days:

• Close runs inside the target window with strong review discipline.
• Integration/cleanup priorities are defined and in motion (PE-backed cadence).

Required Background

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance.
• 5+ years in public accounting and/or general ledger accounting (construction/services background strongly preferred).
• Demonstrated ownership of a full close cycle (not just pieces).
• Experience leading a team and holding people to timelines and accuracy.
• Strong grasp of GAAP, accruals, reconciliations, and financial statement preparation.
• Advanced Excel ability (you can build, audit, and explain models—not just use templates).
• Comfortable working in a fast-moving environment where priorities can change quickly.

Preferred Experience (Strong Plus)

• Managing revenue $100 mil+
• Construction accounting exposure: WIP, job costing, margin analysis, contract impacts.
• Multi-state operations experience (tax, payroll, compliance).
• M&A / acquisition integration experience: cleaning up books, standardizing processes, onboarding entities.

Benefits Notes

This is a non-union role, with access to union-style benefits (details shared during process).