Property Accountant

Terrafirma

Property Accountant

Scottsdale, AZ
Full Time
Paid
  • Responsibilities

    Property management accounting is detail work that nobody notices when it's done right — and that everyone notices when it's done wrong. Terra Firma is looking for the accountant who takes that distinction personally. Terra Firma Property Management handles commercial condo association management in the Phoenix metro. We've grown to 35 properties on referrals alone — no marketing. Boards and owners come to us because someone burned by an inattentive firm asked around, and Terra Firma was the name that kept coming up. We're not hiring a bookkeeper to process transactions. We're hiring a Property Accountant who owns the financial layer of a growing commercial portfolio — monthly statements, CAM reconciliations, compliance filings, owner communications, and the accounting infrastructure that keeps 35 associations running clean. This person works directly with owners and their CPAs. They train the accounting assistant. They are the accounting function. WHAT THE WORK ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE This is a deadline-driven, detail-intensive role. Monthly financial statements go out every month, on time, and accurately. The compliance calendar — monthly TPT filings, bi-annual property tax payments, annual 1099s, bi-annual CAM reconciliations — does not move. Payables need to be ahead of due dates, not at them. Receivables need to be monitored actively, with past-due notifications going out before they become a property manager problem. You'll work directly with owners on their property accounting and with their outside CPAs and bookkeepers. That means explaining financial statements in plain language, fielding questions about ledger entries, and handling discrepancies without getting defensive about them. You'll also onboard new tenants, owners, and properties onto company platforms — and handle the financial side of ownership transfers. The accounting assistant reports to you. Their development is part of your job. So is working closely enough with the property managers that the accounting and management sides of the business function as one team, not two separate departments that throw information over a wall at each other. If you're looking for a role where the work is contained and predictable and someone else handles the hard deadlines — this isn't it. If the description above sounds like the kind of work you take pride in doing right, keep reading. WHO BELONGS HERE Care Like an Owner • These aren't accounts in a ledger — they're someone's investment property. When a financial statement goes out, it represents every dollar that the owner has put into that asset. You handle every entry, every reconciliation, every report with that in mind. Errors that get caught internally don't bother you. Errors that reach an owner do. Figure It Out • When a ledger doesn't reconcile, you find out why. When a new property comes on board with messy historical records, you clean them up. When a CPA asks a question you don't immediately have the answer to, you find it and get back to them — you don't forward the question upstream. The accounting function here runs on people who solve problems, not people who surface them. Solid Ground • Terra Firma's reputation is built on the fact that the numbers clients receive are right, and the people they deal with say what they mean. You don't tell an owner their statement is ready when it isn't. You don't let a deadline slide without flagging it. The trust Terra Firma has built with boards and CPAs lives partly in this seat. Bring the Energy • Accounting in a small firm is not a back-office function. You talk to owners. You talk to CPAs. You sit in the same office as the property managers. The energy you bring to the team — whether you make the people around you better or drain them — shows up every day. The standard here is Tracy and Jackie: excellent at work and the kind of person everyone wants to be around. WHAT YOU NEED • Prior experience in property management accounting — this role requires it; we are not training someone on PM accounting fundamentals • Strong Excel and Microsoft Office proficiency — financial statements and variance reports are built here regularly • Ability to work under strict deadlines — the compliance calendar doesn't have flexibility • Clear written and verbal communication — you will work directly with owners and CPAs • Ability to learn Yardi Breeze quickly — platform proficiency will be required in the role You do NOT need: • CPA certification not required — though relevant experience working with CPAs and financial statements is • Yardi Breeze proficiency not required on Day 1 — strong preference, but we'll train the right candidate • Commercial-only background not required — residential PM accounting experience with the right skills is considered PAY AND BENEFITS Base salary: $75,000–$80,000 based on experience. Profit sharing: 10% of first-year income from new management accounts you bring in. If you have relationships with CPAs, owners, or property investors who trust you, this component is a real income track — not a theoretical one. Full benefits package: • Blue Cross Blue Shield health insurance — 50% of the premium is paid by the company • HSA account with 2% of salary annual contribution (after year 1) • 10 days PTO + 8 government holidays • Pet insurance — fully paid for one pet • Flex/remote work option — determined after year 1 WHY TERRA FIRMA • A firm whose reputation is built on accuracy and responsiveness — you'll be proud of the product you're associated with • Direct access to ownership — no layers of management between you and the people who make decisions • A growing portfolio that creates real upside through the profit-sharing component • A team that covers each other, protects each other, and doesn't run its people ragged for difficult clients • An office where the work is taken seriously, and the culture is earned, not performed THE HIRING PROCESS • If your background fits, a 15-minute phone call. • A few written questions replied to by email — about 15 minutes. • A 45-minute face-to-face interview. • A working session at our office where you'll work through a sample accounting scenario. • If it's a fit — welcome to the team. The accountants who succeed here are the ones who read that job description and feel recognized, not warned. If that's you — apply. Responsibilities: • Prepare and review monthly financial statements across the commercial association portfolio — accurate, on time, every month. • Reconcile general ledger and bank accounts monthly; produce monthly, quarterly, and annual variance reports. • Manage accounts payable and receivable daily — stay ahead of payable due dates (especially utilities) and monitor AR delinquency actively with proactive past-due notifications. • Handle the compliance calendar: monthly TPT filings, bi-annual property tax payments, annual 1099 preparation, bi-annual CAM reconciliation and billing. • Produce monthly invoicing and deliver financial records to CPAs; work directly with owners and their outside bookkeepers and accountants as needed. • Own onboarding and offboarding — new tenants, owners, and properties onto company platforms; property ownership transfers; financial record transitions. • Train and develop the accounting assistant; collaborate closely with property managers and the assistant PM. Qualifications: Required: • Prior experience in property management accounting (required — not general accounting). • Excel and Microsoft Office proficiency. • Ability to meet strict deadlines on a recurring compliance calendar. • Strong written and verbal communication for owner and CPA interactions. You do NOT need: • CPA certification not required. • Yardi Breeze not required on Day 1 — strong preference; will train the right candidate. • Commercial-only PM accounting is not required — residential PM accounting with the right depth of experience is considered. Compensation: $75,000 - $80,000 yearly

    • Prepare and review monthly financial statements across the commercial association portfolio — accurate, on time, every month. • Reconcile general ledger and bank accounts monthly; produce monthly, quarterly, and annual variance reports. • Manage accounts payable and receivable daily — stay ahead of payable due dates (especially utilities) and monitor AR delinquency actively with proactive past-due notifications. • Handle the compliance calendar: monthly TPT filings, bi-annual property tax payments, annual 1099 preparation, bi-annual CAM reconciliation and billing. • Produce monthly invoicing and deliver financial records to CPAs; work directly with owners and their outside bookkeepers and accountants as needed. • Own onboarding and offboarding — new tenants, owners, and properties onto company platforms; property ownership transfers; financial record transitions. • Train and develop the accounting assistant; collaborate closely with property managers and the assistant PM.

  • Compensation
    $75,000-$80,000 per year