Controller

Pacific Executive Search LLC; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Pacific Executive Search LLC presents a Controller role with a Southern California real estate investment firm managing substantial multifamily assets. The candidate will lead the internal finance function, moving from outsourced to in-house, and report to the founders.

The role emphasizes real estate private equity fund accounting, consolidated reporting, and interaction with senior leadership to scale the financial infrastructure.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting or finance; CPA preferred.

Responsibilities

• Manage end-to-end month-end close for property-level and fund-level statements.
• Coordinate and review fund economics including NAV, waterfalls, and investor allocations.
• Oversee accounting systems architecture and COA design across platforms.
• Supervise accounts payable and vendor relationships; ensure proper intercompany allocations.
• Lead treasury functions, liquidity oversight, and internal control enforcement.
• Prepare and reconcile lender reporting packages and covenant calculations.
• Coordinate tax and audit processes across multiple jurisdictions.

Skills

Real estate PE accounting

Consolidations

Month-end close

Fund accounting

US GAAP

System integration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in accounting/finance

CPA designation

Tools

Yardi

MRI

AppFolio

Job description

This newly established Controller position offers the chance to architect and lead the internal finance function for a Southern California-based real estate investment firm managing nearly $600 million in multifamily assets. Reporting directly to the founding partners, the role demands a seasoned accounting professional with deep expertise in real estate private equity fund accounting, consolidations, and financial reporting. The successful candidate will transition a largely outsourced accounting operation in-house, gaining direct exposure to senior leadership and shaping the firm’s financial infrastructure as it scales.

Title:

Controller

Responsibilities:

• Manage the end-to-end month-end close process, overseeing property-level and fund-level financial statements prepared by external accounting teams and ensuring timely, accurate consolidation into owner-level reporting.
• Coordinate and review fund economics including NAV calculations, management and performance fee waterfalls, and investor allocations in alignment with fund agreements and side letters.
• Administer the firm’s accounting systems architecture, including chart of accounts design, user access controls, and integration of multiple property management and fund administration platforms.
• Oversee accounts payable and vendor relationships across management company and fund entities, ensuring proper allocation, intercompany rebills, and expense reimbursements.
• Lead cash management and treasury functions, maintaining liquidity oversight, enforcing internal controls such as segregation of duties and wire approval protocols, and managing short-term investments.
• Prepare and reconcile lender reporting packages, including operating statements, rent rolls, and covenant calculations, supporting the asset management team’s lender relationships.
• Coordinate tax and audit processes with external providers, including preparation of year-end tax packages, K-1s, and compliance filings across multiple jurisdictions.

Qualifications:

Must-Have:

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting or finance; CPA designation strongly preferred.
• Extensive experience in real estate private equity accounting, including multifamily property and fund-level accounting.
• Proven track record consolidating multiple property-level books into comprehensive owner-level financial reports for tax and lender purposes.
• Hands‑on expertise with private fund accounting concepts such as NAV, capital accounts, carried interest waterfalls, and partner allocations.
• Strong command of month‑end close, general ledger reconciliations, and financial statement preparation under US GAAP.
• Demonstrated ability to manage and hold accountable outsourced fund administrators and property accounting providers.
• Fluency with major real estate accounting platforms (e.g., Yardi, MRI, AppFolio) and fund administration systems, including system administration and multi‑platform integration.
• Experience designing and enforcing internal controls around cash, accounts payable, and wire transfers.

Nice-to-Have:

• Background in public accounting or Big 4 audit with exposure to real estate clients.
• Familiarity with lender reporting requirements and loan covenant calculations.
• Experience leveraging automation and AI tools to streamline the close process.
• Prior involvement in building or scaling an internal finance or accounting team.