Controller

Spruce Builders, LLC; Pennsylvania; On-site; USD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Spruce Builders, LLC is seeking an experienced financial operator to build the accounting infrastructure for a scaling construction and development platform. This is a strategic, hands-on leadership role with direct impact on cash flow, profitability, and capital strategy across multiple entities.

You will own FP&A for construction operations, drive monthly closes, and deliver timely financial statements while building scalable processes and reporting for executive decision-making.

Qualifications

• 10+ years progressive accounting experience in construction or real estate.
• Minimum 5 years as Controller or senior finance leader for multi-entity projects.
• Proven ability to scale accounting operations and implement systems.
• Expertise in job costing and WIP reporting with ownership-level interaction.

Responsibilities

• Own FP&A for construction operations including job costing and WIP.
• Lead annual budgeting and quarterly reforecasting with dashboards for leadership.
• Ensure capital and liquidity planning aligns with project pipeline.
• Drive system upgrades and process improvements to reduce manual work.

Skills

Strategic finance

Cash flow management

Variance analysis

WIP reporting

Intercompany accounting

Education

Bachelor’s in Accounting/Finance

CPA

Tools

QuickBooks

BuilderTrend

Sage 300

Procore

Job description

We are building a high-performance, multi-entity construction and development platform — and we need a financial operator who can build the accounting infrastructure to match our growth.

We are scaling rapidly in high-end residential and multi-family construction and development. Project volume is increasing. Entity complexity is increasing. Capital sophistication is increasing. Our accounting function must level up accordingly.

We are not looking for a traditional “keep the books clean” Controller. This Is Not a Maintenance Role. If you are a strategic construction finance leader who thrives in high-accountability environments, builds systems that scale, and wants a real seat at the table — this role is for you. If you prefer slow-moving environments, unclear standards, or “that’s how we’ve always done it,” this will not be a fit.

What You Will Own

You will own the integrity, structure, and scalability of our financial operations across multiple entities. This is a hands-on leadership role with direct impact on cash, profitability, capital strategy, and operational decision-making.

What Winning Looks Like

Within 30–90 Days

• Diagnose gaps in our accounting team and present a hiring/upgrade plan
• Implement a disciplined monthly close calendar
• Improve reporting clarity and timeliness
• Establish weekly executive dashboard cadence
• Strengthen immediate internal controls
• Build a rolling 13-week cash forecast updated weekly

You are not here to observe. You are here to upgrade.

Within 6–12 Months

• Deliver consistently on-time financial statements (10–15 business day close)
• Implement or significantly optimize accounting/project management systems
• Present technology and infrastructure recommendations to Ownership/Board
• Build a scalable accounting department that supports growth without chaos
• Create real-time visibility into job profitability and cash position

Core Responsibilities:

Financial Leadership

• Own FP&A for construction operations (job costing, WIP, margin analysis)
• Provide clear day/week/month financial snapshots to partners
• Lead annual budgeting and quarterly reforecasting
• Ensure capital and liquidity planning aligns with project pipeline

Construction Accounting Mastery

You must deeply understand:

• Percentage-of-completion accounting
• WIP schedules and margin fade/gain analysis
• Retainage tracking
• Draw schedules and lien waiver management
• Multi-entity and intercompany accounting
• Development and partnership structures

We are not looking for someone who needs to learn construction accounting on the job.

Operational Rigor

• Own monthly, quarterly, and annual closes
• Ensure all bank reconciliations are completed monthly
• Oversee AP, AR, payroll, and subcontractor payments
• Implement daily cash reporting
• Maintain GAAP compliance
• Lead audit and tax coordination

Systems & Scalability

• Evaluate QuickBooks and current software stack
• Recommend and lead ERP upgrades if needed
• Improve reporting automation and data reliability
• Build processes that reduce dependency on individual heroics

Performance Standards

We measure performance. You will be accountable for:

• Monthly financials delivered within 10–15 business days
• Weekly accounting dashboard sent by Monday 12 PM
• Accurate WIP reporting every month
• Rolling 13-week cash forecast updated weekly
• Clean reconciliations with no surprises
• AR metrics improving as HIP business scales

Required Experience

• 10+ years progressive accounting experience
• Minimum 5 years as Controller (or equivalent senior finance leader) in residential or multi-family construction
• Proven experience scaling accounting operations
• Expertise in job costing and WIP reporting
• Experience managing multiple entities
• Experience working directly with ownership
• Experience with Quickbooks
• Experience with BuilderTrend, Sage 300, Procore, or similar

Preferred

• CPA strongly preferred
• Experience with development capital structures and joint ventures
• ERP implementation leadership experience

Who Thrives Here

• You have built accounting departments before
• You move fast and don’t wait to be told
• You think like an owner
• You are comfortable being measured
• You communicate clearly and directly
• You care about precision
• You can operate strategically and still dive into detail
• You are technology-focused

Who Should Not Apply

• Controllers who only manage existing systems
• Accountants uncomfortable with growth-stage ambiguity
• Candidates without real construction accounting depth
• Leaders who avoid accountability

This is a career-defining opportunity to build the financial backbone of a scaling construction and development platform. If you are elite at what you do — and want to build something that matters — we want to talk.

Background check required for the role.