Controller - Clean Energy & Renewable Energy

AlphaGov; Santa Cruz (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary based on experience

Health insurance and retirement plan

Paid time off and benefits

Career development and advancement

Exposure to complex construction and P

Job summary

AlphaGov is seeking an experienced Controller to lead accounting and financial operations for a growing project-based contractor in the South Bay/Central Coast area. The role emphasizes construction accounting, WIP analysis, and overseeing union payroll compliance, with ERP migration expertise and scalable process improvements.

You will partner with project managers and executive leadership to drive profitability, manage intercompany transactions, and implement robust internal controls.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in accounting/finance in a Controller or senior role.
• Direct accounting experience with a construction company or contractor.
• Experience leading ERP implementations.
• Strong payroll compliance knowledge for union and prevailing-wage.
• Ability to develop controls, policies, and scalable processes.

Responsibilities

• Lead core accounting operations: GL, AR/AP, project billing, reconciliations, month-end close, financial reporting.
• Oversee construction accounting: job costing, WIP, percentage-of-completion, cost-to-complete, project margins.
• Manage union and prevailing-wage payroll compliance, including certified payroll submissions and fringe reporting.
• Analyze financial statements, investigate variances, communicate risks and findings to leadership.

Skills

Construction accounting

ERP implementations

Union payroll compliance

Financial analysis

Project costing

WIP reporting

Intercompany accounting

Job description

We are a growing project-based contractor in the South Bay / Central Coast area seeking an experienced Controller to lead our accounting and financial operations. This role requires a strong construction accounting background, hands-on experience with union and prevailing-wage payroll compliance, and a proven ability to lead ERP implementations and establish scalable financial processes.

We are looking for someone comfortable managing a broad range of accounting functions, strengthening financial controls, and partnering with our project managers and executive leadership to support profitability and business growth. Experience in clean energy or renewable energy is preferred but not required.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead core accounting operations, including the general ledger, accounts payable and receivable, project billing, account reconciliations, month-end close, and financial reporting
• Oversee construction accounting, including job costing, work-in-progress (WIP) schedules, percentage-of-completion accounting, cost-to-complete analysis, and project margin tracking
• Manage union and prevailing-wage payroll compliance, including certified payroll submissions, fringe benefit reporting, and multi-union wage requirements
• Review financial performance by analyzing financial statements, investigating variances, identifying financial risks, and communicating findings to leadership
• Manage intercompany accounting across our affiliated entities, including transaction tracking, reconciliations, and elimination entries
• Lead ERP implementations and accounting system transitions, including migration planning, data conversion, testing, system integration, and post-launch improvements
• Develop and strengthen financial processes by establishing accounting policies, internal controls, reporting standards, and efficient workflows
• Prepare budgets and forecasts, including cash-flow projections and financial models to support business planning and decision-making
• Partner with our project managers and operations leaders to monitor project costs, billing cash flow, margins, and overall profitability
• Provide financial analysis and recommendations to help management make informed operational and strategic decisions
• Identify opportunities to improve reporting accuracy, internal controls, and accounting efficiency
• Build scalable accounting systems and processes to support our continued growth while maintaining ownership of core financial functions

Requirements

• 5+ years of progressive accounting or finance experience in a Controller, Assistant Controller, or comparable senior accounting role
• Required: Direct accounting experience with a construction company or contractor
• Strong knowledge of construction job costing, WIP reporting, and percentage-of-completion accounting
• Hands-on experience with union and prevailing-wage payroll compliance, including certified payroll, fringe benefit reporting, and multi-local wage requirements
• Proven experience leading an ERP implementation, accounting system migration, conversion, or consolidation
• Experience developing or improving accounting processes, financial controls, and reporting systems
• Demonstrated ability to manage intercompany transactions, reconciliations, and elimination entries
• Strong financial statement analysis skills, including the ability to identify discrepancies, investigate variances, and explain financial performance
• Experience working in a small-to-midsized business and the ability to work independently across a broad range of finance responsibilities
• Excellent analytical, organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills
• Ability to collaborate effectively with project managers, operations teams, and executive leadership

Preferred Experience

• Clean energy or related infrastructure experience. This experience is beneficial but not required

Benefits

• Competitive salary based on experience
• Health insurance and retirement plan options
• Paid time off and company-sponsored benefits
• The opportunity to build, improve, and lead our growing finance function
• Direct involvement in strategic financial planning and operational decision-making
• Exposure to complex construction, infrastructure, and clean-energy projects
• Professional development and long-term career advancement opportunities
• A collaborative environment within our growing clean-energy and infrastructure business