Controller - Construction & Transportation

Vessel Advisors; Lynwood (CA); On-site; USD 155,000 - 165,000; Full time

Job summary

Vessel Advisors assists a confidential client in southeast Los Angeles County to appoint an accounting leader who will own the entire function across multiple entities. This is a build-it seat reporting to ownership, with responsibilities spanning close, GL, AP/AR, cash, and controls to scale a project-based business.

You will drive billing discipline for government and prevailing-worth contracts, implement SOPs, and mentor staff.

Qualifications

• 7+ years in accounting with a Controller or senior accounting-leadership role.
• Experience in construction/public works with certified payroll and prevailing wage is a key qualification.
• Multi-entity accounting and consolidation experience.
• Hands-on ownership of month-end close, GL, AP/AR, cash management, and reconciliations.

Responsibilities

• Own all accounting operations across multiple entities — close, GL, AP/AR, cash, reconciliations.
• Drive billing and collections discipline across government and prevailing-wage contracts to improve cash flow.
• Ensure internal controls, accounting policies, and SOPs built to GAAP.
• Oversee budgeting, forecasting, and short-term cash-flow planning with ownership.
• Lead accounting systems and automation; supervise and develop staff.

Skills

GAAP

Advanced Excel

Internal controls

Financial reporting

Multi-entity accounting

Team leadership

ERP systems

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field

Tools

QuickBooks

ERP systems

Job description

About this search

Vessel Advisors is a national financial-leadership firm that helps growing companies build and strengthen their finance and accounting teams — from fractional CFO and controller support to permanent executive search. We have been exclusively retained by our client to help build their leadership team and are managing this search on their behalf. Our client’s identity is kept confidential at this stage and is shared with candidates as the process advances.

About our client

Our client is an established, owner-led group of companies in the construction and transportation sector, based in southeast Los Angeles County. They have grown quickly and are building the financial leadership to match.

The opportunity

This is not a maintain-the-books seat — it is a build-it seat. Reporting directly to ownership, you will own the entire accounting function and stand up the systems, controls, and reporting a multi-entity, project-based business needs to scale. A core mandate is bringing discipline to billing and collections across government and prevailing-wage contracts. If you want ownership, visibility, and a direct line to the people running the company, this is that role.

What you’ll own

• All accounting operations across multiple entities — close, GL, AP/AR, cash, reconciliations.
• Billing and collections discipline across commercial, government, and prevailing-wage contracts — the biggest single lever on cash flow.
• Certified payroll and union/non-union billing compliance.
• Internal controls, accounting policies, and SOPs built to GAAP.
• Budgeting, forecasting, and short-term cash-flow planning alongside ownership.
• Accounting systems and AP/AR automation; supervision and development of accounting staff.

What you bring

• 7+ years in accounting, including a Controller or senior accounting-leadership role.
• Construction / public-works experience with certified payroll and prevailing wage — the key qualification.
• Multi-entity accounting and consolidation experience.
• A track record of building processes and controls from the ground up.
• Strong GAAP, advanced Excel, and hands-on systems experience. CPA not required.

Location & compensation

• Fully on-site in Lynwood, CA — convenient to the Gateway Cities, Long Beach, and the Santa Fe Springs corridor.
• $155,000–$165,000 per year, depending on experience.

Our client is an equal opportunity employer.

• 7+ years in accounting, including a Controller or senior accounting-leadership role.
• Construction or public-works experience with certified payroll and prevailing wage — the key qualification.
• Hands-on ownership of month-end close, GL, AP/AR, cash management, and reconciliations.
• Multi-entity accounting and consolidation experience.
• A track record of building accounting processes, policies, and internal controls from the ground up.
• Strong knowledge of GAAP and advanced Excel.
• Experience with QuickBooks and/or ERP systems and AP/AR automation tools.
• Job costing and government/prevailing-wage billing familiarity.
• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field preferred.
• Able to work on-site in Lynwood, CA.