Controller, Property Accounting

Legacy Search Advisors; Baltimore (MD); On-site; USD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Legacy Search Advisors in Baltimore partners with a premier commercial real estate organization to hire a Controller for its growing accounting team. You will oversee accounting across a sophisticated portfolio including institutional real estate investments, private equity fund structures, joint ventures, and development activity.

Reporting to a Director, you’ll lead three senior accountants, mentor staff, and drive process improvements while expanding business partnership with asset

Qualifications

• 8–10+ years of progressive accounting experience with a meaningful concentration in commercial real estate.
• Experience with property accounting and real estate investment structures (funds, joint ventures, investor reporting, capital calls, distributions).
• Prior supervising, mentoring and developing accounting professionals is important.
• Yardi is highly preferred; MRI is acceptable as a comparable system. CPA is a plus but not required.

Responsibilities

• Lead accounting for a sophisticated real estate portfolio and manage a team of three senior accountants.
• Drive process improvements, strengthen controls, and partner with senior finance leadership.
• Mentor and develop accounting staff and collaborate with Asset Management, Development, Portfolio Management, and investors.

Skills

Leadership

People management

Real estate accounting

Financial reporting

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

CPA certification

Tools

Yardi

MRI

Job description

We are partnering with one of the Baltimore region’s most established and respected commercial real estate organizations on a key Controller hire within its growing accounting team.

This is an opportunity for someone who knows real estate accounting but is ready for more than simply owning a close. You’ll step into a visible leadership role overseeing accounting across a sophisticated portfolio that includes institutional real estate investments, private equity fund structures, joint ventures, development activity and well-known commercial properties throughout the East Coast.

You’ll report to a recently promoted Director and lead a team of three Senior Accountants, with an opportunity to mentor and develop the group while continuing to improve how the accounting function operates.

The organization is actively evolving its accounting model, including greater utilization of an offshore team. As a result, this position is increasingly focused on review, leadership, process improvement and business partnership rather than being buried in transactional accounting.

You’ll work closely with senior accounting and finance leadership as well as Asset Management, Development, Portfolio Management, investors, lenders, auditors and an external fund administrator.

What We’re Looking For

• The ideal candidate will bring approximately 8–10+ years of progressive accounting experience with a meaningful concentration in commercial real estate.
• Strong candidates will have experience with property accounting and exposure to real estate investment structures such as funds, joint ventures, investor reporting, capital calls and distributions. Prior experience supervising, mentoring and developing accounting professionals is important.
• Yardi experience is highly preferred, although comparable real estate systems experience such as MRI will be considered. Public accounting experience and a CPA are both pluses but are not required.
• Most importantly, this organization wants a leader — someone who can develop people, improve processes, strengthen controls and help a talented accounting team continue to evolve.

Why Consider It?

• This is a stable, well-established commercial real estate organization with an excellent reputation, recognizable assets, sophisticated investment structures and continued growth throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast.
• The leadership team has a strong track record of promoting talented people internally, and this opening itself comes on the heels of an internal promotion.
• For someone who enjoys real estate but wants greater leadership exposure, more sophisticated fund/JV experience and a legitimate opportunity to continue advancing, this is an excellent next step.