Federal Division Controller

Gilbane Building; Concord (CA); On-site; USD 185,000 - 350,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous profit-sharing/401k plan

Comprehensive health benefits

Investment in employee education

Job summary

A leading construction management firm in California is seeking a Federal Divisional Controller to lead financial strategy and reporting. This role involves collaborating closely with division leadership, ensuring compliance with regulations, and managing a high-performing accounting team. The ideal candidate has over 15 years in construction finance, especially with federal contracts. This position offers a competitive salary range of $185,000 to $350,000, alongside comprehensive benefits including a profit-sharing plan and opportunities for professional development.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of progressive experience in construction management or general contracting.
• Direct involvement with Federal Government contracting projects is essential.
• International accounting expertise and tax compliance in multi-jurisdictional environments.

Responsibilities

• Deliver strategic financial leadership to the Federal Division.
• Ensure financial reporting accuracy and timeliness.
• Collaborate with leadership to drive cohesive financial performance.

Skills

Exceptional communication skills

Analytical thinking

Problem-solving

Deep knowledge of GAAP

Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, or related field

Tools

CMiC

MicroStrategy

Large-scale ERP systems knowledge

Job description

Join to apply for the Federal Divisional Controller role at Gilbane Building.

Overview

Are you a strategic finance leader with a passion for optimizing performance, ensuring financial integrity, and driving impactful business decisions? We’re seeking an experienced and forward‑thinking professional to lead our Federal Division Financial Function with precision and insight. In this critical role, you'll partner closely with Division leadership and Corporate Accounting, cross‑functional teams, providing trusted analysis and actionable guidance to support our long‑term growth. If you thrive in a dynamic environment and are motivated by challenges that blend strategic thinking with hands‑on execution, this role offers the perfect platform to make a meaningful impact.

Who are we?

As a Top‑10 ENR Contractor, Gilbane is a family‑owned business with 45 offices that has been shaping communities since 1870. Consistently recognized as one of the most reputable construction management firms in the country, Gilbane is committed to delivering projects safely and on‑time. We are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

Who are you?

You are a coach/leader who leads with an inclusive and empathetic mindset. You provide feedback and guidance to help others excel in their current or future roles. You determine priorities, delegate work, and effectively communicate progress. You establish measures to assess the impact, quality, and timeliness of results while praising successes and sharing lessons learned. You build high‑performing teams by attracting, engaging, developing, and retaining talented individuals through motivation and discipline to maximize impact on the organization and the individual. You leverage business insights by understanding industry trends, local market/economic conditions, and Gilbane’s business model to make critical decisions and create competitive advantages. You deploy a strategic mindset when considering solutions to long‑term opportunities and risks that may develop in the future. Your core values match Gilbane’s: Integrity, Caring, Teamwork, Toughmindedness, Dedication to Excellence, Discipline, Loyalty, and Entrepreneurship.

Why Join Us?

This isn’t just a finance leadership role—it’s a unique opportunity to influence the financial strategy of a dynamic, multi‑entity organization in growth mode. You’ll collaborate with forward‑thinking leaders, take on high‑impact challenges, and play a pivotal role in shaping decisions that drive sustainable success. Your work will matter—and you’ll see the results of your impact every step of the way.

Responsibilities

Primary Function: Deliver strategic financial leadership to the Federal Division by ensuring the accuracy and timeliness of financial reporting. Collaborate closely with Division and departmental leadership to align overhead functions with business objectives, driving cohesive financial performance and informed decision‑making across the Division. The Division Controller oversees the daily operations of the Federal Division accounting team, which include both the International and US businesses with combined revenues of approximately $500M.

Typical Responsibilities and Duties

• Interpret and translate the organizational strategy, ensuring team understanding of their role in accomplishing strategic goals, define vision/strategy and manage the Federal Accounting team to oversee the execution of the strategy.
• Serve as a valued business partner for the Federal Division Leadership Team and be responsible for meeting established Sales/Gross Profit/Overhead/Net Income goals.
• Recruit and hire top talent and key strategic hires to drive business growth and ensure consistency within the team; drive and lead employee engagement and retention.
• Take responsibility for the career development and coaching of team members and ensure the right people are in the right positions to ensure success.
• Model Gilbane’s Core Values and foster a positive and inclusive work environment to motivate and engage team members.
• Act as a champion for ensuring policy and procedure knowledge, training and adherence within the Division.
• Partner with Division Leadership Risk Management on all projects and proactive development of mitigation plans when risks are identified as well as claims and legal management.
• Drive financial performance on all projects ensuring accurate forecasts for projects, including thorough financial risk assessments, and ensure timely identification, documentation, and communication of potential exposures.
• Share accountability for preventing erosion and forecasting slippage.
• Drive accountability in areas such as project financial setup, cost controls, receivables, time reporting, and capital expenditures.
• Ensure regulatory and tax compliance within the geographies of the Division.
• Oversee the monthly closing process including WIP reporting adhering to the Enterprise documentation requirements and profit recognition rules, and department expense review. Ensure balance sheet accounts are properly classified.
• Lead quarterly and annual financial forecasting for the Division, collaborating closely with the Division Leader and cross‑functional partners to ensure projections are comprehensive, accurate, and aligned with strategic goals.
• Domestic and International Travel required – 25% or more dependent upon candidate’s location.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, or a related field.
• 15+ years of progressive experience in construction management or with a general contractor, including direct involvement with Federal Government contracting projects.
• International accounting and tax compliance in a multi‑jurisdictional environment.
• Experience with review and understanding of DCAA indirect rate submissions.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal, coupled with strong analytical thinking and a proven ability to solve complex problems.
• Deep knowledge of GAAP and IFRS principles and their practical application to accurate and compliant financial reporting and international tax compliance.
• Deep knowledge of DCAA regulations, including rate structures, burden allocation, and internal cost distribution methodologies.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, including Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook, with the ability to leverage tools for efficient data analysis and communication.
• Proficient in CMiC and MicroStrategy, or in large‑scale ERP systems or possessing comparable working knowledge.

Salary and Benefits

Salary to be determined based on factors such as geographic location, skills, education, and or experience of the applicant, as well as the internal equity and alignment with the team. The pay ranges from $185,000.00 to $350,000.00 plus benefits and retirement program. Gilbane offers an excellent total compensation package which includes competitive health and welfare benefits and a generous profit‑sharing/401k plan. We invest in our employees’ education and have built Gilbane University into a top training organization in the construction industry. Qualified applicants who are offered a position must pass a pre‑employment substance abuse test.

Equal Opportunity Employment

Gilbane is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status, or disability status.

Note to Recruiters, Placement Agencies, and Similar Organizations

Gilbane does not accept unsolicited resumes from agencies. Please do not forward unsolicited agency resumes to our jobs alias, website, or to any Gilbane employee. Gilbane will not pay fees to any third‑party agency or firm and will not be responsible for any agency fees associated with unsolicited resumes. Unsolicited resumes received will be considered property of Gilbane and will be processed accordingly.