Financial Controller

Dream Team; Chattanooga (TN); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Dream Team is seeking a Financial Controller to own the financial health and compliance infrastructure of its growing specialty construction business. This role leads the full accounting operation, strategic financial reporting, cash flow management, and internal controls, partnering with the CEO to scale from $5M to $100M.

You will supervise the bookkeeper, manage AIA billing, WIP, and job costing, and coordinate with the CPA for tax and audits, ensuring clean, timely financials and actionable

Qualifications

• 5+ years of accounting or finance experience in commercial construction.
• CPA preferred; Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance required.
• Proficiency in QuickBooks Desktop or Online; Sage 300 CRE, Foundation, or Procore a strong plus.
• Strong knowledge of job costing, WIP schedules, and percentage-of-completion accounting.
• Experience managing the full financial operation of a $3M-$15M specialty contractor.
• Demonstrated ability to produce clean monthly financials on a repeatable, deadline-driven schedule.
• Experience supervising at least one direct report (bookkeeper or AP/AR staff).

Responsibilities

• Oversee all accounting functions: AP, AR, payroll, job costing, and general ledger management.
• Produce monthly P&L, balance sheet, and cash flow statements for CEO review by the 10th of each month.
• Manage construction-specific billing: AIA applications, retention tracking, and lien waiver management.
• Develop and maintain job cost reporting by project, trade, and cost category; flag variances.
• Establish and enforce internal financial controls and accounting policies across the organization.
• Lead the annual budgeting process; track actuals vs. budget and report monthly variances to CEO.
• Manage banking relationships, operating credit lines, and bonding documentation requirements.
• Supervise the in-house bookkeeper; review work for accuracy.
• Coordinate with CPA for annual tax preparation, review, and audit support.
• Support CEO with financial modeling, bid margin analysis, and strategic growth decisions.
• Monitor WIP schedule; manage percentage-of-completion accounting on active projects.
• Maintain compliance with all federal, state, and local tax obligations and reporting requirements.

Skills

Job costing

WIP reporting

Percentage-of-completion

Cash flow management

Financial reporting

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance

CPA preferred

Tools

QuickBooks Desktop/Online

Sage 300 CRE

Foundation

Procore

Job description

The Financial Controller at Dream Team Finishes owns the financial health, reporting, and compliance infrastructure of a growing specialty construction enterprise. This is not a bookkeeping role elevated in title - this is a true controller position responsible for the full accounting operation, strategic financial reporting, cash flow management, job costing, and internal controls.
The Controller partners directly with the CEO to build the financial foundation needed to scale from $5M to $100M. This means producing clean, timely financials that leadership can actually use - not reports that live in a drawer. It means managing construction-specific billing with precision, protecting cash flow, and giving the CEO the financial clarity to make confident decisions.

Core Identity: You are the financial conscience of Dream Team. You protect the company, inform the strategy, and build the systems that make scaling possible.

Key Responsibilities

Oversee all accounting functions: AP, AR, payroll, job costing, and general ledger management

Produce monthly P&L, balance sheet, and cash flow statements for CEO review by the 10th of each month

Manage construction-specific billing: AIA applications, retention tracking, and lien waiver management

Develop and maintain job cost reporting by project, trade, and cost category - flag variances proactively

Establish and enforce internal financial controls and accounting policies across the organization

Lead the annual budgeting process; track actuals vs. budget and report monthly variances to CEO

Manage banking relationships, operating credit lines, and bonding documentation requirements

Supervise the in-house bookkeeper; review work for accuracy and ensure daily financial transactions are clean

Coordinate with CPA for annual tax preparation, review, and audit support

Support CEO with financial modeling, bid margin analysis, and strategic growth decisions

Monitor WIP schedule; manage percentage-of-completion accounting on active projects

Maintain compliance with all federal, state, and local tax obligations and reporting requirements

Who You Are

Your work is correct the first time. You check it anyway.

You don't wait for problems to surface - you see them coming and speak up.

The CEO relies on your numbers completely. No surprises.

You don't just maintain processes - you build better ones.

You give clear financial guidance even when the answer is uncomfortable.

You understand job costing, AIA billing, and the cash flow realities of a GC world.

Cash flow volatility and month-end pressure don't rattle you.

Steady

Construction-Savvy

Direct

Systems-Builder

Trustworthy

Proactive

Precise

Qualifications

5+ years of accounting or finance experience; commercial construction industry required

CPA preferred; Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance required

Proficiency in QuickBooks Desktop or Online; Sage 300 CRE, Foundation, or Procore a strong plus

Strong knowledge of job costing, WIP schedules, and percentage-of-completion accounting

Experience managing the full financial operation of a $3M-$15M specialty contractor

Demonstrated ability to produce clean monthly financials on a repeatable, deadline-driven schedule

Experience supervising at least one direct report (bookkeeper or AP/AR staff)