Fractional Controller - Construction Focus

CEFO Advisors; City of Albany (NY); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work environment

401(k) with company match

Paid time off including your birthday

Professional development

Employee referral program

Health, vision, and dental insurance

Job summary

CEFO Advisors is seeking a Fractional Controller for construction clients in the Albany, NY region. You will lead accounting for multiple projects, strengthen internal controls, and provide clear financial reporting to support owners and project leaders.

The role requires 5+ years in a controller or senior finance position with strong job costing expertise and experience with ERP systems. Hybrid work and travel within the Capital District are expected.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in a Controller or senior-level financial role
• Construction/contractor client experience required
• Strong command of job costing and contract accounting (POC, WIP, retainage)
• Ability to coach and mentor staff
• Strong Excel skills; experience with QuickBooks, Sage, and ERP systems; cloud-based tools familiarity
• CPA is a plus

Responsibilities

• Review financial information and data entry for accuracy and completeness
• Manage month-end close process
• Record recurring journal entries including payroll and depreciation
• Reconcile balance sheet accounts
• Define and produce client-centric financial reports
• Develop and maintain 13-week cash flow forecasts
• Identify inefficiencies and implement accounting best practices
• Supervise CEFO staff and client staff
• Develop and refine workflow processes
• Support CFOs with banking, bonding, and insurance relationships
• Identify and correct pain points and help clients plan milestones
• Own job costing across labor, materials, equipment, and subcontractor costs
• Manage contract accounting, including POC, WIP, and revenue recognition
• Track change orders, retainage, and budgets
• Produce job profitability reporting and cost-to-complete analyses
• Support milestone-based billing and lien waiver coordination
• Coordinate with project managers to reconcile costs

Job description

Fractional Controller (Full-Time) - Construction Industry Focus | Client Advisory Services | Albany, NY

CEFO Advisors is a growing advisory firm built on strong relationships, practical thinking, and a high standard of client service. For over 13 years, we've supported organizations across the region by providing steady, experienced financial leadership when they need it most. Our team values organization, follow-through, and dependable partnerships with clients and each other. CEFO Advisors is proud to be named a 2025 Best Place to Work by the Albany Business Review, reflecting our commitment to a supportive and team-focused environment.

Position Overview

As a Controller serving construction clients at CEFO Advisors, you will support multiple clients across the building and contracting space. You will partner closely with owners and project leaders to strengthen financial visibility, tighten job-level profitability, and build dependable operational infrastructure. You will manage accounting staff, improve workflows, strengthen internal controls, and bring clarity to financial reporting. You will collaborate with our CFO team to support strategic decision-making and help construction leaders understand the financial roadmap needed to run and grow a great business. This role will also work with general business clients as needed.

Job Responsibilities

• Review financial information and data entry for accuracy and completeness
• Manage and complete the month-end close process
• Record recurring journal entries, including payroll and depreciation
• Reconcile balance sheet accounts
• Define and produce client-centric financial reports
• Develop and maintain 13-week cash flow forecasts
• Identify inefficiencies and implement accounting best practices
• Supervise and support CEFO staff and client staff
• Develop and refine workflow processes
• Support our CFOs with banking, bonding, and insurance relationships
• Identify and correct existing pain points and help clients build future strategic plans and milestones

Construction-Specific Responsibilities

• Own job costing across labor, materials, equipment, and subcontractor costs, ensuring accurate project-level tracking
• Manage contract accounting, including percentage-of-completion and completed contract methods, work-in-progress (WIP) schedules, over/under billings, and revenue recognition
• Track change orders, retainage, and committed costs against budgets
• Produce job profitability reporting and cost-to-complete analysis for project stakeholders
• Support billing tied to project milestones, AIA-style progress billing, and lien waiver coordination
• Partner with project managers to reconcile estimated vs. actual costs
• Coordinate workers' compensation, insurance, and labor union audits
• Understand union payroll including prevailing wage and certified payroll

Who You Are

• You love numbers and working to bring clarity to clients
• You live to ensure details drive the reliability of financial information
• Organized is your middle name
• You believe in solutions and persevere
• You are willing to travel to clients throughout the Capital District (this role requires the candidate to be located within 60 miles of Albany, NY)
• You understand the balance between finance, operations, and the realities of running projects
• You approach everything with a "can-do" mindset
• You are a consummate professional, and you do the right thing, always

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in a Controller or comparable senior-level financial role
• Demonstrated experience supporting construction or contractor clients (required)
• Strong command of job costing and contract accounting (POC, WIP, retainage)
• Ability and acumen to coach and mentor staff
• Ability to manage multiple clients and balance priorities
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Excel (required)
• Experience working with QuickBooks, Sage products, and other ERP systems; ability to adapt quickly to various client systems
• Experience with system implementation is a plus
• Strong technology skills and comfort with modern cloud-based tools
• CPA is a plus
• Exceptional interpersonal and client service skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Confidentiality and promptness are of utmost importance
• Must be based within 60 miles of Albany, NY

Compensation and Benefits

• Competitive hourly rate, commensurate with experience
• Generous incentive program and annual bonuses based on company performance
• Employee referral program
• Paid time off, including your birthday
• 401(k) with company match
• Health, vision, and dental insurance
• Hybrid work environment
• Opportunity for professional development
• Supportive and collaborative team culture

CEFO Advisors is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

This position requires the completion of a background check due to state and federal compliance requirements.