Controller — Greater Los Angeles, California | Pacific Executive Search

Controller

(Job ID: 1898)

Greater Los Angeles, California

Hybrid

Direct Hire

Real Estate

$140,000 – $180,000 base

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Overview

Join a dynamic and growing real estate investment firm as a Controller, where you will play a pivotal role in shaping the financial landscape of a diverse portfolio of commercial properties. This senior-level position offers the opportunity to collaborate closely with executive leadership, driving strategic initiatives and financial operations that support our ambitious growth plans. Embrace a culture of innovation and collaboration, where your expertise will be valued, and your contributions will directly impact the organization's success.

Responsibilities

Lead the financial management lifecycle for a multi-property, multi-LLC commercial real estate portfolio, ensuring accurate and timely financial statement preparation and consolidation.
Oversee annual CAM reconciliations and ensure compliance with lease terms through precise pass-through calculations.
Conduct monthly account and bank reconciliations, managing intercompany eliminations across all entities.
Enhance the chart of accounts and general ledger structure in Yardi Voyager, establishing coding standards across all LLCs.
Support acquisition and disposition accounting, including purchase price allocations and asset basis tracking.
Collaborate with the CEO on budgeting, forecasting, and long-range planning to drive financial strategy.
Prepare comprehensive financial reporting packages for investors and executives, complete with variance analysis and KPI dashboards.

Qualifications

Must-Have:
8+ years of experience in finance/accounting, with at least 4 years in a Controller role.
4+ years of experience in commercial real estate and multi-entity LLC consolidations.
Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance; CPA preferred.
Proficiency in Yardi Voyager and understanding of cost segregation, MACRS depreciation, and §1031 exchange mechanics.
Nice-to-Have:
Experience with lender reporting and debt covenant compliance.
Familiarity with CAM/NNN lease structures.
Strong analytical skills and the ability to distill complex financial information for non-finance stakeholders.
A proactive, solutions-oriented mindset with a collaborative approach to problem-solving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do Accounting Manager hires fail?
Because companies hire for close execution when the real need is issue ownership and team leadership. Many candidates can manage a checklist. Far fewer can stabilize the function under pressure, improve weak processes, coach staff, and hold the line during audit, turnover, or reporting stress.
What are strong Accounting Manager candidates evaluating during the interview process?
They are usually trying to understand whether they are walking into a stable environment, a cleanup situation, or an under-resourced function. Strong candidates do not just evaluate title and compensation. They assess whether success is realistically achievable and whether leadership understands what the accounting team actually needs.
Why do accounting roles in real estate often require a different kind of operator?
Because entity structures, property-level reporting, intercompany activity, partnership considerations, and ownership reporting can create a more structurally complex environment than many standard corporate settings. Real estate accounting roles usually demand a candidate who understands the operating rhythm of the business, not just the debits and credits.
Is the CPA really required for roles like this?
Sometimes yes, and often functionally yes even when the posting says "preferred." At leadership levels especially, the CPA frequently acts as a credibility signal for hiring managers, auditors, lenders, investors, or boards. There are exceptions, but in many accounting searches it remains one of the clearest markers of technical foundation.
How do strong candidates typically evaluate opportunities like this?
Strong candidates rarely evaluate a role based on title alone. They look at what the position actually owns, how the function is viewed internally, whether the environment is stable or in transition, and what success will realistically look like in the first 6 to 12 months. Many first discover a role through a posting, but the strongest career decisions usually come from understanding the context behind the opportunity, not just the job description. In accounting and finance hiring, that level of context is often what separates a lateral move from a meaningful one. Learn more about how strategic accounting and finance searches differ from transactional recruiting.
Why is cost accounting experience often treated as a separate requirement?
Because cost accounting is not just a line item on a resume. In the right environments, it shapes how the business understands margins, inventory, production efficiency, and operating performance. Employers usually separate it out because general accounting strength alone does not guarantee sound judgment in a costing environment.