Director of Finance And Accounting

Work Locations acceptable:

The role is based in the Pacific Northwest or the Southeast, with regular in-person collaboration required.

Position Summary:

Our client is a privately held, vertically integrated real estate development organization focused on complex, multi-entity projects across multiple U.S. markets. The company specializes in projects that leverage layered financing structures, including public and private funding sources, and is experiencing continued growth across several regions.

The Director of Finance & Accounting is a newly created leadership role reporting to the Chief Financial Officer (CFO), positioned between the CFO and the Accounting Manager. The role focuses on higher-level finance, financial reporting, and operational visibility rather than day-to-day transactional accounting. This leader will oversee complex project financial workflows (including monthly construction draws and pay applications), serve as the primary owner of external financial reporting (in partnership with the CFO), implement income and expense tracking by location and business unit, and drive accountability and process improvement across a multi-entity operating environment. The role includes direct oversight, coaching, and development of the Accounting Manager and an offshore accounting support team.

This position requires strong initiative, an ownership mindset, and the ability to execute in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment. The successful candidate will materially reduce workload on the CFO and Accounting Manager, enhance financial processes, shepherd key deliverables across internal and external stakeholders, and bring a proactive, improvement-oriented approach to finance operations.

Absolute Minimum Must Have’s / Experience / Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s preferred
• 7 years of progressive experience in finance and accounting, beyond basic accounting tasks (public accounting preferred but not required)
• 5 years of experience in real estate development or a similarly complex project-based environment
• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial setting with significant autonomy
• Demonstrated ability to drive processes, follow up relentlessly, and execute without needing constant direction
• Experience working within multi-entity structures or complex financial workflows

Preferred Requirements:

• CPA license (preferred, not required)
• Exposure to tax-credit, bond-financed, or other structured real estate financing environments
• Background spanning both public accounting and private-company operations
• Strong proficiency with accounting systems and Excel-based analysis
• Experience preparing quarterly and annual GAAP-based financial statements across multiple entities
• Familiarity with construction accounting
• Experience reviewing or preparing monthly development draws, pay applications, and lender/investor reporting
• Track record of process improvement or finance systems implementation

Core Focus Areas:

• Serve as the finance and accounting bridge between the CFO and Accounting Manager, supporting organizational growth and operational visibility
• Lead quarterly and annual external financial reporting across multiple entities and development projects, including internal reporting, CPA-reviewed financial statements, and lender/investor reporting
• Develop and own tracking of financial results by location and business unit, supporting project-level analysis
• Demonstrate initiative and ownership by proactively identifying needs, driving work to completion, and advancing processes independently
• Uphold accountability across internal and external stakeholders to ensure timely financial submissions and deliverables
• Collaborate closely with development, construction, accounting, asset management, and executive leadership
• Maintain alignment with a culture centered on collaboration, accountability, stewardship, and innovation

Primary Focus Areas:

• Financial reporting, including timely preparation, review, and issuance of high-quality internal and externally reviewed financial statements
• Oversight and review of monthly construction draws and pay applications, ensuring accuracy, completeness, timeliness, and lender compliance
• Tracking financial performance by location and business unit to support leadership decision-making
• Supporting the CFO with cash-flow forecasting, financial modeling, and strategic analysis
• Assisting with management of a complex multi-entity structure with varying reporting cycles
• Supporting periodic equity contributions and related settlement processes
• Identifying inefficiencies and recommending improvements through process, automation, or tool enhancements
• Providing oversight and guidance to the Accounting Manager and accounting support team, clearing bottlenecks and maintaining momentum
• Supporting annual financial and tax reporting and compliance across all related entities

Secondary Focus Areas:

• Participation in cash-flow, tax, and insurance or risk-management activities in coordination with senior leadership
• Support for budgeting and cost-control initiatives
• Assistance with ad-hoc financial due diligence requests
• Coordination with developers, lenders, investors, and municipalities to satisfy financial documentation requirements
• Backup support for the CFO and Accounting Manager during peak periods or project closings
• Contribution to improved onboarding, handoffs, and documentation within finance and accounting

Desired Business Outcomes / Key Accomplishments (First 180 Days):

• Timely, accurate financial statements issued within established close timelines
• Implementation of reporting that provides visibility by location and business unit
• Seamless integration into the monthly draw process
• Meaningful reduction in workload for the CFO and Accounting Manager
• Strong understanding of project structures, draw processes, and multi-entity workflows
• Identification of process gaps with improvement initiatives underway
• Demonstrated ability to independently drive tasks and hold stakeholders accountable
• Established working relationships across development, construction, accounting, and leadership teams

Desired Business Outcomes / Key Accomplishments (First 365 Days):

• Shift of CFO and Director focus from reactive execution to proactive, strategic planning
• Improved financial visibility across entities, projects, and locations
• Successful scaling of financial processes to support increased project volume
• Strong, professional relationships with lenders, investors, and external partners
• Successful leadership or co-leadership of at least one project financial closeout
• Implementation of at least one meaningful finance process or system improvement
• Demonstrated leadership presence and readiness for continued growth within the organization