Controller

SUMMARY: Waterstone Mortgage is seeking a Controller to lead our corporate accounting operations and help drive financial excellence across the organization. In this key role, you will oversee corporate accounting and funding teams and guide financial reporting and audits. We are looking for someone who combines strong technical expertise such as audit with a collaborative mindset to meet goals. This position is ideal for a professional who takes pride in safeguarding company assets, streamlining processes, and supporting sustainable growth.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Oversee the day-to-day accounting operations, including general ledger management, month-end and year-end close processes, and financial statement preparation
• Knowledge of finance, accounting, budgeting, and cost control principles
• Lead the preparation and review of GAAP-compliant financial statements, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and timely delivery including reporting requirements for a publicly traded company
• Maintain strong internal controls and ensure adherence to SOX compliance standards
• Ability to build trust and drive team effectiveness
• Ability to analyze financial data and prepare financial reports, statements, and projections
• Serve as financial liaison for branch network and corporate management team
• Coordinate and manage the external audit
• Treasury and risk management
• Professional written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills
• Strong work ethic, attention to detail, and analytics
• A commitment to excellence and integrity
• Strong technical knowledge of U.S. GAAP
• Experience supporting or preparing financial reporting for a publicly traded company, including familiarity with SEC reporting requirements, SOX controls, and audit processes is preferred
• Experience as a senior auditor is preferred
• Desire to innovate and implement systems to ensure operational efficiency
• Knowledge of Encompass by Ellie Mae or similar program is preferred

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:  Under the direction of the CFO – serve as a leader of the accounting department.

QUALIFICATIONS: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.  The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE: Accounting, Finance or Economics degree required. CPA and MBA preferred.

COMPUTER SKILLS: Advanced knowledge of related computer applications such as Microsoft Office.

LANGUAGE SKILLS: Good grammar and diction are required.  Ability to read and comprehend instructions, write correspondence and write memorandums is required.  Ability to effectively present information in one-on-one and small group situations to customers, clients, and other employees of the organization is required.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS: Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals.  Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent is required.

CUSTOMER SERVICE SKILLS:  Using excellent customer service skills which includes maintaining a good attitude, taking ownership of meeting customer needs, going the “extra mile” for customers, demonstrating a commitment to sharpening skills through education and training, using positive communication, and looking for opportunities to respect customers’ time and schedules is required.

Individuals in this position shall not engage in loan origination during the course of his/her employment with WMC.  Loan origination is defined as (1) taking a residential mortgage loan application; or (2) offering or negotiating terms of a residential mortgage loan for compensation or gain; (3) advertising or communicating to the public that you can perform loan origination services.  Please see the Loan Originator Compensation Policy for more details on the definition of loan origination.