Regional Controller

Bill Watts at Robert Half is working with a growing national construction company who is looking to directly hire a Regional Controller to this long tenured team! This person provides financial leadership across a multi-state construction region, ensuring accurate financial reporting, robust project/job costing, disciplined cash and WIP management, and strong internal controls. This role partners closely with Regional Operations, Project Executives, Controllers and Project Managers to drive profitability, improve forecast accuracy, manage risk, and support strategic growth.Key ResponsibilitiesProject & Job CostingOwn end-to-end job cost accountingcost code structures, budget uploads, cost-to-complete, committed costs, and forecasting.Review project cost reports (labor, equipment, materials, subcontract, indirect) and lead monthly cost review meetings with PMs/Operations.Validate change orders (issued/received), ensuring scope alignment, pricing integrity, and timely revenue/cost recognition.Oversee labor productivity tracking (earned vs. actual hours), equipment utilization, and indirect allocation methodologies.Standardize cost controls across projects; ensure proper use of cost codeswork breakdown structures, and documentation.WIP & Revenue RecognitionLead monthly WIP/POC process (percent-complete) including EAC updates, margin fade analysis, and risk/opportunity registers.Ensure GAAP/ASC 606 compliance for revenue recognition, contract assets/liabilities, and variable consideration.Prepare and present WIP schedules, backlog analysis, and margin bridges for executive review.Financial Close, Reporting & AuditOwn the regional month-end close (journal entries, accruals, intercompany, account reconciliations) and deliver timely, accurate financials.Produce dashboards: regional P&L, divisional/project profitability, SG&A, cash flow, DSO/DPO/working capital KPIs.Coordinate external audits, internal controls testing, and SOX/compliance (if applicable).Maintain a clean balance sheet (retentions, contract assets/liabilities, inventory, fixed assets, prepaids, leases).Cash, Billing & CollectionsOversee billing cycles (schedule of values, T&M, unit price), lien waivers, and retainage tracking.Partner with PMs to improve billing timeliness/accuracy, aged A/R, and change order billings; resolve disputes.Forecast cash flow at project and regional levels; manage vendor terms and DPO to optimize working capital.Subcontractor/Vendor Compliance & RiskEnsure subcontractor compliance (COIs, bonds, W-9, prequal, waivers) and monitor exposure to at-risk subs.Support procurement with purchase commitments, price locks, and material escalation clauses.Partner with Legal/Operations to manage claims, disputes, and closeout.Systems, Process & Team LeadershipLead continuous improvement across ERP, field tools, timekeeping, and procure-to-payMentor and develop regional accounting staff; ensure cross-training, clear RACI, and scalable processes.Champion data integrity and field-to-finance alignment (PMIS ? ERP) with standardized SOPs.Implement internal controls for cash disbursements, approvals, and asset safeguarding.Required QualificationsBachelor's in Accounting, Finance, or related field; CPA or CMA preferred7+ years progressive accounting/finance experience, with 3years in construction (commercial, heavy civil, utilities, or industrial) highly preferred.Strong command of job costing, WIP/percentage-completion revenue recognition, and change order accounting.Hands-on experience with large ERPs and advanced Excel/BI.Proven leadership of multi-site teams; excellent communication with Operations/PMs.Demonstrated success improving close cycles, forecast accuracy, and working capital.Preferred ExperienceUnion and certified payroll preferredHeavy equipment costing, owned fleet charge-out rates, and utilization analytics.JV and joint-check administration; bonded projects.Multi-entity, multi-state tax considerations (sales/use, property, contractor's tax).Power user of Power BI/Tableau; experience implementing ERP/PMIS integrations.Core CompetenciesOperational Partnership: Collaborates with PMs/Operations; converts data into decisions.Ownership & Urgency: Meets deadlines, anticipates issues, resolves blockers.Process Improvement: Standardizes workflows; strengthens controls and visibility.Leadership & Communication: Develops talent; clear executive and field communication.Risk Management: Identifies margin fade, scope creep, unapproved change exposure.Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)WIP AccuracyVariance between WIP forecast and actuals; margin fade/improvement.Close Cycle TimeDays to close; % on-time/accurate reconciliations.Billing & CollectionsDSO, % current A/R, retainage aging, CO turnaround time.Cash & WCCash forecast variance, DPO/DSO/CCC improvements.Project Costing Discipline% projects with timely EAC updates, CO documentation quality, % field timesheets approved on time.Audit & ControlsDeficiency rate, timely remediation, policy adherence.