Senior Controller

Overview

Sares Regis Group of Northern California, based in San Mateo, is a privately held real estate development, investment and management firm that focuses on rental and for-sale residential communities and commercial development projects.  Together with its affiliate in Newport Beach, the Company manages over 30,000 rental apartment homes in the Western United States. 

 

The Senior Controller/AVP level position reports to the CFO, manages a team of 6 people and the financial reporting, including tax returns, for the company, approximately 25 active projects, and a number of sub-tier/investment entities. This position is both managerial and directly performs work.

 

Primary Responsibilities:Audits, Taxes & Annual ReportingPrepare and manage the tax basis reporting audit for the entity which holds many real estateinvestments, liquidity investments, and a majority interest in the operating company. Provideworking papers and coordinate with auditors for those projects where clients require auditedproject level reporting. Understand basic general tax allocations to partners and supervisedelivery of tax working papers for approximately 75 entities to the accounting firm.

Budgeting, Reporting, & ForecastingMaintain dynamic corporate level forecasting on a rolling 24-month income and expenseforecast, gathering data from divisions and fee agreements, and making judgments about futureexpenditure levels. Prepare monthly reporting to ownership on projected operating results forthe year. Ensure partner financial reporting requirements for projects are met. Attend monthlyproject update meetings and ensure project budgets are properly entered and we haveinformation for accurate forecasting. Support preparation of annual business planning budgets.

TreasurySupervise treasurer who handles collections, bank balances, payments and transfers, projectdraws, and cash flow forecasting. Initiate and/or approve funds transfers, ACH payments, wiresusing the on-line banking system. Ensure proper controls and timely payment of invoices.Monitor collection of fee receivables. Ensure proper controls over security of cash transactions.

AccountingReview journal entries, bank reconciliations, loan reconciliations, account analysis, etc. for thevarious entities we manage. Manage staff to ensure timely closing of job cost, general ledgers,and generation and electronic storage of monthly reports. Ensure accurate tax reporting for allentities and GAAP reporting where required by partners. Ensure proper allocation of workloadand internal controls. Coordinate with property management as assets are completed andfinancial records transition responsibilities.

Asset Management/InvestorsManage aspects of the AppFolio Investor Portal for posting contributions, distributions, taxdocuments and annual financial statements for investors. Coordinate with asset managementand property accounting on investor distributions and financial reporting.Legal/EntitiesCoordinate with internal legal and external partners on the formation of new entities, ensurecoordination of information for legal filings (managed by an outside service), manage bankingsetup (treasurer), etc. Perform similar coordination as entities are shut down and dissolved.

SystemsManage effective utilization of the Sage Accounting system, including supporting modules suchas Paperless (accounts payable flow), ACH payments interface with banking systems, OfficeConnector (downloading data to worksheets). Direct and coordinate with IT and consultants.Recommend process changes to most effectively utilize the various available systems(AppFolio, Sage, Banking).

Supervisory Responsibilities:This position manages 6 employees in the Accounting/Support department (Treasurer,Assistant Controller, Accountants (2), Project Accountant (1) and Support/Accounts Payable (1).This position is responsible for the overall direction, coordination, and evaluation of the staff andcarries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization's policies andapplicable laws. Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning,assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees;addressing complaints and resolving problems.

 

Education and Experience:

• Accounting degree from four-year college or university and six-eight years related industry experience, including managing teams and interfacing with owners and clients.
• Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, procedure manuals. Ability to review and understand accounting and taxrequirements included in loan documents, partnership agreements and service agreements. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence, and to speak effectively before groups ofcustomers or employees and partners.