Commercial Real Estate Controller
25 days ago
Houston
Job Description Commercial Real Estate Controller Big-Box Retail Power & Lifestyle Centers | Syndicated Real Estate Ownership Structures Reports To: Chief Operating Officer Location: Houston, TX Industry: Commercial Real Estate - Retail Shopping Centers / Syndicated Real Estate About the Role We are seeking a highly experienced, hands-on Commercial Real Estate Controller with deep expertise in retail shopping centers, specifically big-box retail power centers and lifestyle centers, as well as real estate syndication accounting and investor ownership structures. This is not a generic corporate accounting role and not a large-company oversight-only role. Our properties are held through syndicated real estate structures, so the Controller must understand both property-level retail CRE accounting and investor-level reporting, distributions, capital calls, ownership allocations, and multi-entity reporting across syndicated ownership structures. The ideal candidate has worked in a smaller real estate ownership, operator, sponsor, or syndication environment where they personally owned the details rather than relying on a large accounting department underneath them. This person must be able to operate hands-on in a fast-moving, less structured environment while partnering with ownership, property management, lenders, CPAs, and investors. Key Responsibilities Financial Reporting & Portfolio Oversight • Prepare and oversee monthly, quarterly, and annual financial reporting for multi-entity retail real estate portfolios., • Deliver accurate ownership, investor, lender, and partner reporting packages., • Perform detailed variance analysis tied to occupancy, recoveries, capital expenditures, debt service, distributions, and operating performance., • Maintain integrity of financial statements, balance sheets, cash flow reporting, and supporting schedules., • Own month-end and year-end close processes in a hands-on manner, including review of journal entries, reconciliations, and property-level reporting. Syndicated Real Estate Accounting & Investor Reporting • Manage accounting for syndicated real estate ownership structures, including multiple entities, ownership percentages, investor classes, and property-level ownership allocations., • Prepare and/or review investor reporting packages, capital account schedules, distribution calculations, capital calls, equity contributions, and investor-related accounting support., • Coordinate with outside CPAs and tax advisors regarding K-1 support, tax reporting packages, entity-level records, and annual tax preparation needs., • Maintain clear records of investor contributions, distributions, preferred returns, ownership changes, and entity-level financial activity., • Understand the financial reporting needs of a real estate sponsor/operator where properties are not simply owned outright but are held through syndicated entities and investor structures. CAM Reconciliations, Tenant Recoveries & Retail Lease Accounting • Directly oversee and review annual CAM reconciliations for retail shopping centers., • Understand and apply lease language related to CAM caps, gross-ups, pro-rata share calculations, administrative fees, exclusions, recoverable expenses, real estate tax recoveries, and insurance recoveries., • Respond to tenant CAM questions, disputes, and audit requests professionally and accurately., • Partner closely with Property Management to ensure expenses are coded properly and recoverability is protected., • Review and improve billing accuracy for rent, CAM, taxes, insurance, tenant charges, and other recoveries., • Identify expense leakage, coding errors, under-billing, and recovery issues before they become ownership losses. Cash Management, Lender Reporting & Reserves • Manage portfolio cash flow forecasting and treasury functions across multiple entities., • Oversee reserve tracking, replacement reserve draws, escrow activity, and lender-required reporting., • Coordinate with lenders regarding covenant compliance, draw requests, escrows, debt service, and reporting obligations., • Monitor operational deficits, cash needs, investor funding requirements, and capital planning., • Support refinancing, acquisitions, dispositions, and due diligence from both property accounting and syndication reporting perspectives. Budgeting, Forecasting & Operational Support • Lead annual property and portfolio budgeting processes, including CAM budgets and recovery assumptions., • Prepare forecasts and identify operational risks, cash needs, under-recovery, and expense leakage., • Analyze NOI trends, recoverability exposure, tenant billing accuracy, and property-level performance., • Provide practical financial guidance to ownership and property management rather than purely theoretical accounting responses. Leadership & Work Style • Lead, manage, and develop accounting staff while remaining personally hands-on in the work., • Build and improve SOPs, reporting processes, close calendars, and internal controls., • Operate effectively in a smaller, entrepreneurial, ownership-driven environment without needing a large accounting team or corporate infrastructure., • Work closely with Property Management, Asset Management, Ownership, lenders, CPAs, and investors., • Be direct, accountable, calm under pressure, and comfortable working with strong personalities and direct communication. Required Qualifications • Bachelor degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field preferred; equivalent hands-on CRE accounting experience may be considered., • CPA preferred, but not required if the candidate has strong hands-on syndicated real estate and retail CRE accounting experience., • Minimum 7+ years of Commercial Real Estate accounting experience., • Direct experience with real estate syndications, investor reporting, investor distributions, capital calls, ownership allocations, and multi-entity structures is strongly preferred and should be specifically screened for., • Minimum 3+ years of retail shopping center accounting experience strongly preferred., • Strong experience with retail CAM reconciliations, tenant recoveries, retail lease structures, lender reporting, reserves, and multi-entity accounting., • Yardi experience strongly preferred; advanced Excel skills required., • Experience in a smaller real estate ownership/operator/sponsor environment strongly preferred over large-company oversight-only experience. Required Personality & Work Style • Hands-on Controller, not only a high-level financial executive., • Comfortable personally owning details across accounting, investors, lenders, and property operations., • Direct and confident without being combative., • Thick-skinned, adaptable, calm under pressure, and able to handle direct feedback., • Able to operate in a fast-moving, sometimes chaotic environment without becoming overwhelmed., • Comfortable defending conclusions and decisions with facts and detail., • Able to work independently without excessive hand-holding., • Not overly corporate, vague, or dependent on a large team beneath them. Compensation Compensation is competitive and based on experience, qualifications, and demonstrated retail commercial real estate, syndication accounting, and hands-on Controller experience. Company DescriptionW3Global was established in 2006 in Fremont, CA with a vision: simplify the recruiting process and develop an industry-disrupting platform to connect candidates with clients. Our cutting-edge Applicant Tracking System enables us to find the right person for the right job, creating value for job seekers and employers. While W3Global initially focused on IT staffing, we have expanded the business to serve many other industries, including accounting and finance, legal, engineering, human resources, government and more. We’re proud of the investments we’ve made in our team, having grown from four to 1000 employees and evolving into one of the leading recruitment and staffing solution providers in the industry. Our recruiters and account managers are passionate about connecting qualified professionals with the right positions in small, medium, and large companies. Our Services W3Global understands the natural ups and downs of an organization’s staffing needs. We are continuously adapting to industry and economic changes to find the right candidates. We specialize in placing permanent, direct, contract, and temporary positions for companies of any size. Our recruiting services include sourcing, recruiting, screening, interview management, salary negotiations, training, and onboarding. We are committed to helping organizations redefine their recruitment process by delivering our SaaS-based proprietary application tracking system software. Our Expertise W3Global has been delivering staffing solutions for nearly two decades; we know which recruiting strategies work best. Our expert team is committed to developing a customized solution to fit your company’s unique needs. As a W3Global client, you’ll also receive personalized assistance from a seasoned team of staffing specialists. We are committed to providing both technical support and industry expertise to simplify the hiring process. We know that your time matters. W3Global will help you streamline the hiring process, getting it done and getting it right.W3Global was established in 2006 in Fremont, CA with a vision: simplify the recruiting process and develop an industry-disrupting platform to connect candidates with clients. Our cutting-edge Applicant Tracking System enables us to find the right person for the right job, creating value for job seekers and employers. While W3Global initially focused on IT staffing, we have expanded the business to serve many other industries, including accounting and finance, legal, engineering, human resources, government and more.\r\n\r\nWe’re proud of the investments we’ve made in our team, having grown from four to 1000 employees and evolving into one of the leading recruitment and staffing solution providers in the industry. Our recruiters and account managers are passionate about connecting qualified professionals with the right positions in small, medium, and large companies.\r\n\r\nOur Services\r\nW3Global understands the natural ups and downs of an organization’s staffing needs. We are continuously adapting to industry and economic changes to find the right candidates.\r\n\r\nWe specialize in placing permanent, direct, contract, and temporary positions for companies of any size. Our recruiting services include sourcing, recruiting, screening, interview management, salary negotiations, training, and onboarding.\r\n\r\nWe are committed to helping organizations redefine their recruitment process by delivering our SaaS-based proprietary application tracking system software.\r\n\r\nOur Expertise\r\nW3Global has been delivering staffing solutions for nearly two decades; we know which recruiting strategies work best. Our expert team is committed to developing a customized solution to fit your company’s unique needs.\r\n\r\nAs a W3Global client, you’ll also receive personalized assistance from a seasoned team of staffing specialists. We are committed to providing both technical support and industry expertise to simplify the hiring process. We know that your time matters. W3Global will help you streamline the hiring process, getting it done and getting it right.