Assistant Controller

CIRE Equity is an entrepreneurial, growth-oriented company focused on creating and preserving wealth through targeted investments in commercial real estate in the Western United States.

We are passionate about real estate, dedicated to hard work, and strive for excellence in everything we do. We value our employees and aim to create a fun, merit-based environment that encourages hard work, creative thinking, and high-quality performance. We foster persistent improvement and seek like-minded individuals who share our attention to detail and passion for excellence to join our growing team.

What Makes CIRE Special
At CIRE Equity, we want our employees to be successful, and we believe that a large part of our success is aligned around our unique core values that form our cultural DNA.

PERSISTENT IMPROVEMENT
Relentless Cultivation of Our Potential

QUALITY PERFORMANCE 
Executing Beyond Expectations

CREATE OPPORTUNITY
Innovative Thinking to Produce Value

AUTHENTIC COMMUNITY
Building Relationships Through Sincere Interactions

We value our team member’s emotional intelligence and awareness more than just technical skills because we believe creating a safe place to share openly and receive direct feedback leads to higher functioning teams and resilience to overcome any challenge. We work hard and play harder, celebrating company success as a team.

Purpose of Position 
Reporting to the Vice President of Accounting, the successful candidate will be highly motivated, highly organized, diligent, creative, and a focused self-starter with a team-oriented attitude and the ability to function in a fast-paced and rapidly changing environment with a polished professional demeanor. Must be hands-on, dependable, results-orientated, and can execute organizational goals with the utmost urgency and commitment. Possess exceptional resource management, multi-task and prioritization skills, strong written and verbal communication skills, and the ability to collaborate and communicate effectively with all levels of an organization. The Assistant Controller will manage and oversee the daily, monthly, and quarterly financial information and review the closing process to ensure accurate, timely, and complete financial statements reporting of full cycle accounting for assigned commercial real estate entities. Furthermore, this position will directly manage Property Accountants and senior-level accounting duties in recording and reporting financial transactions and preparing financial statements for assigned portfolios of properties to ensure the accuracy and consistency of accounting information and processes. Provide supervision and technical direction on a wide range of accounting operations and issues, including accounting systems, internal controls, audit preparation, and financial reporting.

The Assistant Controller applies knowledge of generally accepted accounting principles, practices, and guidelines in maintaining the accounting functions. Serves as a team leader in supervising and training accounting and property staff to ensure accounting tasks are performed accurately and timely. The position exercises independent technical thought and analysis in implementing, coordinating, revising, and reporting financial transactions for assigned portfolio. Use professional concepts in accordance with company objectives to solve complex problems in creative and effective ways. Works on complex problems where analysis of situations or data requires in-depth evaluations of various factors. Exercise judgment within broadly defined practices and policies in selecting methods, techniques, and evaluation criteria for obtaining results. Anticipate problems and take action to prevent or minimize impact.

This position will also involve developing and implementing accounting policies and procedures designed to maximize efficiency and reduce the risk of misstatements. The Assistant Controller will communicate effectively with all departments, take an active and hands-on approach in all areas of responsibility, and adhere to the company’s core values.

Job Duties/Responsibilities

Oversees property accounting team on their day-to-day accounting functions, ensuring timely and accurate performance of daily, weekly, monthly, and annual accounting functions and procedures:

• Invoice processing via Nexus; verifying invoice accuracy; approving/transferring data from Nexus to MRI.
• Rent receipts are posted to outstanding AR accurately and in a timely manner.
• Reconciliation of intercompany AR on fund and corporate book. Manage AM / PM accounting fee transfers.
• Preparation of bank reconciliations.
• Preparation of month-end balance sheet tie-outs and revenue reconciliations
• Recording of write-offs and monthly loan payments; maintaining insurance and real estate taxes roll forward schedules.
• Privilege tax calculation and ensure payments are submitted on time.
• Generation of monthly tenant statements and lease maintenance in MRI.
• Posting of rent charge adjustments and security deposit refunds.
• Preparation of quarter-over-quarter variance trend analysis.
• Preparation of year-end tax work paper and supporting documentation for tax return.
• Supervision of property accountant in the preparation of monthly and quarterly financial statements, balance sheet account analysis, bank account reconciliation, and tax compliance.
• Prepare monthly and quarterly financial statements, reports, and records by collecting, analyzing, and summarizing account information.
• Plans, assigns, directs, and evaluates the work of general ledger, accounts payable, accounts receivable, fixed assets, and other accounting and service activities.
• Reviews and authorizes accounting adjustments and reconciliations for assigned portfolio.
• Lead the accounting team in achieving compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Work with accounting and financial reporting leadership to obtain and maintain an effective internal control environment.
• Identifies, develops, and implements new and/or improved financial systems and processes.
• Primary responsibility for mentoring, oversight, and evaluation of accounting staff.
• Research and answer Property Managers’ questions regarding tenant statements.
• Review and approve work such as tenant credit memos, non-recurring tenant billings, and questionable cash receipts for entry by direct reports.
• Prepare tenant account analysis and reconciliations when tenants dispute charges.
• Review documents such as cash receipts, tenant billing, move-out, and lease documentation substantiating business transactions.
• Review accounts receivable aging for delinquencies, cash applications, and prepaid rent applications.
• Review and analyze A/R reserves for adequacy.
• Process tenant refunds and deliver them to the Accounts Payable department.
• Prepare Rent Statements and distribute them to the field to ensure the following month’s recurring charges and past due charges are accurate.
• Calculate and enter monthly contract item accruals such as janitorial, security, and utility expenses to match expenses to the period incurred, and review trial balance for reversing the same entries in the next accounting period.
• Record appropriate depreciation and amortization of fixed assets, tenant improvements, and leasing commissions.
• Consult with property staff on general ledger coding for payables, tenant improvements, cash receipts applications, and budget variances.
• Ensure all appropriate reviews and approvals are completed prior to processing data into the accounting system.
• Prepare reviews and analyze balance sheet tie-outs to balance the general ledger and sub-ledgers.
• Reconcile bank accounts to the general ledger.
• Assist with annual CAM reconciliations and proceeding year’s estimated CAM reconciliations.
• Support budget and forecasting activities.
• Coordinate the final review of aging and unapplied cash.
• Review and approve journal entries prepared by Property Accountants.
• Review monthly accounts receivable and variance reports for accounting follow-up items.
• Participate in monthly accounts receivable and variance meetings.
• Work with each direct report to establish goals and objectives for each year and monitor and advise on the progress to enhance the professional development of staff.
• Provide support for the audit process by preparing timely and accurate schedules and analysis; develop professional relationships with auditors.
• Assist with the annual tax filing engagement and respond to inquiries from third-party tax professionals to ensure the timely completion of tax engagements.
• Assist asset management team with refinancing. Acquisitions and dispositions.
• Take an active involvement in the onboarding of acquired properties to ensure accurate implementation of accounting processes and procedures.
• Assist on special projects as needed.
• Miscellaneous duties as assigned.

Reporting Structure: The position reports directly to the VP of Accounting

Vital Goals/Performance Measurements

• Timely and accurate property level and fund level reporting.
• Timely and accurate reconciliation of property bank and balance sheet accounts.
• Proactively review financial statements and tenant aging reports for accuracy and proactively address any errors or inconsistencies.
• Ensure safe keeping of documents using electronic filing for ease of access.
• Initiate annual budget and interim property forecasting.
• Prepare, file, and pay property taxes, state income taxes, and Privilege Tax timely and accurately.
• Implementation of planning initiatives.
• Quarterly financial reports are prepared on time and accurately.
• Increased bandwidth for EVP of Accounting
• Maintaining leadership rhythm with direct reports (1-1 weekly meetings, performance reviews, etc.)