Controller - Architectural Firm

Our client, an architectural firm in NYC, is seeking a high-caliber Controller to lead the financial operations of a design-focused architectural practice. This is a senior, hands-on leadership position responsible for financial reporting, project accounting, budgeting, cash management, billing oversight, payroll coordination, internal controls, and strategic financial guidance to firm leadership.
The ideal candidate has deep experience in professional services finance, preferably within architecture, engineering, design, or construction-related environments, and is highly proficient with Deltek Ajera. This individual must be able to move fluidly between executive-level financial strategy and day-to-day accounting operations, with a strong understanding of project profitability, utilization, work-in-progress, billing cycles, and labor-driven financial performance.
Key Responsibilities
Financial Leadership and Reporting

• Lead the firm's accounting and financial management function, serving as a trusted advisor to ownership, principals, and senior leadership.
• Prepare timely and accurate monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements, management reports, cash flow projections, and performance dashboards.
• Analyze revenue, profitability, backlog, utilization, overhead, labor multipliers, project margins, and other key performance indicators relevant to architectural practice management.
• Provide forward-looking financial insight to support staffing, project planning, growth decisions, compensation planning, and strategic investments.
• Partner with leadership to develop annual budgets, forecasts, financial models, and long-range planning assumptions.
• Present financial results and recommendations in a clear, practical manner to non-financial stakeholders.
  Ajera and Project Accounting
• Serve as the firm's senior financial owner for Deltek Ajera, ensuring accurate setup, use, reporting, and data integrity across accounting and project management workflows.
• Oversee project accounting, including project setup, contract values, phases, budgets, labor coding, billing terms, reimbursables, consultant costs, and project closeout.
• Monitor work-in-progress, unbilled revenue, accounts receivable, retainage if applicable, write-offs, and project profitability.
• Collaborate with principals and project managers to review project financial performance, budget variances, billing status, and corrective action plans.
• Develop and maintain Ajera reports, dashboards, procedures, and controls that improve visibility into project and firm performance.
• Train and support internal users on Ajera-related financial workflows, coding accuracy, timesheet discipline, and project reporting.
  Billing, Accounts Receivable, and Cash Management
• Oversee client billing processes, including fixed fee, hourly, percent complete, reimbursable, additional service, and consultant pass-through billing structures.
• Ensure invoices are accurate, timely, contract-compliant, and coordinated with project managers before submission.
• Manage accounts receivable activity, collections strategy, aging review, client follow-up, and escalation of payment concerns to leadership.
• Maintain cash flow projections and advise leadership on cash position, working capital needs, vendor payments, tax obligations, and timing of major expenditures.
• Support banking relationships, credit facilities, insurance renewals, and other financial administration as needed.
  Accounting Operations and Controls
• Manage general ledger activity, reconciliations, accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll coordination, expense reporting, month-end close, and year-end close.
• Establish and maintain appropriate internal controls, approval procedures, accounting policies, document retention practices, and separation of duties appropriate for the firm's size.
• Coordinate with outside CPA, tax advisors, insurance brokers, payroll providers, benefit administrators, and other external partners.
• Prepare information for tax filings, audits or reviews, insurance audits, ownership reporting, and other compliance requirements.
• Identify process improvements that increase accuracy, accountability, efficiency, and financial transparency.
  Leadership and Collaboration
• Lead, mentor, and manage accounting or administrative staff, setting clear expectations for accuracy, responsiveness, confidentiality, and service to the firm.
• Work closely with principals, project managers, operations, HR, and administrative personnel to align financial practices with firm objectives.
• Promote a culture of financial discipline, timely information, and collaborative problem-solving.
• Handle confidential financial, compensation, ownership, and personnel information with discretion and professionalism.
• Support special projects, including system improvements, policy development, ownership reporting, incentive planning, acquisition analysis, office expansion, or other strategic initiatives.
  Required Qualifications
• Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, business administration, or a related field required; CPA, CMA, MBA, or equivalent advanced credential preferred.
• 7-10+ years of progressive accounting and finance experience, including experience in a Controller, Assistant Controller, Accounting Manager, Finance Director, or senior project accounting role.
• Demonstrated experience with Deltek Ajera required, including project setup, billing, reporting, labor costing, project financial review, and firm-level accounting workflows.
• Experience in architecture, engineering, interior design, construction management, real estate development, or another project-based professional services environment strongly preferred.
• Strong command of GAAP, accrual accounting, month-end close, financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, and internal controls.
• Proven ability to manage project accounting, WIP, utilization, multipliers, accounts receivable, cash flow, and profitability analysis.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills and comfort working with financial reports, exported data, reconciliations, and management dashboards.
• Excellent judgment, discretion, communication skills, and ability to operate effectively with firm owners and senior leadership.
  Preferred Experience
• Prior finance leadership experience in an architectural firm or A/E professional services firm.
• Experience refining Ajera workflows, cleaning up reporting structures, improving project financial visibility, or supporting an Ajera implementation or optimization.
• Experience with payroll, employee benefits, 401(k) administration, insurance renewals, business licenses, consultant/vendor compliance, and contract administration.
• Familiarity with ownership reporting, bonus or incentive plans, compensation modeling, and staffing-related financial analysis.
• Ability to evaluate firm-wide financial trends while also resolving transactional accounting issues when required.
  Ideal Candidate Profile
• Strategic, analytical, and commercially minded, with strong hands-on accounting discipline.
• Comfortable in a design-focused, principal-led professional services environment.
• Able to explain financial information clearly to architects, designers, and project managers.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, deadline-driven, and calm under pressure.
• Proactive in identifying financial risks, operational inefficiencies, and opportunities for improved profitability.
• Collaborative and service-oriented, while maintaining strong controls and accountability.
• Capable of building credibility quickly with leadership, staff, clients, consultants, and outside advisors.

The compensation for this position ranges from $120,000.00 - $160,000.00. Actual compensation will be dependent upon the specific role, office location as well as the individual’s qualifications, experience, skills and certifications.

To all staffing agencies: PKF O’Connor Davies TalentConnect (“PKFOD TalentConnect”) will not be utilizing agencies to staff this position. Please do not forward resumes to PKFOD TalentConnect recruiters, partners and/or employees at any of our locations regarding this position. Please be reminded, PKFOD TalentConnect is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes. All unsolicited resumes will become the property of PKFOD TalentConnect.

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