Senior Vice President of Accounting and Finance — Westside (LA), California | Pacific Executive Search

Senior Vice President of Accounting and Finance

(Job ID: 1975)

Westside (LA), California

On-Site

Direct Hire

Real Estate

$300,000 – $350,000 base

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Overview

We are seeking a dynamic Senior Vice President of Accounting & Finance to spearhead our fund finance and accounting operations. This pivotal role offers the opportunity to drive strategic initiatives and enhance our financial infrastructure across multiple investment vehicles. Join a collaborative and innovative environment where your leadership will foster growth, support new fund launches, and shape the future of our organization. This position not only allows for professional development but also encourages a culture of mentorship and continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

Lead all fund accounting, financial reporting, and investor communications, ensuring accuracy and compliance across multiple investment vehicles.
Oversee treasury operations, liquidity management, and banking relationships to optimize cash flow and capital planning.
Direct tax compliance and strategy, collaborating with external advisors to implement tax-efficient structures for diverse investor bases.
Manage accounting and financial reporting processes, ensuring adherence to GAAP and regulatory requirements while maintaining a strong internal control environment.
Mentor and develop the accounting and finance team, driving process improvements and enhancing operational efficiency.
Support strategic decision-making by partnering with various teams on budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning initiatives.
Facilitate new fund launches and product development, contributing to the firm’s growth and expansion into new investment strategies.

Qualifications

Must-Have:
10+ years of experience in accounting and finance, with a focus on fund finance and investor reporting.
Proven expertise in treasury management, tax strategy, and compliance.
Strong knowledge of GAAP, ASC-740, and financial reporting standards.
Experience with ERP systems such as SAP or NetSuite.
Exceptional leadership and team management skills, with a track record of driving process improvements.
Nice-to-Have:
Advanced degree in Finance, Accounting, or a related field.
CPA or equivalent professional certification.
Familiarity with acquisition integration and revenue recognition principles.
Experience in real estate or private equity sectors.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do Accounting Manager hires fail?
Because companies hire for close execution when the real need is issue ownership and team leadership. Many candidates can manage a checklist. Far fewer can stabilize the function under pressure, improve weak processes, coach staff, and hold the line during audit, turnover, or reporting stress.
What are strong Accounting Manager candidates evaluating during the interview process?
They are usually trying to understand whether they are walking into a stable environment, a cleanup situation, or an under-resourced function. Strong candidates do not just evaluate title and compensation. They assess whether success is realistically achievable and whether leadership understands what the accounting team actually needs.
Why do accounting roles in real estate often require a different kind of operator?
Because entity structures, property-level reporting, intercompany activity, partnership considerations, and ownership reporting can create a more structurally complex environment than many standard corporate settings. Real estate accounting roles usually demand a candidate who understands the operating rhythm of the business, not just the debits and credits.
Why does ERP experience matter so much in roles like this?
Because many accounting and finance roles are really process-and-systems roles disguised as job titles. A candidate may know the accounting, but if they cannot operate effectively inside the company's environment, ramp time becomes risk. Exact system match is not always mandatory, but comparable complexity often is.
How do strong candidates typically evaluate opportunities like this?
Strong candidates rarely evaluate a role based on title alone. They look at what the position actually owns, how the function is viewed internally, whether the environment is stable or in transition, and what success will realistically look like in the first 6 to 12 months. Many first discover a role through a posting, but the strongest career decisions usually come from understanding the context behind the opportunity, not just the job description. In accounting and finance hiring, that level of context is often what separates a lateral move from a meaningful one. Learn more about how strategic accounting and finance searches differ from transactional recruiting.
Is the CPA really required for roles like this?
Sometimes yes, and often functionally yes even when the posting says "preferred." At leadership levels especially, the CPA frequently acts as a credibility signal for hiring managers, auditors, lenders, investors, or boards. There are exceptions, but in many accounting searches it remains one of the clearest markers of technical foundation.