Assistant Controller — Greater Los Angeles, California | Pacific Executive Search

Assistant Controller

(Job ID: 2061)

Greater Los Angeles, California

On-Site

Direct Hire

Real Estate

$130,000 – $150,000 base

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Overview

Overseeing the financial integrity of a multifamily real estate portfolio, this position leads a hands-on accounting team within a privately held, vertically integrated real estate firm headquartered in Southern California. The role demands a seasoned accounting professional who thrives managing month-end close processes, partnering closely with operations and asset management, and driving disciplined financial reporting across multiple properties. This opportunity offers direct engagement with senior leadership and the chance to elevate accounting controls and team performance in a complex, multi-entity environment.

Title: Assistant Controller
Industry: Venture Capital
Location: Greater Los Angeles

Responsibilities

Lead the monthly, quarterly, and annual close cycles for multifamily properties, ensuring accuracy in financial statements, journal entries, and reconciliations.
Oversee property-level accounting functions including accounts payable, receivables, cash management, security deposits, and fixed asset tracking.
Maintain and enforce robust internal controls and consistent accounting policies across all properties in the portfolio.
Manage and mentor the multifamily accounting team, setting clear standards for quality, timeliness, and accountability while supporting recruitment and development efforts.
Collaborate with operations and asset management teams to analyze financial performance, resolve discrepancies, and support budgeting and forecasting activities.
Drive process improvements and automation initiatives, particularly leveraging Yardi, to enhance efficiency and reporting accuracy.
Support financial due diligence and integration activities related to property acquisitions and dispositions, providing detailed analysis and reporting.

Qualifications

Must-Have:
- Seven or more years of progressive accounting experience, including significant exposure to multifamily real estate accounting within a vertically integrated owner/operator setting.
- Proven track record managing month-end close processes across multiple entities or properties with strong attention to GAAP compliance.
- Experience supervising or directly managing an accounting team with demonstrated leadership and coaching skills.
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and familiarity with property management systems, preferably Yardi.
- Strong understanding of internal controls, financial reporting, general ledger accounting, and property-level accounting operations.
- Ability to work full-time on-site in Southern California, collaborating closely with cross-functional teams.
Nice-to-Have:
- CPA certification or equivalent professional credential.
- Experience with financial due diligence, acquisitions, dispositions, and integration accounting.
- Background in private equity or real estate investment environments.

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.
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.
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.