Controller, Construction Company (GC or subcontractor) Recruiters

We approach assistant controllers at regional construction firms who handle the bulk of project accounting but lack autonomy due to senior leadership. These people change jobs when they have outgrown their current scope and want to run an entire finance department. We identify them by their direct experience with specific project ERP systems.

We target audit managers at accounting firms who audit construction clients. These individuals possess knowledge of percentage-of-completion accounting and internal controls for complex projects. They look for industry roles because they want to implement accounting systems rather than just audit completed project files.

To expand your search beyond the groups listed in, we focus on Controllers at smaller subcontractors currently capped by internal equity structures or lack of complex surety demands. We look for individuals managing project volume that mirrors your current bonding capacity but who face static growth due to the tenure of your competitors existing finance leaders. A primary tradeoff that makes these individuals consider a move is the shift from transactional reporting to the authority of managing full project profitability and banking relationships. We ask them whether their current role permits direct input on surety credit limits or if they are restricted to standard data entry. If they indicate they never speak with bond underwriters, your firm represents a significant step up in authority for them. Conversely, if they describe current control over those external banking relationships, your opportunity may not offer the growth they need to justify changing firms.

We also source from regional firms recently acquired by larger entities where the Controller function was absorbed by a corporate headquarters. These professionals often lose the ability to impact local project decisions and are forced into redundant reporting tasks. You can capture this talent by offering them a return to granular job-costing oversight where they influence margin recognition directly. We ask them to identify the last time they corrected a project manager on a budget-to-actual variance report. An answer that details specific spreadsheet corrections or field labor audits shows they are currently underutilized. If they cannot explain a specific instance of overriding a project manager on cost data, they have likely transitioned into a passive role and will not provide the financial rigor your construction projects require. We also confirm if they have ever integrated new project software, as moving them to your firm requires someone ready to rebuild processes from the ground up.