Chief finance officer jobs in Lake Forest, CA - 854 jobs

Company Our client is a privately held commercial real estate development firm headquartered in Costa Mesa, California, with a primary focus on the development, redevelopment, and repositioning of commercial real estate assets across the Western United States. The firm's portfolio is primarily composed of state-of-the-art industrial properties, along with experiential and grocery-anchored retail assets, representing approximately 1.4 million square feet of developed and repositioned assets under management as well as 870,000 square feet of additional pipeline developments throughout Western U.S. markets. The firm operates as a vertically integrated developer, managing projects across the full lifecycle-from site acquisition and entitlement through design, construction oversight, leasing, and ongoing asset management. Our client is also an active acquiror of core, core plus and value-add assets. The firm maintains a disciplined investment approach centered on capital efficiency, and risk mitigation. The firm partners closely with its family-office capital provider, institutional lenders, business partners, and third-party consultants to execute projects under conservative leverage structures and clearly defined return and covenant parameters. Position Reporting directly to the Senior Vice President of Investment Management, the Director of Accounting & Controller is responsible for directing and managing all financial oversight, accounting, record keeping, budgeting, cost control, and financial reporting and analysis for the company. This executive provides executive leadership across accounting, reporting, covenant compliance, risk management, and administrative oversight. The successful candidate will have demonstrated experience leading financial operations for complex real estate entities, managing lender and investor reporting, and overseeing financial controls and risk management frameworks. Strong technology and systems acumen is required, including leadership of the implementation, optimization, and full utilization of Yardi, as well as evaluation and selection of document management, retention, and data systems. This position works closely with the Family Office capital provider, external accountants, tax advisors, lenders, and legal counsel to support investment, development, and operating activities. Responsibilities Accounting Operations & Controls: Oversee accounting systems, processes, and procedures to ensure efficient operation of the financial function. Ensure accounting records are consistent, accurate, and supported by appropriate controls, checks, and balances. Maintain up-to-date and accurate records for all financial transactions, including: Inflows and outflows Budgets Investments Receivables and payables Vendor contracts Insurance Expense reports Maintain and analyze all general ledger accounts, accounts payable/accounts receivable, and fixed asset activities, ensuring accurate and timely processing of transactions. Prepare monthly financial close, financial statements, and bank reconciliations for bank and credit accounts. Tax, External Coordination & Payroll: Liaise with external accountants to minimize tax liabilities through effective tax structures and/or formation of entities used for investing with minimal tax consequences. Provide services for payroll and other financial areas. Coordinate with the family office, including making requests for capital calls. Financial Reporting & Analysis: Manage and prepare monthly, quarterly, and annual financial reporting for managed entities, including: Cash flow projections. Financial statements Quarterly covenant tests Monitoring and reporting of covenant compliance. Prepare and maintain consolidated financial forecasts and variance analysis versus prior periods and budget. Provide detailed analysis of all revenue and cost variances. Participate in special projects and financial analyses as needed, including: Creation and maintenance of portfolio dashboards and KPIs Cost basis analysis Historical and projected cash flows Valuation analyses Participate in quarterly financial review meetings. Budgeting, Forecasting & Systems: Manage the preparation of the annual budget and forecast cycles the firm and all operating entities. Manage the continued implementation and full utilization of Yardi to drive operational efficiency, including: Accounts receivable and accounts payable Effective and usable reporting Strong budgeting and forecasting capabilities Coordinate accounting and compliance for credit and loan agreements, including: Financial reporting to lenders Principal and interest payments Calculation, tracking, and reporting of covenant compliance. Lead efforts to evaluate and implement alternative record systems to the current Syncplicity file and database management system. Entity Management & Compensation Support: Create and maintain ownership and entity organizational charts. Assist with coordination of new entity formations with outside counsel. Assist with monitoring and calculation of promote and bonus payments. Risk Management & Internal Controls Administer, develop, and monitor internal controls, accounting policies, and procedures. Perform research on complex accounting and reporting issues as required. Establish and implement internal controls to protect and preserve assets. Analyze and implement new accounting standards and reporting requirements to ensure ongoing compliance. Work with outside accounting firms to conduct periodic risk assessments. In partnership with the SVP: Drive overall risk management and insurance functions. Take initiative to improve controls and processes. Collaborate with the SVP, internal staff, and external consultants to identify, coordinate, and implement system and process improvements with a focus on efficiency and accuracy. Qualifications Bachelor's degree in finance, Accounting, Economics, or a related field; advanced degree or professional certification (CPA, CMA, or MBA) preferred. Minimum of 7-12 years of progressive financial leadership experience, with demonstrated responsibility for accounting, financial reporting, budgeting, and forecasting. Prior experience in commercial real estate, with a strong preference for industrial real estate development, investment, or asset management environments. Proven experience overseeing multi-entity accounting structures, complex ownership arrangements, and project-level financial reporting. Demonstrated experience managing debt facilities, lender reporting, and covenant compliance. Hands-on experience with Yardi (or comparable real estate accounting platforms) and a strong working knowledge of financial systems, reporting tools, and document management platforms. Experience coordinating with family office capital providers, external accountants, tax advisors, legal counsel, and lenders. Personal Skills & Attributes Highly effective in nimble, entrepreneurial, and high-velocity environments, with the ability to balance strategic oversight and hands-on execution as needed. Comfortable operating in organizations with lean teams and evolving processes, where priorities shift and speed, accuracy, and judgment are equally critical. Demonstrates strong ownership mentality, taking accountability for outcomes rather than narrowly defined responsibilities. Able to synthesize complex financial data into clear, actionable insights for senior leadership, capital partners, and lenders. Strong judgment under ambiguity; capable of making sound decisions with incomplete information while managing risk appropriately. Organized, disciplined, and detail-oriented, while maintaining the ability to see the broader business and investment context. Effective collaborator who builds credibility with investment, development, and operations teams, as well as external partners. High degree of professional integrity, discretion, and reliability, particularly when handling confidential financial and investor information. Comfortable working at pace and under deadline pressure without sacrificing quality or control.