Controller - Portfolio Accounting

Clarion Partners has been a leading real estate investment manager for over 40 years. Headquartered in New York, the firm maintains strategically located offices across the United States and Europe. Clarion Partners offers a broad range of real estate strategies across the risk/return spectrum to approximately 500 institutional investors across the globe. Clarion Partners operates independently as a Specialist Investment Manager owned by Franklin Templeton (FT), a diversified firm that spans asset management, wealth management, and fintech, giving us many ways to help investors make progress toward their goals.

Overview

The Controller is a key leadership position on a core-style, open-end real estate fund that holds a strategically diversified portfolio of real estate assets across traditional and alternative property types in major markets located throughout the United States.   As part of the 10-12 person group, the Controller is responsible for managing assistant controllers and portfolio accountants, ensuring control over property accounting and fund level reporting as well as various other projects and recurring responsibilities. The open-end / diversified structure gives the opportunity to work on multiple asset classes with various ownership structures as well as oversee the accounting of both acquisitions and dispositions of investments. The legal / tax structure of the Fund further provides opportunities to work on various tax planning strategies and investor specific projects.

Role / Responsibilities

• Responsible for the accounting and reporting of direct real estate investments, complex joint ventures, and the associated consolidations and reporting.
• Effectively manage the assistant controllers’ and portfolio accountants’ oversight of third‐party managers and property level financial review process.
• Review closing entries for asset acquisitions, dispositions and financings.
• Review quarterly consolidations, financial reporting, and client reporting.
• Manage year-end audit and financial statement preparation.
• Responsible for debt compliance, including the analysis of loan documents to ensure that the reporting and compliance requirements are met.
• Work with the firm’s corporate accounting and performance measurement teams to assist with the calculation of the firm’s performance metrics, the corporate budget, and regulatory requirements.
• Work closely with internal asset management and portfolio management teams.
• Work closely with third party service providers (audit firms, tax preparers, legal counsel).
• Handle investor requests, interacting with clients both directly and indirectly.

Qualifications

• 10-15 years’ experience, primarily in real estate portfolio accounting / audit
• CPA required
• Public accounting experience required (Big 4 preferred)
• Team management experience required
• Strong analytical skills required
• Strong excel and data management skills required
• Strong written and verbal communication skills required
• MRI or Yardi experience a plus
• Workiva or Anaplan experience a plus
• REIT structure experience a plus
• Private equity experience a plus

If based in New York, the base salary range for this position is USD $160,000 - $175,000. Actual base salary offered will be determined by several components including but not limited to the candidate's experience, job-related knowledge, and qualifications. Base salary does not include other forms of compensation or benefits offered in connection with the advertised role. Total compensation may vary based on role, location, and individual performance. For roles located outside of Los Angeles, please disregard the posted salary range as these roles will follow a separate compensation process based on the local market.

We offer generous benefits designed with the health and financial welfare of our employees and their families in mind, including highly competitive and expansive health care coverage, a comprehensive 401K, company-sponsored volunteer opportunities, individual volunteer time off, parental leave and childcare programs, as well as other benefits and discount purchase programs.