Portfolio Controller

Department: Accounting & Finance

Reports to: VP, Accounting

Location: Chicago, IL

This role will be performed onsite in the Chicago office.

Adventurous Journeys Capital Partners (“AJCP”) is seeking a Portfolio Controller to join the firm’s real estate investments and development accounting team and support its rapid growth across various investment platforms focused on the hospitality, mixed-use, and single-family rental sectors.

ABOUT AJCP

Adventurous Journeys ("AJCP") Capital Partners is a vertically integrated real estate investment manager founded in 2008. The firm repositions real estate to build timeless, scalable businesses and brand platforms. We deliver returns on transformative real estate by applying placemaking, inspired design, and hospitality principles to spaces overlooked or undervalued by traditional investment firms. The firm’s current portfolio includes $5.3 billion of assets across 100+ properties and 50+ geographic markets. With a mission to humanize hospitality through handcrafted projects made by people for people, AJCP delivers spaces that evoke emotional connections and become backdrops for enriching life experiences. Our headquarters are in Nashville, with offices in Chicago, London, and Miami. For more information on AJCP, please visit www.ajcpt.com.

ABOUT THE ROLE

The Portfolio Controller will be responsible for the accurate and timely reporting of financial information for multiple real estate funds and joint ventures. This will include significant interaction with outside auditors, tax advisors, and fund administrators. The role will interface directly with a variety of groups within AJCP including Development, Asset Management, Capital Markets, Portfolio Management and Investor Relations. 

WHAT YOU WILL DO

Fund Level Responsibilities

• Responsible for the monthly closing process, financial statement and quarterly investor statement preparation, and lender reporting packages for assigned real estate funds and/or joint ventures
• Responsible for the calculation of management fees, distribution waterfalls, and carried interest
• Lead cash management activities for your real estate funds and/or joint ventures, including working with the Portfolio Management, Capital Markets, Development, and Asset Management teams, as applicable, to process capital calls and distributions, forecast liquidity and estimated tax payments, manage payments for construction and other owner costs, coordinate loan draws and reserve account fundings, and optimize working capital needs across your assets
• Oversee the preparation of quarterly investor account statements
• Assist the Portfolio Management team in their process over fair market value calculations on the assets within assigned investment vehicles
• Manage the annual audit and tax reporting process with the audit and tax providers

Property Level Responsibilities

• Develop a deep understanding of all significant agreements, including but not limited to entity operational agreements and side letters, debt agreements, development management, asset management, hotel management and restaurant management agreements, and applicable leases and insurance contracts; ensure the compliance with each of these agreements across your assets
• Provide support to our outsourced providers who perform the property level accounting
• Review monthly workbooks of the property level accountants
• Work closely with development managers on status of project, budgets, and accounts payable to fully understand the project
• Monitor development status to ensure proper capitalization of project costs and place in service dates
• Critically analyze invoice coding and payment, new vendor setup and booking of payment within books and records
• Maintain monthly checklists to ensure all invoices are captured timely and accurately each month
• Assist Capital Markets team in lender funding of projects, including review of development and construction contractor pay applications and ensure proper documentation has been obtained (e.g. lien releases), true-up of retainage accounts are made and ensure invoice payments are made timely based on funding received

Other Responsibilities

• Manage/document business processes and accounting policies to maintain and strengthen internal controls
•  Assist in management of Portfolio Accountants
• Perform any additional responsibilities that may be required to support AJCP’s rapid growth

WHO YOU ARE

AJCP is seeking a highly-motivated individual who enjoys working in a fast-paced, but disciplined, entrepreneurial environment. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience leading real estate and development accounting teams for a private equity firm or investment advisor and will know how to drive organization-wide decision making by providing teams with clear, useful, and timely financial reporting. This role also requires the following capabilities: 

• Ability to clearly and effectively communicate with senior executives, investors, lenders, and other external stakeholders
• Critical thinker who loves solving complex problems outside of their comfort zone
• Meticulous attention to detail and the highest standards for accuracy, timeliness, and precision
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate with others
• Ability to deal effectively with ambiguities and manage multiple projects through completion, often under tight deadlines, with competing priorities
• Strong technical knowledge of partnership and investment company accounting

YOUR QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• B.A. or B.S. degree in accounting
• 5+ years of audit/financial reporting experience in real estate
• CPA or CPA candidate

Preferred 

• Big 4 public accounting experience, combined with experience in partnership accounting, investment company accounting, construction accounting, and/or real estate accounting
• Experience in a broad base of asset classes, including hospitality, multi-family, office, and retail
• An advanced degree, such as a Masters of Accountancy / MAC or a Masters of Business Administration / MBA

Equal Employment Opportunity: 

AJCP is an equal employment opportunity employer and complies with all applicable laws prohibiting discrimination based on an individual’s race, color, religion, religious creed, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, reproductive health decision-making, sex, gender, age, sexual orientation, veteran and/or military status, protected medical leaves, domestic violence victim status, political affiliation, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local laws. AJCP is dedicated to the fulfillment of this policy in regard to all aspects of employment, including, but not limited to, recruiting, hiring, placement, transfer, training, promotion, rates of pay, other compensation, termination, and all other terms, conditions, and privileges of employment.

In compliance with local law, we are disclosing the compensations, or range thereof, for roles that will be performed in Illinois. Actual salaries may vary based on various factors including but not limited to location, experience, role and performance. The range listed is just one component of AJCP’s total compensation package for employees. Pay Range: $125,000-$135,000. Other rewards may include annual bonuses. In addition, we provide a variety of benefits to employees, including health insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, a retirement savings plan, paid holidays and paid time off.