Director of Finance

Position Summary

We are seeking a Director of Finance to lead finance across our group of companies, which includes CDG Maui, a design-build construction company; Makoa Resorts, a vacation rental property management company; commercial and residential real estate entities; short-term rental entities; and other operating businesses. The accounting team is employed by Makoa Resorts, which provides accounting services to each entity in the group. This role provides financial oversight across every entity, directly owns the accounting for Makoa Resorts and our related short-term rental entities, and leads and develops our accounting team.

Makoa Resorts is expanding into third-party owner property management with a licensed brokerage partner, so this role will also own owner reporting and the accounting for funds held for third-party property owners.

This role carries CFO-level responsibilities and reports to the COO/CFO. Prior CFO experience is not required. We are looking for a technically strong, hands-on public accounting professional who has managed engagements and advised closely held businesses and their owners, can grow into broader internal finance leadership, and will make our existing team stronger.

Team & Reporting Structure

This position reports to the COO/CFO. The Controller, the Accounting & Treasury Manager and the Project Accountant report to this position. The team continues to perform the day-to-day accounting for CDG Maui and the other entities; this role reviews their work, coaches them and owns the financial results across the group.

Core Responsibilities

Financial Oversight Across All Entities

• Review each entity's monthly close, financial statements, balance sheet reconciliations and intercompany activity; resolve issues with the team member who owns the work.
• Analyze financial results and bring the COO/CFO clear numbers, the issues behind them and a recommendation.
• Prepare annual operating budgets, rolling forecasts and cash-flow projections for each entity and the combined group; support Metronomics and management planning.
• Coordinate entity and individual tax compliance and planning with outside CPAs; deliver tax-ready books and year-end packages.
• Own the monthly accounting-services billing from Makoa Resorts to each entity, based on the work performed.
• Oversee cash, debt and lender requirements across entities; the Accounting & Treasury Manager runs daily treasury.
• Maintain accounting systems, procedures and internal controls across entities; recommend practical improvements after learning how existing processes work.

Makoa Resorts and Related Rental Entities (company-owned; hands-on ownership)

• Personally perform the monthly, quarterly and year-end close for Makoa Resorts and our related short-term rental entities, including detailed accounting and reconciliations, within the first 20 days of each month.
• Prepare accurate monthly financial statements and maintain complete, tax-ready books for each of these entities.
• Reconcile Guesty and GuestyPay activity to the accounting records, including reservations, rental income, cleaning fees, management fees, merchant fees, deposits and taxes.
• Research and resolve reservation-level discrepancies, posting errors and system limitations.
• Prepare Hawaii GET, TAT and MCTAT returns and maintain complete supporting workpapers.

Third-Party Owner Reporting and Owner Funds

• Prepare owner statements, owner distributions and reimbursements for third-party property owners, and calculate Makoa's management fees.
• Account for and reconcile funds held for third-party owners separately from company funds, with appropriate controls, trust-accounting procedures and separation of duties, working with Makoa's brokerage partner.
• Record GET, TAT, MCTAT and other activity accurately between Makoa Resorts and each owner.
• Support the onboarding of new third-party owners and related owner communications.
• Owner accounting covers owner reporting and funds held for owners; it does not include maintaining each owner's complete entity books.

Teach and Develop the Accounting Team

• Coach the Controller, Accounting & Treasury Manager and Project Accountant: review their work, explain the reasoning behind corrections, and build their ability to make sound decisions independently.
• Hold regular coaching reviews with each team member and support those pursuing their CPA.
• Document processes so the team runs well without depending on any one person.

Qualifications

• Active CPA license.
• Public accounting experience serving closely held businesses and their owners across partnerships, S corporations, individual returns and related entities.
• Demonstrated experience managing engagements, reviewing staff work, advising business owners and developing staff. A strong senior who has actually carried these responsibilities will be considered; a senior title alone is not enough.
• Has personally prepared and explained projections, forecasts, budgets or cash-flow plans for clients or an employer.
• Sound accrual accounting and financial statement analysis skills, in addition to broad tax experience.
• Willing and able to perform detailed accounting, reconciliations and close work personally, not only supervise or present reports.
• Real estate, property management, hospitality, vacation rental, construction or trust/owner accounting experience is a plus.
• Proficiency with QuickBooks and Microsoft Excel; experience with Guesty is a plus.
• Hawaii GET, TAT or MCTAT experience is a plus.

How You Work

• Researches unfamiliar issues before answering, names the assumptions behind a number, and backs confidence with knowledge and evidence.
• Asks thoughtful questions, welcomes feedback, and learns existing processes before recommending changes.

What Success Looks Like

• Accurate, well-supported financial statements across the group, and owner reporting delivered on schedule.
• Forecasts and projections the COO/CFO can make decisions from.
• A stronger accounting team that makes sound decisions on its own and needs less correction each quarter.
• Owner funds that are accounted for, reconciled and controlled at all times.
• A collaborative, low-ego approach that earns the team's trust.

Compensation

The anticipated starting salary is $140,000–$165,000, depending on experience and qualifications, plus benefits. The role includes a 15% target bonus, earned through three defined milestones, with base salary reassessed once they are complete.

Pay: $140,000.00 - $165,000.00 per year

Application Question(s):

• Do you hold an active CPA license? If yes, in which state?
• Can you work full-time onsite in Kihei, Maui?
• How many years of public accounting experience do you have serving closely held businesses and their owners (partnerships, S corporations, individuals)?
• This role personally performs the monthly close and reconciliations for several entities, not only reviews them. Describe the close and reconciliation work you have done yourself most recently.
• Describe a forecast, budget or cash-flow projection you personally built. Who was it for, and what decision did it support?

Work Location: In person