Senior Accountant

POSITION SUMMARY

The Senior Project Accountant leads the financial management of mechanical construction projects, taking ownership of job cost accounting, subcontract administration, billings, compliance, and financial reporting. This role serves as a key financial partner to Project Managers, Operations, Purchasing, and Accounting leadership — driving cost control, proactively identifying risk, and mentoring junior accounting staff, when applicable, throughout the project lifecycle.

The Senior Project Accountant exercises independent judgment on complex billing structures, subcontractor compliance, and month-end close activities, while supporting continuous improvement of accounting processes and internal controls.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

Commitment Agreements & Compliance

• Lead the issuance and execution of commitment agreements in coordination with Controller, Project Management, ensuring full compliance with contract terms

• Independently verify commitment values against approved budgets and escalate discrepancies to the Controller

• Own commitment entry into the accounting system with accurate and consistent cost coding

• Manage vendor and subcontractor compliance programs, including insurance, lien waivers, and statutory documentation

• Develop and refine compliance tracking processes; mentor junior staff on documentation standards, when applicable

Project Cost Accounting

• Review and approve vendor invoices and subcontractor pay applications in accordance with contract requirements and project budgets

• Lead cost-to-complete forecasting in partnership with Project Managers, identifying variances and recommending corrective actions

• Manage deductive change orders, back-charges, and OCIP/CCIP credit tracking

• Oversee Accounts Payable workflows for assigned projects, enforcing approval hierarchies and month-end deadlines

• Lead weekly project accounting meetings with Project Management Teams, presenting financial status and driving issue resolution

• Manage collection and tracking of Notices to Owner, Releases of Lien, and Sworn Statements

• Prepare and present monthly project financial review packages to Controller and leadership

Billings to General Contractors

• Develop, maintain, and negotiate Schedule of Values (SOV) structures for complex, multi-phase projects

• Perform and review monthly cost-to-billing reconciliations; proactively resolve under/over-billing issues with Project Managers before submission

• Prepare, review, and submit monthly progress billings to General Contractors with full contract compliance

• Manage retainage balances and develop strategies to accelerate retainage recovery

• Monitor billing cycles, outstanding receivables, and aging, escalating collection issues appropriately

Overhead Cost & Credit Card Management

• Enforce receipt collection policies and resolve documentation gaps with department leads

• Escalate unusual or high-risk transactions to the Controller with documented analysis

Leadership & Process Improvement

• Collaborate and work with Project Accountants and Accounts Payable staff

• Identify and recommend improvements to accounting workflows, reporting templates, and internal controls; support all departmental initiatives

• Support year-end audit activities, including workpaper preparation and auditor inquiries

• Maintain vendor and subcontractor master records and enforce data integrity standards

• Serve as a subject matter resource for project accounting questions across the organization

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• 5+ years of project accounting experience, preferably in construction or mechanical contracting

• Strong understanding of job cost accounting, WIP schedules, and percentage-of-completion revenue recognition

• Proficiency with construction accounting software (e.g., Procore, Viewpoint, CMiC, Sage Intaact, or similar)

• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines independently

• Strong analytical, communication, and stakeholder management skills

Preferred

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field

• Experience with OCIP/CCIP insurance programs

• Familiarity with lien law and subcontract compliance requirements

• Prior experience mentoring or supervising accounting staff

• CPA or progress toward CPA designation a plus