Intermediate Project Financial Advisor

WSP is seeking an Intermediate Project Financial Advisor to support the Transportation and Infrastructure business line in Valhalla, NY; Houston, TX; or Austin, TX. The PFA serves as a trusted financial partner to Project Managers, driving project profitability, financial compliance, forecasting accuracy, and overall financial performance across a portfolio of projects throughout the full project lifecycle — from budget setup and revenue recognition to financial reviews and closeout.

Responsibilities

Financial Partnering & Project Support

• Contribute to sound financial management of projects by working as an active financial partner to Project Managers, ensuring adherence to contractual obligations and financial terms
• Provide guidance on initial project setup, including Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) development, budgeting, rate selection, and pricing tool development inputs
• Advise on project financial planning and risk identification
• Support the review of category rates and labor structures to help maintain project recoverability and financial performance
• Review labor structures (e.g., non-billable time, cap rates, and labor breakage) to identify and flag areas for rate optimization and margin improvement
• Advise on project funding, billing methods, and rates for assigned projects
• Identify and communicate margin-related observations and cost-to-serve considerations to support financial performance
• Support the assessment of financial impact of subcontracts to ensure alignment with prime contract and profitability objectives

Financial Aspects of Contract Execution, Structure & Policy Compliance

• Monitor execution of customer contracts for financial nuances (fee type, caps, retentions, deliverable-based triggers i.e., scheduled billing, milestones, CPFF [Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee])
• Review and validate project structure in Project Portfolio Management (PPM): WBS, funding, billing methods, rates, tax, revenue method, and project/contract master data
• Ensure compliance with financial policies, delegations of authority, and revenue recognition standards
• Coordinate and review Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE)/Women Business Enterprise (WBE)/all business enterprise categories (XBE) reporting requirements [US and CA-specific, different terminology in the UK&I, confirm regional application/terminology]

Forecasting, Planning & Financial Alignment

• Perform margin impact and financial impact calculations and provide support in identifying reasons for variability in project margins
• Monitor the project-level forecast cycle for assigned projects, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and alignment with FP&A targets
• Review project budgets and forecasts to support the Project Manager in validating assumptions and financial accuracy
• Monitor mitigation action plans as directed by the Project Manager and report progress to the PFA Manager
• Perform revenue accruals, whenever required, throughout project delivery; advise on other financial adjustments
• Manage sub-contracting activities including requisition and Purchase Order (PO) creation (in alignment with Procurement), supplier/subcontractor invoice processing, and partner with PFO Managers on Accounts Payable (AP) payment requests

Project/Portfolio Performance Management

• Contribute to project performance reviews through analyses and commentary on relevant financial indicators (e.g., forecast accuracy, working capital, revenue recognition, change control)
• Review key measures and financial tracking, including client-specific reporting requests
• Monitor performance against Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and flag variances promptly to Finance Business Partners with recommended corrective actions
• Participate in review meetings with Project Managers; deliver actionable insights on key performance drivers, risks, and required decisions
• Investigate recurring financial variances and escalate findings with observations to the PFA Manager
• Validate proper contract setup controls to ensure revenue recognition in-line with company policies
• Support active monitoring of Work at Risk (WAR), including tracking, business impact assessment, reporting, and follow-up to support timely contract execution and compliance
• Provide guidance to Project Managers (PMs) on project closeout in cases where specific contractual requirements apply (e.g., retainage, final payment confirmation)

Audit, Assurance & Customer/Regulatory Responses

• Respond to customer audit requests, coordinate evidence and formal responses with Controllership and Delivery
• Review and collaborate with project team on finance-specific responses to audit requests (internal or external)
• Ensure records, calculations, and decision logs are audit-ready and retained per policy

Cross-Functional Integration & Escalation Resolution

• Collaborate with PFOs, Billing, Collections, Cash App, FP&A, Controllership, and business teams to address escalations
• Proactively escalate recurring issues through management to contribute to process improvement initiatives that enhance financial outcomes
• Identify and assign time and cost transfers and allocations; review and adjust project costs as needed

Finance Business Partnering Activities

• Foster a strong understanding and consistent application of corporate financial governance and controls across the business
• Identify and escalate any financial exceptions to PFA Manager to resolve issues at source to maintain project integrity
• Support Operations and Business Finance teams in delivering initiatives aimed at improving efficiency and financial performance
• Support project financial performance monitoring and documentation, and assist the PFA Manager and Finance Business Partners (FBP) in explaining variances and impact on P&L
• Support in identifying future cost pressures and potential loss-making projects, ensuring the business is made aware and mitigations are put in place

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, Business, or closely-related discipline (or demonstrated proven equivalent experience)
• 1 to 3 years of project finance or commercial finance experience in engineering, construction, or professional services
• Suitable qualifications/accreditations in Accounting/Finance/Business relevant to the jurisdiction(s) you are operating within
• Proficiency expectation is mostly Developing / Working, with some Practiced capability in recurring activities such as Project Target & Performance tracking and Project-Based Accounting
• Solid grasp of project accounting, financial reporting, Estimate at Completion / Estimate to Complete (EAC/ETC) forecasting processes, and margin analysis
• Experience in commercial support (e.g., project integration, contracts, Work in Progress (WIP)/Revenue Recognition)
• Demonstrated experience supporting a multi-project portfolio with hands-on forecasting and reporting accountability
• Advanced Excel skills and proficiency in MS Office and ERP tools (Oracle preferred)
• Experience with PowerBI or other data visualization tools (advantageous)
• Self-starter who can work independently as well as collaboratively
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced environment with multiple priorities
• Exceptional stakeholder relationship management and engagement skills with the ability to influence delivery, commercial, and finance leadership
• Critical thinking and problem-solving skills required to apply learned subject matter and technical knowledge to reach conclusions from data collation, documentation, statistical analysis, and arriving at the most effective, economical, and logical solution
• Effective/Strong Capable interpersonal and communication skills when interacting with others, expressing ideas effectively and professionally to an accounting and non-accounting audience
• Strong planning, prioritization, and time management abilities
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities with a focus on actionable insights

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Disability and life insurance
• Retirement savings plan
• Paid sick leave
• Paid vacation (or other personal time)