Project Accountant, Commercial Construction

The Project Accountant I plays a key role in everyday accounting operations by acting as a liaison between the project management and accounting management teams. Responsible for ensuring proper project setup, tracking project costs, communicating budget variances, and driving the invoicing process. Reports to the Supervisor, Project Accounting.

Responsibilities

• Upon assignment of the job, develop a complete understanding of the budget in Procore, assess the PA’s budgeted time, provide feedback on budget achievability, and advise the manager on the customer PO and overall project outlook.
• Develop and maintain positive working relationships with members of the construction project team(s), including project managers, field engineers, superintendents, and project coordinators.
• Enforce company and client schedule and documentation requirements such as billing cutoff dates, insurance certificates, subcontracts/change orders, affidavits, waivers, and supporting documentation.
• Ensure subcontractor compliance with prime and subcontract conditions to control payments.
• Import and export contractual information between JD Edwards and Textura.
• Collect, review, obtain approval for, and process subcontractor invoices for payment.
• Serve as the point person for billing/PO issues within the self‑performance segment, handling change‑order increases, margin‑profit reviews, and PO requirements.
• Provide weekly or monthly communication on open issues and accounts‑receivable concerns.
• In the self‑performance/maintenance area, manage PO usage, labor usage, and profitability while assessing associated risks.
• Assist project personnel in quantifying extras for inclusion in change requests or client billings.
• Perform project audits to identify and communicate system discrepancies or issues (e.g., GMP reconciliation).
• Ensure timely completion of all financial activities and requirements related to project close‑outs.
• Continuously investigate subcontractor conformance with payment agreements and recommend remedial actions such as joint or direct payments to downstream creditors.
• Conduct monthly reviews of project cost reports and contract status reports, analyzing over/under billings that affect work‑in‑process (WIP).
• Review and comment on open AR and open AP monthly, continuously auditing to ensure all job costs in JD Edwards are proactively billed to clients.
• Assist with additional project audits as needed.
• Respond to requests for information and analysis from Project Managers regarding job cost and subcontractor issues.
• Approve Accounts Payable invoices when assigned.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Minimum of three years of experience as a cost accountant, preferably within the construction industry.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, including active listening.
• Ability to effectively prioritize tasks and meet deadlines.
• Capability to identify, analyze, and resolve problems and minor work issues.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to work independently under high‑pressure deadlines.
• Previous experience with JD Edwards, Textura, or similar accounting software is a plus.
• Advanced computer skills with Microsoft Office (Teams, Outlook, Word, Excel) required.