Project Controls Accountant

MasTec Civil, a heavy highway contractor specializing in complex transportation projects—roadways, bridges, interchanges, mass transit, and tolling facilities—builds the infrastructure that connects communities. As part of MasTec’s Clean Energy & Infrastructure segment (over $4.5 billion in annual revenue), we offer dynamic career opportunities within a Fortune 500, minority-owned company.

About the role

The Project Controls Accountant integrates accounting discipline with project controls execution on heavy civil and infrastructure projects. Responsibilities span job cost accounting, budget control, accruals, commitments, contractor validation, change management, forecasting, executive reporting, and data integrity across ERP, scheduling, and dashboard platforms.

Responsibilities

• Maintain accurate job cost records: budgets, actual costs, commitments, accruals, forecast-to-complete, and forecast-at-completion reporting.
• Reconcile project costs against ERP data, procurement records, contractor billings, timesheets, equipment charges, tax treatment, and cost code allocations.
• Prepare monthly accruals and support month-end close with variance explanations, cost trend analysis, and forecast assumption documentation.
• Identify cost coding issues, unsupported costs, overbillings, improper labor/equipment charges, and other financial control exceptions.
• Develop and maintain cost forecasts using actuals, commitments, production trends, risk-based assumptions, and schedule-driven cost exposure.
• Analyze cost, revenue, margin, and contingency movement; communicate key drivers to project managers and executive leadership.
• Monitor forecast accuracy and recommend corrective actions for overruns, savings opportunities, or scope gaps.
• Support portfolio-level cash flow, spend planning, long-range forecast planning, and capital program reporting.
• Validate contractor progress reports, quantities, unit price billings, T&M support, lump sum milestone payments, and subcontractor payment applications.
• Review change order requests for pricing support, cost impact, contract basis, required approvals, and budget/forecast implications.
• Maintain pending and approved change order logs; ensure approved changes are reflected in forecasts, budgets, and reporting systems.
• Support claims, delay documentation, and commercial analysis through cost records, progress measurement, and schedule alignment.
• Coordinate cost and schedule information to support integrated project controls reporting and early identification of schedule-driven cost risks.
• Support Primavera P6 schedule updates, CPM progress tracking, milestone reviews, and alignment of field progress with forecast assumptions.
• Review quantity surveying information and productivity data to assess earned progress, cost performance, and forecast reasonableness.
• Prepare weekly and monthly project controls and financial reports: budget status, cost trends, forecast changes, change order exposure, risks, and executive summaries.
• Develop and maintain Power BI, Excel, Tableau, or similar dashboards for project teams, finance leadership, and executive review.
• Improve reporting efficiency through automation, standardized workflows, data validation, and AI-enabled or system-driven process improvements.
• Provide clear, concise explanations of financial performance, project risk, and recommended actions to operations and finance stakeholders.
• Maintain accurate cost codes, WBS structures, phase allocations, budget versions, and system interfaces across ERP and project controls platforms.
• Use systems such as Oracle PPM, SAP, EcoSys, Viewpoint, Procore, Kahua, Copperleaf, JIRA, Primavera P6, and advanced Excel.
• Ensure compliance with company policies, delegation of authority requirements, contract obligations, and public agency reporting expectations.
• Provide training and guidance to project managers and field personnel on cost reporting, accruals, forecasting, and billing support requirements.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, Construction Management, Engineering, or related field (required or strongly preferred).
• CPA, CPA candidate, CPA PEP enrollment, or equivalent accounting designation progress (preferred).
• 5+ years of experience in project controls, project accounting, cost control, cost engineering, construction finance, or capital program controls.
• Experience managing large construction, infrastructure, energy, industrial, transportation, or heavy civil project portfolios (preferred).
• Demonstrated experience with budgets, actuals, commitments, accruals, forecasts, variance analysis, contractor validation, and change management.
• Experience supporting executive-level project reporting and portfolio financial controls (strongly preferred).

Skills

• Advanced Excel: pivots, lookups, financial models, reconciliations, and analytical workbooks.
• Power BI, Tableau, or similar dashboard and visualization tools.
• ERP and project controls systems: Oracle PPM, SAP, EcoSys, Viewpoint, Procore, or similar.
• Primavera P6 or Microsoft Project experience (preferred).
• Strong understanding of job costing, accrual accounting, cost forecasting, change controls, and earned progress concepts.
• High attention to detail and strong accounting control mindset.
• Analytical problem-solving with ability to identify cost risk, reporting gaps, and process improvement opportunities.
• Clear communication of financial and project controls information to project managers, accounting teams, and executives.
• Strong ownership, prioritization, and follow-through across multiple projects and deadlines.
• Collaborative approach with operations, finance, procurement, scheduling, and field teams.

Preferred Certifications

• CPA, CPA candidate, or equivalent accounting designation.
• AACE CCP, PSP, or related cost/schedule certification.
• PMP, PMI-SP, or similar project management certification.
• OSHA 30 or construction safety training (a plus).

Benefits

• Financial Wellbeing: Competitive pay with ongoing performance review and merit increase; 401(k) with company match; Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP); Flexible spending accounts (Healthcare & Dependent care).
• Health & Wellness: Medical, dental, and vision insurance (plan choice) covering spouse, domestic partner, and children; Diabetes Management; Telehealth Coverage; Prescription Drug Plan; Pet Insurance.
• Family & Lifestyle: Paid Time Off; Paid Holidays; Bereavement Leave; Military Leave (including Differential Pay and Benefits Continuation); Employee Assistance Program.
• Planning for the Unexpected: Short- and long-term disability; life insurance; accidental death & dismemberment; voluntary life insurance; accident, critical illness, and hospital indemnity coverage; Emergency Travel Assistance Program; Group legal plan.

Position may be subject to pre-employment screening, including background check and drug testing.