Assistant Project Accountant

Assistant Project Accountant

Job Summary: The Assistant Project Accountant provides essential administrative support to the Project Accountant, ensuring efficient project financial management, oversee financial aspects of construction projects, ensuring accurate financial reporting, maintaining cost control and accurate record-keeping. All members of the accounting team work collaboratively to manage workload and maintain company financial health. This position works closely with our Project Managers to perform cost analyses, review purchase orders, and to create and monitor all contracts. The goal is to ensure that all estimated construction costs are tracked and managed. This role requires strong organizational skills, meticulous attention to detail, high level of financial accuracy, and the ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously.

• Financial Management : Manage project budgets and financial records, monitor project expenses and revenue, prepare and analyze financial reports, perform financial analysis to identify trends and areas for improvement, provide recommendations to optimize project profitability, maintain organized project financial records, ensure proper documentation of financial transactions and project-related paperwork, General Ledger maintenance.
• Accounts payable : verify subcontractor and vendor invoices for accuracy, processing of invoices, prepare vendor check-run processing activities, mail checks, assist with subcontractor administration and purchase order payment processing procedures, monitor/maintain insurance certificates for subcontractors, ensure all invoices have proper approval and supporting documentation, match vendor invoices with delivery slips and purchase orders utilizing company's ERP software and data base management system, verify quantities, prices, and vouchering for data entry into a job cost system, research vendor statements, phone calls, identify discrepancies, and assist with credit card charge research and reconciliation. Accountable for all vendor project documentation. Data entry backup.
• Invoicing and Billing : assist with the preparation and submitting client contract invoices accurately and on time, follow up on outstanding payments, resolve billing issues, receive and process payments, preparation of deposits.
• Payroll : Assist, review, correct and enter employee's time records. Wage and deduction computation. Process employee paychecks inhouse. Payroll tax reporting. Prepare and submit certified paryoll reports to governmental agencies. Communicate with employees regarding any questions or discrepancies. Various HR functions for new hires. Multi-State union payroll compliance and job costing.
• Cost Control: track project cost, including labor, materials, equipment, receipts and invoices. identify cost overruns and implement cost-saving measures. collaborate with project managers to develop cost estimates for new projects. Verify expense reports submitted by project personnel. Oversight of job cost reporting and various management reports as needed. Conduct research on suppliers, vendors, and subcontractors as needed. Assist in obtaining quotes and proposals for project-related services.
• Cash Flow Management : Mange project cash flow to meet financial obligations, forecast cash needs and coordinate with the finance department.
• Documentation and Filing : Organize and file financial documents, contracts, and project-related paperwork, ensure proper documentation of project communications and decisions, act as a liaison between the Project Accountant and project teams, handle routine inquiries and communications as directed.
• Assemble financial data to all external agencies and corporations as required to all levels of bonding, insurance, financing and governmental pre-qualifications.
• Data Entry and Record Keeping: Accurately enter financial data into accounting software, filing, maintain project-related files and documents in an organized manner, record storage, perform other clerical administrative support duties as requested and special projects as needed.
• Equipment maintenance cost reporting and handling vehicle registrations.
• Handle miscellaneous tasks and responsibilities (Clerical, Estimating and Project Management) as assigned by the Project Accountant and management from time to time to meet the ongoing needs of the organization, responsible for answering phones. Manage calendars, schedule meetings and coordinate appointments.
• Perform clerical tasks for multiple sister entities: real estate brokerage, rental property management and land development.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with vendors and suppliers.
• Serves as back up for PM weekly reporting.
• Work overtime as required to complete time-sensitive tasks.

Soft Skills:

• Must love working with numbers all day EVERY day.
• Thrive in a fast-paced high volume environment that can change readily, meet critical deadlines, ability to prioritize daily activities, and handle interruptions effectively, action oriented.
• Ability to work hands on and independently, as well as part of the accounting /purchasing/estimating/project management team. A team player who enjoys working with others.
• Strong work ethic, effective written and verbal business communication skills.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality of financial information.
• Understand and explain a construction WIP Schedule, experience with WIP (Work-In-Progress), percentage of completion (Overbilling/Underbilling).
• Strong computer skills, be proficient in accounting software, proficient with all Microsoft Office related products, specifically Excel - Intermediate or Advanced skills. PDF editing software experience - Adobe or Bluebeam preferred.
• Strong analytical capability, follow-through, problem solver, manage time, produce high quality work, show quality in everything you do, active learner.
• Positive attitude and with the ability to communicate effectively both in writing and orally.
• Ability to act with discretion, judgment confidentiality and adjust quickly to changing priorities.
• Excellent math, financial, and analytical skills, strong analytical and problem-solving ability, calculate mathematical extensions, and the capacity to interpret data and make recommendations.
• Communicate with people at all levels of the company - from business owner to field employees. Must possess the ability to adapt to different personalities, management styles and team composition's.
• Maybe required to obtain notary status.
• Experience with estimating software a plus.

Qualifications:

• Associate or Bachelor's degree in accounting or finance. (CPA license not required)
• Three to Five Years' project accounting experience in construction industry or with contractors .
• In-Depth knowledge of construction cost accounting and related financial procedures.
• Working knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)
• Must possess a valid unrestricted Driver's License.

The Assistant Project Accountant plays a pivotal role in ensuring the financial health and success of construction projects within the General Contracting firm while maintaining adherence to industry-specific regulations and company policies.

Compensation & Benefits : $ 60,000 to 65,000 , vacation, paid holidays, health insurance (100% employee premium covered, 50% dependents)

Hours/Schedule : 40+ hours/week; office hours = 7am to 5pm (consistent schedule within office hours)