What does a Project Accountant do?
Project accountants provide financial support, guidance, and oversight for specific business projects. They are typically involved in the financial aspects at all phases of the project lifecycle. They oversee any necessary pre-authorizations or approvals. They review, verify, and process all invoices and purchase orders. They also review and process expense and mileage reports and payments for vendors and contractors, and ensure all necessary tax paperwork is completed. They prepare expenditure reports with detailed supporting documentation, if needed, and compile final report summaries.
Project accountants typically have a bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or a related field. They should be proficient with major accounting software programs, along with office programs such as Excel. Familiarity with standard billing protocol and processes is expected, and strong project management skills are required.
- Support foreign entity compliance with US GAAP.
- Reconcile monthly inventories, and materials analysis as directed.
- Oversee the filing for the department, electronically and paper.
- Ensure all project costs (equipment, material, supplies, misc.) are processed.
- Perform grant closeout functions including reconciliations, financial status reports, final invoices, and final reporting.
- Review unit entry and unit reconciliations as prepared by supporting staff.
- Assist with preparation of company annual projections and budgets.
- Ensure proper payments to all subcontractors and major suppliers.
- Produce statements and reports using a variety of sources.
- Serve as backup to approve expense transactions to ensure accuracy and complete journal entries.
- Review and process project related contracts, subcontracts, purchase orders and other various agreements as required.
- Complete other related duties and assist with special projects as needed.
- Conform to company apparel standards and set a positive example for all associates.
- Act as a point of contact for external auditors on any technical accounting matters.
- Assist with other areas of accounting to ensure a timely month-end closing.
- Ensure cash receipts are posted to the correct invoice.
- Responsible for being subject matter expert on key GAAP and SEC accounting related issues.
- Assist with time and effort reporting system and ensures it is complete and in compliance with applicable regulations.
- Review and process general job cost invoices and subcontractor billings accurately and timely.
- Work under direct supervision, completing assigned tasks in support of less complex projects.
- Review projects for accurate revenue recognition and provide project analysis and recommendations based on findings.
- Coordinate the 401K audit and Form 11-K filing with the SEC.
- Bachelor's or Graduate's Degree in accounting, business, engineering or information technology or equivalent experience.
- Experience with General Ledger, CMA, SOX, and Cloud software and systems.
- Fluent in spreadsheets, change orders, and enterprise resource planning.
- Comfortable collaborating with others to run month end closes and expense reports.
- A critical thinker and leader with an eye on problem solving and attention to details.
- Comfortable running variance analysis.
How much does a Project Accountant make near United States?
Base Pay
Additional Pay
$72,344
/ yrProject Accountant Career Path
Learn how to become a Project Accountant, what skills and education you need to succeed, and what level of pay to expect at each step on your career path.
Years of Experience Distribution
Project Accountant Insights
Colarelli Construction“Our president goes above and beyond to encourage and nurture each employee's individual passions and educational goals.”
PBK“Team was nice and cool to work with”
Swiss Re“One the best in industry if you want to learn reinsurance and insurance and grow your career into that”
WSP“Salary mapping is outdated and terrible.”
DRMP“Everyone is nice and fun to work with.”
Crown Agents“Nice people and do really good work around the world”
Turner Construction“Good work and life balance”
The Haskell Company“Flexible work and shifting schedule”
Frequently asked questions about the roles and responsibilities of a Project Accountant
- Management Accountant
- Accountant
- Accounting Manager
- Cost Accountant