Project Accountant Manager

This Opportunity

WSP is currently initiating a search for a Project Accountant Manager to support our TRNV/Water/Energy group based out of the Austin or Houston, Texas office. 
 

Supervisor-level senior project accountant and finance professional providing accounting, subcontractor payables, project administration, contract billing, and client support to one or more Project Managers and/or project team(s).  Develops project work breakdown structure, project budgets, margin analysis, and creates associated funding in Oracle for larger and/or more multi-site/phase, complex projects.  Ancillary important tasks include evaluating project charges, completing cost transfers, ensuring that all project data in Oracle is up-to-date, generating robust project accounting reporting for infrastructure / transportation / professional services projects, and working with project leadership on recommendations for addressing problem project corrective strategies.  Also works collaboratively with the Billing function, project managers, and associate-level project accountants on pre-billing information review, cost estimates, and invoicing.  Ensures that responsibilities are delivered and adhered to with a level of quality that meets or exceeds acceptable industry standards, supporting the delivery of future-ready solutions to clients.

Your Impact

• For assigned project(s), manage and analyze the collection, recording, and allocating project costs and revenue, ensuring accurate project profit and loss calculations, and communicating project financial performance and profitability to project/program management.
• Responsible for lifecycle project accounting for larger and/or multi-faceted complex projects involving the creation of project accounts in Oracle, project performance, close-out, and reconciling overall project payables and receivables to project budgets – this includes developing and providing of scheduled values, review of subcontractor pay applications, billing approved subcontractor costs, holding/billing retention per contract, and billing labor, general conditions, incremental spend, overhead and fee, and revenue recognition.
• Establish processes and key indicators for monitoring, managing, and analyzing problem projects; keeping project managers and/or finance leadership informed on any noted concerns.
• Partner with the Project/Program Manager(s) and project team(s) to establish the project budget, budget updates and changes, address contract modifications, and make project accounting recommendations related to the financial implications of proposed decisions.  
• Create and generate regular or ad hoc project financial reports and visualization, evaluating the reports for accurate presentation of data and findings, including developing analysis on labor breakage, cost trending, earned value and margin analysis, or other various project-related financial reports to be escalated for review by the Project or Finance Management.
• Oversee and authorize access to project records, and the transfer of expenses into and out of project-related accounts in compliance with established accounting practices and guidelines.
• Maintain quality control standards and procedures for generating accurate and precise project-related financial records in Oracle.
• Perform monthly review of job costs reports and project cost tracking reports for accuracy and alignment with budget; make corrections and updates as directed by project managers. 
• For assigned projects, apply learned accounting expertise relating to project resources, labor and expenses, investigating project variances and submitting variance reports to project managers, operations leadership, and finance senior management as appropriate.  
• Verify contract and change order characteristics for projects that are large, multi-site/phase, and /or of a higher level of complexity, including reading and interpreting contract language, method of compensation, modifications, purchase orders, and subcontract/consultant terms.   
• Responsible for ensuring draft invoices from billing are accurate based on the contract requirements agreed upon with the client, identify any corrections needed, obtain Project or Program Manager/Executive documentation and signature, and finalize the invoice approval and submittal to client(s).
• Subcontract management and coordination with Contract Administrators. This includes evaluating subcontractor invoice submittals for accuracy, establish and maintain purchase orders for subconsultants, and request and follow up on subcontractor payment requests with Accounts Payable.
• Identify and record unpaid contract billings, following up on any delinquent accounts receivable and/or unbilled costs. 
• Respond to requests for more detail from clients, investigate all project expenses not billed to clients, and create and/or approve all project-related billings to clients.
• Coordinate project-related meetings to inform the team regarding the current status of project financials, articulating problem projects, corrective action recommendations, and following up on any identified actions as discussed.
• Compile information for internal and external auditors and formal audit responses as required.
• Work with cross-functional finance teams and managers (e.g. Billing, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Project Set-Up) in executing project work and providing future ready solutions for clients. 
• Comply with regulatory requirements pertaining to the data integrity, documentation, procedures, training, monitoring systems, and record compliance and retention.
• Interact with regulatory agencies, subcontractors, and clients in a confident and professional manner.
• Supervise, mentor, and/or train other project accountants on an as-needed basis, including the review, support, and QA/QC of billing and project budgets, invoicing template creation, financial reconciliation, project closeouts, and task completion.
• Remain current in latest project accounting principles and subject matter.
• Exercise responsible and ethical decision-making regarding company funds, resources and conduct, and adhere to WSP’s Code of Conduct and related policies and procedures.
• Perform additional responsibilities as required by business needs.

Who You Are

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, Business, or closely-related discipline (or demonstrated proven equivalent experience).
• 7 to 10 years of relevant post education experience in corporate project accounting, project contracts and change management documents. 
• Proficient knowledge of project accounting principles, practices, and methods and their application to project work-related issues. 
• Familiarity with Oracle.
• Ability to make technical computations and calculations involving the application of accounting principles, understanding Contractual requirements and making factual comparisons to the appropriate regulations and/or contract stipulations.
• Ability to coordinate with various stakeholders and understand contract requirements, scope, and schedule.
• Effective interpersonal and communication skills when interacting with others, expressing ideas effectively and professionally to an accounting and non-accounting audience.
• Demonstrated high-level of self-leadership with attention to detail, multi-tasking, and prioritization of responsibilities in a dynamic work environment.
• Experience preferred with effective people leadership skills, management, and providing guidance and direction to junior team or project members, with strict adherence to QA/QC.
• Advanced proficiency with strong technical writing, office automation and accounting software, technology, math principles, MS Excel, pivot tables, formulas, data format/sort/filter, VLOOKUP, predictive models, and tools. 
• Well-developed critical thinking and problem-solving skills required to apply learned subject matter and technical knowledge to reach conclusions from testing results, data collation, statistical analysis and arriving at the most effective, economical, and logical solution.
• Experience with collaboratively working with others such as subcontractors, consultants, and clients on outstanding accounts receivables.
• Awareness of and adherence to WSP USA’s Project Delivery Handbook.
• Proven track record of upholding workplace safety and ability to abide by WSP’s health, safety and drug/alcohol and harassment policies.
• This is a professional role and as such work deadlines and work hours may extend beyond a typical workday.
• Occasional travel may be required depending on project-specific requirements.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s Degree.