Project Accounting Administrator (51348)

Collins Engineers•Chicago, IL

About The Position

The Project Accounting Administrator provides critical clerical and administrative support to the project accounting team within our engineering design and consulting practices. Reporting directly to the Project Accounting Manager, this role serves as an operational catalyst: opening new projects, processing sub-consultant invoices, and compiling backup documentation required for monthly client billings. By owning high-volume data entry and administrative tasks in Deltek Vantagepoint, this position ensures seamless financial workflows across our engineering project lifecycles and frees up capacity for our core project accountants.

Requirements

1–3 years of experience in an administrative accounting, accounts payable, or clerical support role.
High proficiency with Microsoft Office suite (specifically Excel) is required.
High school diploma or equivalent required.
Exceptional attention to detail and accuracy in data entry.
Strong organizational skills to manage high volumes of project documentation.

Nice To Haves

Experience within an Architecture, Engineering, or Construction (AEC) firm is highly preferred.
Hands-on experience with Deltek Vantagepoint (or Deltek Vision) is highly desirable.
An Associate’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or Business Administration is a plus.

Responsibilities

Initialize and open new projects in Deltek Vantagepoint based on executed client contracts, fee structures, and proposal documents.
Maintain project structural data in the system, ensuring accurate updates to work breakdown structures (WBS), billing rates, payment terms, and project manager (PM) assignments.
Process project closure paperwork in Vantagepoint once deliverables are finalized, ensuring all remaining balances are properly reconciled.
Receive, code, and enter sub-consultant invoices into Deltek Vantagepoint with high accuracy.
Route sub-consultant invoices to Project Managers for technical approval and track approval velocity to ensure vendor compliance.
Reconcile sub-consultant ledger balances against specific project budgets to monitor contract thresholds and avoid overruns.
Retrieve and compile backup documentation (e.g., receipts, vendor invoices, timesheet details) required for complex client billing packets.
Coordinate closely with the AP Specialist and Project Accountants to isolate and resolve billing discrepancies prior to monthly invoice distributions.
Format draft invoices or draft progress billing templates in Vantagepoint based on instructions provided by the project accounting team.
Maintain digital project finance folders, ensuring strict organization of contracts, change orders, and sub-consultant agreements.
Respond to routine internal inquiries regarding vendor invoice status, basic transaction histories, or project setup details.
Support the accounting team during year-end preparation, financial audits, or miscellaneous project reporting initiatives.