Project Cost Accountant

CMS Corporation•Saint Louis, MO

About The Position

CMS Corporation is an award-winning construction contractor with design-build experience and self-performance capabilities in mechanical, piping, and fabrication work. Its services include new construction, renovations, fueling systems, and energy and sustainability work for commercial and federal government clients. The Project Cost Accountant oversees project finances to help ensure estimated construction costs are tracked and managed. The role supports project budgeting, cost analysis, purchase order and invoice review, forecasting, financial reporting, accounting close, and management decision-making. It also contributes to annual budgeting, rolling forecasts, expense controls, internal controls, accounting policies and procedures, and employee training. The position reports directly to the Controller.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in accounting and Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
Master of Business Administration (MBA).
Two to five years of job-related experience preferred.
Strong communication and writing skills.
High proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
Strong attention to detail and accuracy.
Ability to maintain confidentiality at all times.
Ability to work independently and with remote teams.
Ability to work with others.
Valid driver's license and ability to be insured under the company's auto insurance policy.

Nice To Haves

Experience with Foundation and other accounting software preferred.
Experience with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) regulations preferred.

Responsibilities

Enter project cost budgets and create or update project information, including fee percentages, phases, cost codes, and cost classes.
Set up and update projects in the ERP system, including assigning project employees.
Create and update EAC cycles, including opening monthly cycles and adding, enabling, or disabling projects.
Coordinate monthly EAC preparation with Project Managers, communicate closing deadlines and requirements, and review and approve monthly EACs.
Create purchase requests according to Project Manager instructions and in coordination with Procurement.
Track open purchase order and subcontract balances; request invoices and send them to Accounts Payable; and request closure or de-scoping of completed or unexecuted items as appropriate.
Update monthly project cost accruals for incurred costs not invoiced before accounting close.
Review cost budget deviations, address negative cost-to-complete balances, and prepare cost analyses to identify and prevent margin erosion.
Support Project Managers in calculating and updating cost forecasts.
Ensure client billings are issued on time; track CPSMR submittals and support Project Management and Project Coordination teams as necessary.
Track client payment status and support Project Managers and the accounting team as needed.
Prepare under/over billing analyses and reports, and prepare invoicing status reports for management.
Provide Project Management and Project Coordination teams with information or guidance on accounting and project management system issues.
Support year-end closing and provide requested audit documents; compile information for internal and external auditors as required.
Provide Project Management with financial information needed for TIA, RFI, claims, and other matters.
Enter monthly accrual entries in the ERP system.
Prepare the monthly WIP report and check balance reasonableness by project.
Reconcile WIP differences between ProFi and CMiC and ensure differences are resolved before closing.
Calculate and book monthly revenue recognition journal entries and reverse the prior month's journal entry.
Support annual budget calculations by department and consolidate the master budget.
Upload the budget into the ERP system and develop rolling monthly forecasts based on current conditions and assumptions.
Prepare department and general variance analyses, including actuals versus budget and prior year; enforce recovery plans for deviations and communicate errors to Accounting.
Prepare a monthly senior management dashboard with financial analysis, variance explanations, risks and opportunities, and KPIs.
Undertake special projects, typically process optimization projects or special reports.
Create and update accounting department policies and procedures, maintain them in the Box folder, share them with employees through SharePoint, and provide employee training.
Perform other duties as assigned.