Intermediate Professional, Accounting

WSP•Lawrence Township, NJ

9d•$73,000 - $95,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Project Financial Advisor (PFA) acts as a trusted finance partner to project delivery teams, ensuring alignment of financial outcomes with enterprise objectives. The role spans the entire project lifecycle across project budget setup review, revenue recognition, and timeline project financial reviews, by delivering disciplined financial stewardship and analysis. PFAs advise on profitability monitoring, working capital management for projects and compliance while contributing to sound decision-making and risk identification across a portfolio that ranges in a complexity of projects independently and supporting more complex projects with guidance.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, Business, or closely-related discipline, (or demonstrated proven equivalent experience)
1 to 3 years of project finance or commercial finance experience in engineering, construction, or professional services
Suitable qualifications/accreditations in Accounting/Finance/Business relevant to the jurisdiction(s) you are operating within
Proficiency expectation is mostly Developing / Working, with some Practiced capability in recurring activities such as Project Target & Performance tracking and Project-Based Accounting
Solid grasp of project accounting, financial reporting, Estimate at Completion / Estimate to Complete (EAC/ETC) forecasting processes, and margin analysis
Experience in commercial support (e.g., project integration, contracts, Work in Progress (WIP)/ Revenue Recognition)
Demonstrated experience supporting a multi-project portfolio with hands-on forecasting and reporting accountability
Advanced Excel skills and proficiency in MS Office and ERP tools (Oracle preferred)
Experience with PowerBI or other data visualization tools (advantageous)
Self-starter who can work independently as well as collaboratively
Comfortable working in a fast-paced environment with multiple priorities
Exceptional stakeholder relationship management and engagement skills with the ability to influence delivery, commercial, and finance leadership
Critical thinking and problem-solving skills required to apply learned subject matter and technical knowledge to reach conclusions from data collation, documentation, statistical analysis, and arriving at the most effective, economical, and logical solution.
Effective/Strong Capable interpersonal and communication skills when interacting with others, expressing ideas effectively and professionally to an accounting and non-accounting audience
Strong planning, prioritization, and time management abilities
Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities with a focus on actionable insights

Nice To Haves

Experience with PowerBI or other data visualization tools

Responsibilities

Contribute to the sound financial management of projects by working as an active financial partner to Project Managers, ensuring adherence to contractual obligations and financial terms
Provide guidance on initial project setup, including Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) development, budgeting, rate selection, and pricing tool development inputs
Advise on project financial planning and risk identification
Support the review of category rates and labor structures to help maintain project recoverability and financial performance
Review labor structures (e.g., non-billable time, cap rates, and labor breakage) to identify and flag areas for rate optimization and margin improvement
Advise on project funding, billing methods, and rates for assigned projects
Identify and communicate margin-related observations and cost-to-serve considerations to support financial performance
Support the assessment of financial impact of subcontracts to ensure alignment with prime contract and profitability objectives
Monitor execution of customer contracts for financial nuances (fee type, caps, retentions, deliverable-based triggers i.e., scheduled billing, milestones, CPFF [Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee])
Review and validate project structure in Project Portfolio Management (PPM): WBS, funding, billing methods, rates, tax, revenue method, and project/contract master data
Ensure compliance with financial policies, delegations of authority, and revenue recognition standards
Coordinate and review Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE)/ Women Business Enterprise (WBE)/ all business enterprise categories (XBE) reporting requirements
Perform margin impact and financial impact calculations and provide support in identifying reasons for variability in project margins
Monitor the project-level forecast cycle for assigned projects, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and alignment with FP&A targets
Review project budgets and forecasts to support the Project Manager in validating assumptions and financial accuracy
Monitor mitigation action plans as directed by the Project Manager and report progress to the PFA Manager
Perform revenue accruals, whenever required, throughout project delivery; advise on other financial adjustments
Manage sub-contracting activities including requisition and Purchase Order (PO) creation (in alignment with Procurement), supplier/subcontractor invoice processing, and partner with PFO Managers on Accounts Payable (AP) payment requests
Contribute to project performance reviews through analyses and commentary on relevant financial indicators (e.g., forecast accuracy, working capital, revenue recognition, change control)
Review key measures and financial tracking, including client-specific reporting requests
Monitor performance against Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and flag variances promptly to Finance Business Partners with recommended corrective actions
Participate in review meetings with Project Managers; deliver actionable insights on key performance drivers, risks, and required decisions
Investigate recurring financial variances and escalate findings with observations to the PFA Manager
Validate proper contract setup controls to ensure revenue recognition in-line with company policies
Support active monitoring of Work at Risk (WAR), including tracking, business impact assessment, reporting, and follow-up to support timely contract execution and compliance
Provide guidance to Project Managers (PMs) on project closeout in cases where specific contractual requirements apply (e.g., retainage, final payment confirmation)
Respond to customer audit requests, coordinate evidence and formal responses with Controllership and Delivery
Review and collaborate with project team on finance-specific responses to audit requests (internal or external)
Ensure records, calculations, and decision logs are audit-ready and retained per policy.
Collaborate with PFOs, Billing, Collections, Cash App, FP&A, Controllership, and business teams to address escalations
Proactively escalate recurring issues through management to contribute to process improvement initiatives that enhance financial outcomes
Identify and assign time and cost transfers and allocations; review and adjust project costs as needed
Foster a strong understanding and consistent application of corporate financial governance and controls across the business
Identify and escalate any financial exceptions to PFA Manager to resolve issues at source to maintain project integrity
Support Operations and Business Finance teams in delivering initiatives aimed at improving efficiency and financial performance
Support project financial performance monitoring and documentation, and assist the PFA Manager and Finance Business Partners (FBP) in explaining variances and impact on P&L
Support in identifying future cost pressures and potential loss-making projects, ensuring the business is made aware and mitigations are put in place

Benefits

Medical coverage
Dental coverage
Vision coverage
Disability coverage
Life insurance
Retirement savings
Paid sick leave
Paid vacation (or other personal time)
Paid parental leave
Paid time off for purposes of bereavement, voting, and/or attendance at naturalization proceedings