Senior Accountant - Real Estate Development

Western Governors University•Salt Lake City, UT

12d•$100,000 - $150,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Accountant on WGU’s Real Estate Development team serves as the accounting and financial-controls lead for the university’s large-scale construction and development program, including its new headquarters campus. This senior individual contributor owns construction draw accounting, project cost verification, reconciliations, close and capitalization support, control documentation, and audit readiness. The role partners with Development, Project Controls, Finance, Procurement, Treasury, Legal, contractors, architects, and external reviewers to protect the integrity of project financial records and payments. The position is based onsite at WGU’s corporate office in Salt Lake City, Utah. Occasional travel of up to 20% may be required, including attendance at designated company summits, typically one to two per year, as well as conferences, company-location visits, and other business-related events. Relocation assistance is available to candidates who live more than 50 miles from Salt Lake City. This is a full-time, regular position with 40 standard weekly hours and eligibility for bonuses. The stated pay range is $100,000 to $150,000. Benefits include medical, dental, vision, telehealth and mental healthcare; health savings and flexible spending accounts; basic and voluntary life insurance; disability coverage; supplemental accident, critical illness, and hospital indemnity coverage; legal and identity theft coverage; a retirement savings plan; a wellbeing program; discounted WGU tuition; flexible paid time off and sick time without accrual; 11 paid holidays; and other paid leaves, including up to 12 weeks of parental leave.

Requirements

CPA or MAcc, or equivalent relevant experience under WGU policy.
Eight or more years of progressive accounting, construction accounting, or project accounting experience, including at least three years supporting construction draws, pay applications, or complex capital projects.
Strong understanding of U.S. GAAP, construction-in-progress and fixed-asset accounting, month-end close, reconciliations, and internal controls.
Working knowledge of construction contracts, schedules of values, change orders, retainage, lien waivers, and payment documentation.
Advanced Excel skills and experience with ERP, project accounting, or construction-management systems.
Strong judgment, attention to detail, and stakeholder communication.

Nice To Haves

Experience with owner-side accounting for large commercial, mixed-use, institutional, or corporate headquarters development.
Knowledge of AIA G702/G703 payment documents and construction lender or bond-draw requirements.
Experience with Workday or a comparable ERP and Procore, Kahua, e-Builder, or a comparable project platform.

Responsibilities

Design and operate project accounting procedures and controls, including project and cost-code setup, contract and commitment records, change-order controls, and documentation standards; lead related process, system, and reporting improvements.
Review contractor pay applications against contracts and approved schedules of values; validate work completed, retainage, prior payments, approved changes, cost coding, calculations, and supporting documentation.
Confirm required lien waivers or releases, certifications, and other payment conditions are complete; investigate exceptions and recommend draw or payment packages for approval under WGU’s delegated-authority framework.
Record and reconcile project costs, commitments, accruals, accounts payable, and funding activity; coordinate accurate and timely month-end and year-end close.
Maintain construction-in-progress records and support capitalization, placed-in-service determinations, asset transfers, and related accounting in accordance with U.S. GAAP and WGU policy.
Reconcile accounting actuals and commitments to project-controls records and finance forecasts; identify and communicate variances, emerging exposures, and data-quality issues.
Support debt or bond draws, incentive and grant documentation, covenant reporting, audits, and other compliance requirements with complete, audit-ready records; provide functional guidance and coordinate external accounting or draw-review resources.

Benefits

Eligible for bonuses.
Medical, dental, and vision coverage; telehealth and mental healthcare.
Health savings account and flexible spending account.
Basic and voluntary life insurance and disability coverage.
Supplemental accident, critical illness, and hospital indemnity coverage.
Legal and identity theft coverage.
Retirement savings plan.
Wellbeing program.
Discounted WGU tuition.
Flexible paid time off and flexible paid sick time, both without accrual.
11 paid holidays and other paid leaves, including up to 12 weeks of parental leave.
Relocation assistance is available to candidates who live more than 50 miles from Salt Lake City.