Senior Accounting Manager

Zero Impact Energy•Newport Beach, CA

6d•Onsite

About The Position

Zero Impact Energy is seeking an experienced accounting leader to take ownership of its evolving, multi-entity accounting function. The role will address existing backlogs, strengthen reconciliations and controls, document processes, clarify team responsibilities, and establish an efficient, audit-ready operation with a consistent monthly close, reliable financial reporting, and accurate project margins. The manager will lead a team of three accounting staff and work across the affiliated renewable-energy, construction, electrical, and EV-charging businesses. The role oversees accounting transformation and team development; monthly, quarterly, and year-end close and reporting; internal controls and accounting systems; construction job-cost accounting and work-in-progress reporting; multi-entity consolidations; owned charging assets; manufacturing inventory and costs; cash forecasting; audits; tax filings; and incentive-program compliance. The successful candidate will be a hands-on player-coach who builds documented, automated processes, develops staff, communicates risks plainly, and partners with construction, sales, procurement, and operations. This is a full-time, salaried, exempt, in-person position at the company's Costa Mesa, California office. The schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with additional hours as needed around month-end close, audit, and year-end. The stated annual salary range is $100,000–$120,000. The company describes the position as offering a path to a Controller or Director-level role as it grows.

Requirements

At least 8 years of progressive accounting experience, including at least 3 years managing an accounting team, including hiring, developing, and evaluating staff.
Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance.
Deep knowledge of US GAAP, including ASC 606 over-time revenue recognition, ASC 842 leases, fixed assets and capitalization, accruals, intercompany accounting, and consolidation.
Hands-on experience with intercompany transactions, cost allocations, and consolidated reporting across related companies.
Demonstrated experience building or rebuilding processes, controls, and close procedures in a disorganized or fast-growing environment.
Expert Excel skills, including pivot tables, lookups, modeling, and data cleanup.
Hands-on experience with a mid-market ERP or construction accounting system and AP-automation tools.
Working knowledge of California contractor sales and use tax, payroll tax, 1099 reporting, lien-law basics, and documentation standards for public incentive programs.
Clear written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain financial topics to project managers, bankers, and company leadership.
Organized, deadline-driven, and discreet with confidential information; able to thrive in a fast-paced, in-office small-company environment.
Able to work Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with additional hours as needed around close, audit, and year-end.
Must reliably commute to the Costa Mesa, California office or plan to relocate before starting work.

Nice To Haves

Construction or contractor accounting experience, including job costing, WIP, over-time or percentage-of-completion revenue recognition, progress billing, retainage, and certified payroll.
Manufacturing, renewable energy, or other project- and incentive-driven industry experience.
Active CPA license; CMA considered. A public-accounting foundation is a plus.
Experience selecting or implementing accounting systems or AP automation.
Experience with CALeVIP, utility make-ready programs, LCFS credit accounting, federal energy tax credits, or grant accounting.
Experience with owned-and-operated asset portfolios, including site-level P&L, revenue share, depreciation, and tax-credit basis tracking.
Experience leading an ERP or accounting-system implementation or AP-automation rollout.
Experience using AI tools such as Excel Copilot, ChatGPT, or Claude for reconciliations, analysis, and documentation.
Familiarity with Salesforce, QuickBooks, Smartsheet, or Procore and how their data should flow into accounting.

Responsibilities

Lead, develop, and hold accountable a team of three accounting staff; define roles, responsibilities, and performance standards; coach staff, provide feedback, and hire or restructure as needed.
Assess the accounting function's books, team, systems, and controls, develop a prioritized stabilization and improvement plan, and execute it.
Establish documented procedures, close checklists, cross-training, and a weekly team operating cadence.
Communicate status, risks, and issues to the Director of Finance and company leadership, and build relationships across construction, sales, procurement, and operations.
Own accurate, timely monthly, quarterly, and year-end closes across all entities; establish and enforce a close calendar and checklist.
Ensure monthly reconciliation and documented support for balance-sheet accounts, and clear historical reconciling items.
Produce monthly entity and consolidated financial reporting, including P&L, balance sheet, cash flow, project margins, KPIs, and variance commentary.
Design and implement internal controls, including approval authority, segregation of duties, vendor onboarding, expense policies, and journal-entry review.
Improve the chart of accounts, reporting dimensions, and general-ledger structure; lead accounting-system selection or optimization and automation efforts.
Advise staff on non-routine and technical accounting issues, and research and document accounting positions.
Own construction job-cost accounting, including budgets, committed costs, change orders, progress billing, retainage, and monthly WIP schedules under ASC 606 over-time revenue recognition.
Conduct monthly project-margin reviews with construction project managers and flag margin fade, unbilled work, and cost overruns.
Manage preliminary notices, lien releases, subcontractor and vendor compliance documentation, and certified-payroll and prevailing-wage records for publicly funded projects.
Account for owned charging assets, including capitalization, depreciation, site-level P&L, revenue-share calculations and payments, and utility cost pass-through.
Oversee ChargeTronix manufacturing accounting, including inventory, cost of goods sold, standard costs, and warranty reserves.
Manage intercompany transactions, shared-cost allocations, eliminations, and consolidated results across affiliated entities.
Own the 13-week cash forecast; manage AP prioritization, AR collections, retainage receivable, and customer deposits.
Track incentive-program receivables and compliance by program and site, maintaining documentation suitable for agency audits.
Support bank and lender compliance reporting and investor and partner reporting.
Lead annual audits or reviews, coordinate auditor requests and schedules, and address findings.
Oversee sales and use tax, 1099s, business licenses, and property-tax filings; coordinate income tax work with the outside CPA.
Support budgeting and forecasting, and perform other duties as assigned.