Senior Accounting Manager

Zero Impact Energy•Costa Mesa, CA

6d•Onsite

About The Position

Zero Impact Energy is seeking an experienced accounting leader to take ownership of its evolving accounting function across a group of affiliated renewable-energy, construction, electrical, and EV-charging businesses. The role is responsible for addressing accounting backlogs, strengthening reconciliations and controls, documenting processes, clarifying team responsibilities, and developing a structured, efficient, audit-ready operation. The goal is to establish a consistent monthly close, reliable financial reporting, accurate project margins, and a team able to support continued growth. The Senior Accounting Manager leads a team of three accounting staff and oversees the accounting function across multiple entities. The role spans close and reporting, internal controls, construction job-cost and WIP accounting, manufacturing inventory and costing, owned charging assets, intercompany accounting and consolidation, cash forecasting, audit coordination, taxes, and incentive-program compliance. The manager works closely with construction, sales, procurement, operations, company leadership, lenders, investors, auditors, and outside tax professionals. The position is a hands-on, player-coach role with authority and leadership support to improve processes, systems, and team performance. The role is full-time, salaried, and exempt. It is in-person at the company’s Costa Mesa, California office, 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 listed annual salary range is $100,000–$120,000. The company offers medical and dental insurance, paid time off, and holidays. Physical requirements include prolonged desk and computer work, use of standard office equipment, and occasional lifting and moving of files up to approximately 15 pounds. Reasonable accommodations may be made.

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.
Demonstrated experience building or rebuilding accounting processes, controls, or close operations in a disorganized, fast-growing, or under-built environment.
Deep US GAAP knowledge, 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.
Expert Excel skills, including pivots, 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 accounting information to project managers, bankers, and company leadership.
Organized, deadline-driven, discreet with confidential information, and able to work in a fast-paced, in-office, small-company environment.
Able to provide steady direction under pressure, set and enforce standards, coach staff, take ownership, build documented and automated systems, and work hands-on during close, catch-up, and audit activities.

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; CMA will also be considered. A public-accounting foundation is a plus.
Experience selecting or implementing accounting systems.
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 to speed 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; and hire or restructure as needed.
Assess the books, team, systems, and controls; create and execute a prioritized stabilization and improvement plan.
Document procedures, develop close checklists, cross-train staff, and establish a weekly team operating cadence.
Communicate status, risks, and issues to the Director of Finance and company leadership, and build effective working relationships with other departments.
Own accurate, timely monthly, quarterly, and year-end closes across all entities; establish and enforce a close calendar and checklist.
Ensure monthly reconciliations with documented support for balance sheet accounts, and clear historical reconciling items.
Prepare monthly entity and consolidated financial reporting, including P&L, balance sheet, cash flow, project margins, KPIs, and actionable variance commentary.
Design and implement internal controls, including approval, segregation-of-duties, vendor-onboarding, credit-card, expense, and journal-entry review processes.
Improve the chart of accounts, reporting dimensions, and general-ledger structure; lead selection or optimization of accounting systems and automation and reduce manual workarounds.
Advise staff on technical and non-routine accounting matters, researching and documenting accounting positions.
Manage 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 identify margin fade, unbilled work, and cost overruns.
Manage preliminary notices, lien releases, subcontractor and vendor compliance, and certified-payroll and prevailing-wage records for publicly funded projects.
Account for owned and operated 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 and manage AP prioritization, AR collections, retainage receivables, 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, investor and partner reporting, and budgeting and forecasting.
Lead the annual audit or review, including PBC lists, schedules, auditor communication, and resolution of findings.
Oversee sales and use tax, 1099s, business licenses, and property-tax filings; coordinate income taxes with the outside CPA.
Perform other duties as assigned.