Senior Accounting Manager

ZERO IMPACT ENERGY•Irvine, CA

6d•$100,000 - $120,000•Onsite

About The Position

Zero Impact Energy is seeking an experienced accounting leader to take ownership of its evolving accounting function and strengthen its processes, structure, and audit readiness. The company is a renewable-energy provider operating affiliated businesses in construction, electrical work, EV charging, and manufacturing. Its accounting includes multiple entities, project and job-cost accounting, manufacturing, incentive-program compliance, and owned operating assets. The Senior Accounting Manager will address accounting backlogs, improve reconciliations, document processes, clarify team roles, and establish a consistent monthly close and reliable financial reporting. This is a hands-on leadership role with authority and leadership support to develop the team and implement lasting improvements. The position leads three accounting staff and works closely with construction, sales, procurement, operations, company leadership, auditors, lenders, and outside tax advisers. 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 stated salary range is $100,000–$120,000. The company describes medical and dental insurance, paid time off, and holidays as benefits. The position may grow into a Controller- or Director-level role as the company scales.

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.
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 WIP schedules to project managers and covenants to bankers and present to leadership.
Organized, deadline-driven, and discreet with confidential information; able to thrive in a fast-paced, in-office, small-company environment.
Demonstrated ability to take ownership of an accounting function that is disorganized or under-built, explain the problems identified and changes made, and describe the results.
Ability to establish standards, inspect work, and maintain deadlines; provide calm direction under pressure; coach staff and make appropriate staffing decisions; build documented, automated, and cross-trained processes; communicate challenges proactively; and contribute hands-on during closes, catch-up work, or audits.
Ability to lead construction job-cost accounting involving WIP, over-time revenue recognition, progress billing, retainage, and certified payroll is relevant to the role; construction or contractor accounting experience is strongly preferred.

Nice To Haves

Construction or contractor accounting experience, including job costing, WIP, over-time revenue recognition, progress billing, retainage, and certified payroll.
Manufacturing, renewable-energy, or other project- and incentive-driven industry experience.
Active CPA; CMA is also considered.
Public-accounting foundation.
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 an AP-automation rollout.
Experience using AI tools such as Excel Copilot, ChatGPT, or Claude to accelerate 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 team roles, responsibilities, and performance standards.
Assess the accounting function’s books, team, systems, and controls; create and execute a prioritized stabilization and improvement plan.
Document procedures, create close checklists, and cross-train staff to reduce reliance on individual team members.
Coach and train staff, provide performance feedback, and hire or restructure the team as needed.
Run a weekly team operating cadence covering priorities, aging reports, open items, and close status; communicate status and risks to the Director of Finance and company leadership.
Build working relationships with construction, sales, procurement, and operations teams.
Own accurate and timely monthly, quarterly, and year-end close 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.
Prepare 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 an approval matrix, segregation of duties, vendor onboarding, credit-card and expense policies, and journal-entry review.
Improve the chart of accounts, reporting dimensions, and general-ledger structure.
Lead selection or optimization of accounting systems and automation, including ERP, AP automation, expense management, and integrations with Salesforce, Smartsheet, and project tools.
Advise staff on non-routine and technical accounting matters, 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, 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.
Account for ChargeTronix manufacturing activity, 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 receivable, and customer deposits.
Track incentive-program receivables and compliance by program and site, including CALeVIP, utility make-ready programs, LCFS credits, federal tax credits, and grants.
Support bank and lender compliance reporting, including covenants, borrowing base, and equipment financing, as well as investor and partner reporting.
Lead the annual audit or review, including PBC lists, schedules, and auditor communication; address findings.
Oversee sales and use tax, 1099s, business licenses, and property-tax filings; coordinate income tax with the outside CPA.
Support budgeting and forecasting, and perform other duties as assigned.