Senior Accounting Manager

ZERO IMPACT ENERGY•Fountain Valley, CA

6d•$100,000 - $120,000•Onsite

About The Position

Zero Impact Energy is seeking an experienced accounting leader to take ownership of and strengthen its evolving accounting function across affiliated renewable-energy, construction, electrical, and EV-charger manufacturing companies. The business has complex accounting needs spanning multiple entities, construction project and job-cost accounting, manufacturing, incentive-program compliance, and owned operating assets. The role will address backlogs, improve reconciliations, establish documented processes and clear team expectations, and build an efficient, structured, audit-ready operation with consistent closes and reliable financial reporting. The Senior Accounting Manager leads three accounting staff and oversees monthly, quarterly, and year-end close; financial reporting and internal controls; project, job-cost, manufacturing, and multi-entity accounting; cash forecasting; audit, tax, and incentive-program compliance; and budgeting and forecasting support. The position is expected to assess the function and deliver a stabilization plan, develop the team, and lead process and systems improvements. It reports status, risks, and issues to the Director of Finance and company leadership, while working closely with construction, sales, procurement, and operations. This is a full-time, salaried, exempt, in-person role in Costa Mesa, California. 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 listed salary range is $100,000–$120,000. The opportunity may lead to a Controller- or Director-level role as the company 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 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.
Demonstrated experience building or rebuilding processes, controls, and close procedures in a disorganized or fast-growing environment; examples may include a catch-up close, first audit, system implementation, or balance-sheet cleanup.
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, 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; comfortable in a fast-paced, in-office, small-company environment.
Ability to work 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.
Must reliably commute to the Costa Mesa office or plan to relocate before starting work.
Prolonged sitting at a desk and working on a computer; ability to stand, walk, sit, talk, hear, type, write, and use standard office equipment; occasionally lift and move files weighing up to approximately 15 pounds.

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 may be considered. A public-accounting foundation is a plus.
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 selecting or implementing accounting systems, an ERP, or AP automation.
Familiarity with Sage Intacct, Sage 100 Contractor, NetSuite, Viewpoint Vista, Foundation, or QuickBooks Enterprise.
Familiarity with Salesforce, QuickBooks, Smartsheet, or Procore and how their data should flow into accounting.
Experience using AI tools such as Excel Copilot, ChatGPT, or Claude to speed up reconciliations, analysis, and documentation.

Responsibilities

Lead, develop, and hold accountable a team of three accounting staff; define roles, responsibilities, and performance standards; coach, train, provide feedback, and hire or restructure as needed.
Assess the accounting function’s books, team, systems, and controls during the first 30 days, develop a prioritized stabilization and improvement plan, and execute it.
Document procedures, establish close checklists, cross-train staff, and establish a weekly operating cadence for priorities, aging reports, open items, and close status.
Communicate status, risks, and issues clearly and early to the Director of Finance and company leadership; build working relationships across construction, sales, procurement, and operations.
Own accurate and 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, including cash, AR, retainage, WIP, inventory, fixed assets, accruals, intercompany accounts, and debt; clear historical reconciling items.
Produce 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 matrices, segregation of duties, vendor onboarding, credit-card and expense policies, and journal-entry review.
Rationalize the chart of accounts, reporting dimensions, and general-ledger structure; lead selection or optimization of accounting systems, automation, and integrations, and reduce manual workarounds.
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 for over- and under-billings 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 host payments, and utility cost pass-through.
Oversee ChargeTronix manufacturing accounting, including inventory, COGS, standard costs, and warranty reserves.
Manage intercompany transactions, shared-cost allocations, and eliminations; produce 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 energy tax credits, and grants, with audit-ready documentation.
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, and 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.