Staff Accountant

Alliance Aviation Services•Dallas, TX

32d•Onsite

About The Position

Hillwood Communities is seeking a Staff Accountant to join its Accounting team in Dallas, TX. Reporting to the Accounting Manager, this multifaceted role spans accounts payable, project accounting, and corporate accounting functions while supporting the financial management of active development projects. The Staff Accountant serves as the division owner of the systems and workflows that support payables and invoice processing, helping drive efficiency, accuracy, and continuous improvement across the accounting function. In addition, this position supports month-end close activities, financial reporting, and project accounting responsibilities while serving as a key financial resource to project and development teams throughout the lifecycle of residential development projects.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Accounting or a related field
Mininimum 2+ years of accounts payable and/or project accounting experience
Accounting software experience with a major ERP (JD Edwards preferred; Yardi, MRI, Sage, or Viewpoint also relevant)
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to present complex information clearly to senior leadership
Collaborative team player with a positive, solutions-oriented mindset
Self-motivated and capable of working independently in a dynamic, fast-paced environment
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to research discrepancies, identify root causes, and recommend solutions
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines while maintaining a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail
Strong aptitude for process improvement and leveraging technology to drive operational efficiency
Ability to build effective working relationships with internal business partners, vendors, lenders, and external stakeholders
Proficient in Excel, including pivot tables and large data sets

Nice To Haves

Experience with contract billing, pay applications, and retainage
Real estate, land development, homebuilding, or construction accounting background
Experience with company software including: Medius, JD Edwards, Power BI, Ramp, ReportsNow, OneStream
Experience with vendor master data management
Experience with corporate card and expense management platforms
Exposure to AI tools such as Power Automate, Copilot, or Claude
Involvement in a system implementation or process automation project

Responsibilities

Serve as the main point person coordinating vendor payments
Process and monitor operational invoices and development pay apps through our AP automation platform, coding to the correct project, business unit, and account
Own the weekly check run: prepare the open payables report, confirm approvals, and coordinate payment release
Administer the invoice workflow platform — routing tables, approver assignments, exception handling, and user support
Set up and verify vendors, including ACH enrollment with verbal verification controls and W-9 collection
Research payable questions including prior balances and payment status
Build strong working relationships with vendors and the Communities team, and coordinate with our third-party offshore accounting team
Prepare stop payment requests and coordinate with the bank
Review retainage held and released across active projects for accuracy
Review and process employee expense reports ensuring proper coding and policy compliance
Administer the corporate card program: transaction review, receipt substantiation, approval routing, and the monthly journal entry
Manage all aspects of development and partnership accounting for designated community or ancillary business
Own the month-end close process for assigned projects, including preparation of journal entries, accruals, cost of sales, and revenue recognition
Collaborate with and support cross-functionally the Project and Development Managers, serving as a key financial resource and leading the monthly cost tracker meeting for assigned projects to ensure alignment and accurate, up-to-date cost tracking
Prepare and submit monthly loan draw requests and supporting documentation to lenders
Prepare and submit capital call notices for joint venture partnerships
Maintain and reconcile intercompany transactions across operating entities, including preparation of monthly cash evaluations and wire transfers
Partner closely with FP&A to ensure annual budgets and forecasts align with GAAP accounting principles and the company’s financial reporting practices
Analyze variances between actual results and budgeted amounts, investigating discrepancies and communicating key drivers to leadership; present financial results at quarterly reviews and other management meetings
Manage all aspects of financial reporting for assigned projects, including internal teams, lenders, joint venture partners, and public districts
Review bank deposits and record receipts; support bank reconciliation review and follow-up
Support the AP close: monitor accrual cutoff, approval follow-up, and close reporting
Prepare monthly AR aging report
Produce monthly and quarterly division reports covering marketing, overhead, and division-wide results
Assist with franchise tax accruals and property tax payment tracking
Identify and build automation opportunities across AP and expense workflows
Participate in system testing, enhancements, and change management
Document procedures and serve as a resource to the accounting and operations teams
Other duties and ad hoc projects that support the accounting team