Staff Accountant - Part Time Contract

Backburner Labs • St Paul, MN

3d • Hybrid

About The Position

Backburner Labs is seeking a detail-oriented, self-sufficient accountant for a six-month independent contractor engagement (1099) to manage core transactional accounting work. This role will free up the CFO to focus on strategic finance initiatives. The position offers an opportunity to grow with the company and take on more complex accounting work as it expands. The company is an engineering consultancy that designs and builds products, has doubled revenue annually for five years, and is preparing to move into a new headquarters. The work environment is described as one where your contributions are visible and you will help create systems for scaling, rather than maintaining existing ones.

Requirements

• 3+ years of hands-on transactional accounting experience
• Proficiency with Xero (our primary accounting platform)
• Experience with Brex or similar corporate card and spend management platforms
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy
• Ability to work independently and manage priorities
• US, Minnesota-based with familiarity with US GAAP and standard accounting practices
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, growing company with evolving processes

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting (or) Finance (equivalent experience welcome)
• Experience with Microsoft Dynamics or similar ERP platforms
• Experience with Harvest or similar time-tracking and project billing tools
• Background supporting a professional services or project-based business
• Familiarity with project-cost accounting and expense-to-project allocation

Responsibilities

• Manage daily transaction entry and ensure accurate, timely syncing between our corporate card platform (Brex) and existing accounting system (Xero)
• Audit and clean up transaction descriptions and project classifications; follow up with team members on missing or incomplete coding
• Allocate expenses to the correct projects within Xero; maintain accurate project-level records throughout the month
• Process and reconcile hardware & materials invoices in Xero; generate draft invoices for CFO review and perform materials tie-out at month-end
• Perform monthly balance sheet reconciliations, ensuring all accounts are properly supported and discrepancies are resolved before close
• Load and audit contractor payable invoices at month-end; verify against time-tracking data and follow up on any discrepancies
• Maintain and update month-end Excel trackers for engineering time, contractor activity, and related financial data
• Classify and post daily non-card transactions to Xero; ensure consistent coding across the general ledger
• Generate draft client invoices from engineering time data for CFO review
• Support an accurate and timely monthly close process in collaboration with the CFO

Benefits

• $40–$50 per hour, commensurate with experience
• 16 hours per week that you choose, but must be fixed once set
• Six-month contract term: October 1 - March 31, 2027
• Flexibility to work hybrid or remote (Twin Cities, Minnesota required for occasional in-person collaboration)
• The chance to grow with a high-performing, engineering-driven company, with potential for expanded scope over time

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Part-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Associate degree