Staff Accountant

Arbor Research • Ann Arbor, MI

6d • Remote

About The Position

The Staff Accountant supports general ledger accounting, month-end close, financial reporting, accounts payable, and project accounting in a government contracting or federally funded environment. The role prepares journal entries, reconciles balance sheet accounts, analyzes financial results, maintains accounting records, and supports budget-to-actual reporting to provide accurate and timely financial information in accordance with GAAP. It also supports labor cost distribution, revenue recognition under ASC 606, and billing across different contract types, while working with the Accounting Manager, program managers, and other departments to maintain financial controls and meet reporting deadlines.

The position oversees accounts payable activities, including reviewing and processing vendor and subcontractor invoices, validating charges, reviewing employee expense reports in Unanet, coordinating weekly payment runs, and maintaining vendor records. Additional work includes reconciling accounts payable balances, managing accruals, preparing annual Form 1099 filings, and resolving invoice and payment discrepancies. The Staff Accountant also supports internal and external audits and helps ensure compliance with applicable FAR requirements, indirect cost principles, and federal contracting regulations.

This is a remote role. The employee must be physically located in Alabama, Colorado, Connecticut, Washington, D.C., Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, or Virginia. The position is exempt, is 40 hours per week, does not supervise others, and requires minimal overnight travel of no more than 5%.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, Finance, or a related field.
• At least three years of general ledger or staff accounting experience, including at least two years with a government contractor or federally funded organization.
• Hands-on experience with Unanet, including GL processing and month-end utilities.
• Working experience with Unanet timekeeping, expense, project, or financial modules.
• Working knowledge of FAR Part 31, DCAA audit requirements, and indirect rate structures.
• Strong understanding of GAAP and account reconciliation practices.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including pivot tables, lookups, and data reconciliation.
• Demonstrated attention to detail and ability to meet close deadlines.
• Ability to obtain and maintain any background investigation required by the organization’s contracts, if applicable.

Nice To Haves

• Familiarity with Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200) and Single Audit requirements for federal grants.
• Experience with CAS-covered contracts and Disclosure Statement requirements.
• Experience in a professional services or federal contracting environment.
• Experience supporting Incurred Cost Submissions and forward pricing or provisional billing rate proposals.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and post GAAP-compliant journal entries, including accruals, prepaid amortization, depreciation, and reclassifications.
• Perform monthly balance sheet reconciliations, including cash, accounts receivable, unbilled receivables, accounts payable, accrued liabilities, and fixed assets.
• Support month-end, quarter-end, and year-end close within established deadlines.
• Prepare support schedules and financial statement analyses, including budget-to-actual and variance reports for overhead and general and administration department owners.
• Maintain the chart of accounts and organizational structure in coordination with the Accounting Manager.
• Support labor cost distribution, timekeeping compliance, and reconciliations between timekeeping, payroll, and the general ledger.
• Assist with project setup, ASC 606 revenue recognition, and billing across cost-reimbursable, time-and-materials, and firm-fixed-price contracts.
• Prepare documentation and respond to DCAA, DCMA, cognizant federal agency, and external auditor requests, including applicable Single Audit procedures.
• Develop and maintain standard and ad hoc reports for management, program managers, and compliance requirements.
• Review, code, and process vendor and subcontractor invoices in Unanet, ensuring accurate project, account, and organization charging.
• Perform three-way invoice matching against purchase orders and receiving documentation, and resolve discrepancies with vendors, Procurement, and program staff.
• Review subcontractor invoices for consistency with subcontract terms, approved rates, ceilings, and period of performance before payment.
• Review and process employee expense reports in Unanet for compliance with organizational policy and applicable Federal Travel Regulation requirements.
• Prepare weekly ACH, check, and wire payment runs, and maintain vendor master data, including W-9 collection and SAM.gov exclusion verification.
• Reconcile the accounts payable subledger to the general ledger monthly, maintain the accounts payable aging, and record period-end accounts payable accruals.
• Prepare annual Form 1099 filings and respond to vendor inquiries.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level