Accounting Manager

Overview

This role supports the Controller in maintaining accurate, insight-driven financial records. Responsibilities include owning the month-end close, budget process, and project accounting, while helping ensure government-audit readiness for government-funded work. The position also supports finance process and system changes through hands-on work.

Responsibilities

Controller support & process/system change

• Support the Controller on special projects, process changes, and system changes with hands-on work.
• Serve as the Controller’s go-to for one-off projects, analyses, and requests outside the normal cycle.
• Document how accounting works, including the chart of accounts, project and cost structures, and the reasoning behind key decisions; keep documentation current as processes change.
• Identify gaps and risks early and provide options, not just problems.

Project accounting & cost principles

• Own how costs and revenue are tracked, charged, and reported across projects.
• Allocate revenue, labor, and direct and indirect costs to the right projects each month, applying documented methods consistently.
• Own project margin by reviewing monthly, explaining drivers, and flagging projects that drift from expectations.

Budgeting

• Own the budget process, with the Controller as the final reviewer.
• Prepare and maintain the budget with clear drivers and assumptions.
• Track and explain variances to department leaders.

FAR compliance & audit support

• Lead preparation for and response to government audits, with the Controller as the final reviewer.
• Prepare audit-ready support for costs charged to government-funded work, including labor charging and timekeeping.
• Respond to auditor requests.
• Maintain indirect rate calculations and related submissions.

Month-end close

• Maintain and streamline close procedures, reviewing account reconciliations to ensure accuracy.
• Maintain the close calendar, lead the close to its deadlines, and review reconciliations.
• Continuously improve close procedures using AI tools (e.g., Claude) where they save time without weakening controls.

Accounts payable & accounts receivable

• Oversee invoicing, collections, and payments while refining processes to optimize cash flow.
• Oversee reconciliations, AR and AP reporting, vendor payments, and collections.
• Administer the company credit card program.

Payroll execution & compliance

• Run payroll each cycle, ensuring payroll is accurate and on time.
• Keep federal and state filings compliant.

Financial reporting & compliance

• Prepare and review financial statements and budgets.
• Ensure adherence to accounting standards, regulations, and company policies.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or a related field.
• CPA is a nice plus, but not required.
• Strong track record building and managing budgets.
• Solid project accounting background, including tracking cost and margin at the project level.
• Working knowledge of FAR cost principles, including experience with government audits or incurred cost work.
• Experience running day-to-day accounting operations.
• Experience supporting a system implementation or process change from the finance side.

Preferred Qualifications

• Proficiency with accounting and payroll software (Xero and Rippling preferred).
• Advanced Excel skills, including PowerQuery.

Skills & tools

• Practical, regular use of AI tools (e.g., Claude) for analysis, reconciliation, documentation, and reporting, with good judgment on when to verify output.
• Strong analytical, organizational, presentation, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to explain complex numbers plainly.

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive compensation
• Health insurance
• Flexible PTO
• Remote work
• Philanthropic matching gift program
• And more

Location

• Remote work