Senior Accountant

Overview

This role supports complex accounting needs for a growing fencing contractor operating in the construction industry with commercial and industrial projects across multiple states. The position focuses on both core accounting and ownership of multi-state payroll tax, sales/use tax, and state compliance work.

Responsibilities

Senior Accounting

• Assist with month-end close and preparation of supporting journal entries
• Assist with preparation and maintenance of balance-sheet reconciliations
• Research and resolve historical GL discrepancies
• Review payroll, tax, accrual, prepaid, fixed-asset, and liability accounts
• Assist with financial statement preparation and account analysis
• Support construction accounting, including job costing, WIP, retainage, and related reconciliations
• Prepare audit-ready workpapers and supporting schedules
• Identify accounting-control weaknesses and implement improved processes

Multi-State Payroll Tax

• Review payroll-tax setup for employees working across multiple states
• Research state withholding, unemployment, reciprocity, and other employer requirements
• Register new state and local payroll-tax accounts
• Research and resolve historical filing issues and tax notices
• Reconcile payroll tax filings, payments, payroll reports, and GL accounts
• Coordinate with the payroll provider to ensure correct taxation based on work location
• Identify potential historical payroll-tax exposure and assist with corrective filings or remediation when necessary

Sales & Use Tax

• Assist with ongoing multi-state sales-tax nexus review
• Research construction sales/use-tax requirements by state
• Determine registration and filing requirements
• Review reseller, resale, and exemption documentation
• Prepare or review sales/use-tax filings
• Identify potential historical sales-use-tax exposure and assist with corrective filings or remediation when necessary
• Develop procedures to ensure tax requirements are identified before projects begin

Requirements

• Strong Senior Accountant-level accounting knowledge
• Experience with month-end close, journal entries, account reconciliations, and financial statements
• Ability to independently research unfamiliar accounting and tax issues
• Experience with payroll tax, sales/use tax, or multi-state compliance
• Strong Excel skills and ability to work with large data sets
• Excellent documentation and workpaper skills
• Ability to identify root cause of issues (not just correct symptoms)
• Comfortable communicating with state agencies, payroll providers, CPAs, auditors, Operations, and leadership
• Construction accounting experience is highly desirable
• QuickBooks and/or Sage experience is helpful
• Experience using AI tools to improve accounting research, data analysis, documentation, reconciliations, or process efficiency is a plus

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in a CPA firm, public accounting, audit, tax, or accounting advisory environment, followed by a move into industry

Compensation & Benefits

• Base salary: $70,000–$90,000 (depending on experience)
• 10% target annual bonus
• Health insurance benefits
• 401(k) retirement plan
• Full-time remote position

Location

• Corporate role in Batavia, IL
• Travel percentage: Negligible
• Job shift: Day

Position Type

• Full Time
• Education level: 4 Year Degree

Job Category

• Accounting