Senior Project Accountant — Denver, CO, Colorado | Pacific Executive Search

Senior Project Accountant

(Job ID: 2086)

Denver, CO, Colorado

On-Site

Direct Hire

Construction and Engi

$115,000 – $135,000 base

Apply Now

Overview

Stepping into a senior accounting role within a specialized industrial fabrication and construction services firm, this position offers direct involvement in refining project accounting processes amid a recent ERP transformation. Embedded in a mid-sized enterprise known for delivering complex mechanical and plumbing systems to landmark commercial projects, the Senior Project Accountant will collaborate closely with operations and finance leadership to ensure precision in job costing, revenue recognition, and month-end financial reporting.

Title: Senior Project Accountant
Industry: Mechanical and Plumbing Construction
Location: Denver, CO

Responsibilities

Collaborate with project management to establish and maintain accurate project budgets, cost codes, and phase tracking within the ERP system.
Analyze labor, materials, and subcontractor expenses to identify and resolve discrepancies in job cost reports and WIP balances.
Support financial forecasting by monitoring project margins, cost-to-complete estimates, and revenue recognition in partnership with operations teams.
Manage project billing cycles, including invoice approvals, accounts receivable follow-up, and subcontractor payment compliance documentation.
Serve as a subject matter expert on the ERP platform, troubleshooting system issues and driving improvements in project accounting workflows.
Coordinate closely with corporate accounting and cost accounting functions to reconcile manufacturing costs and ensure alignment with general ledger entries.
Develop and enforce standardized procedures and internal controls to enhance accuracy and efficiency in project financial reporting.

Qualifications

Must-Have:
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or related field.
- Minimum of 5 years’ progressive experience in project accounting within manufacturing, fabrication, construction, or industrial project environments.
- Proven expertise in job costing, WIP accounting, revenue recognition, and project cost forecasting.
- Strong proficiency with ERP systems for project accounting, ideally with hands-on experience supporting or stabilizing ERP implementations.
- Advanced Excel skills for financial analysis, reconciliations, and handling complex data sets.
- Demonstrated ability to work autonomously, identify accounting discrepancies, and drive issues to resolution.
- Effective communication skills to liaise with project managers, operations, and corporate finance teams.
Nice-to-Have:
- Experience with IFS ERP or similar integrated project accounting platforms.
- Background in modular manufacturing, mission-critical infrastructure, or engineer-to-order project settings.
- Familiarity with sales and use tax compliance, subcontractor lien management, and federal contract regulations (FAR/DFARS).
- Knowledge of financial reporting tools such as Power BI.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are operational accounting roles often underestimated?
Because they are easy to describe but hard to fill well. AP, AR, payroll, and billing roles require accuracy under volume, process discipline, and system fluency. The difference between someone who can do the work and someone who can own and improve the function is significant, and most companies discover that gap only after the hire.
Can operational accounting roles lead to broader finance leadership?
Yes, when the person demonstrates process ownership, problem-solving instinct, and the ability to manage people and systems rather than just transactions. Many Controllers started in operational roles where they proved they could improve the function, not just maintain it. The key is moving from execution to oversight.
Why is manufacturing accounting and finance talent difficult to hire well?
Because manufacturing environments expose weak operators quickly. The work touches inventory, costing, margins, controls, operations, and often plant-level realities. Employers are not just hiring accounting knowledge. They are hiring someone who can function inside an operational business where the numbers have to connect to what is happening on the floor.
Why is cost accounting experience often treated as a separate requirement?
Because cost accounting is not just a line item on a resume. In the right environments, it shapes how the business understands margins, inventory, production efficiency, and operating performance. Employers usually separate it out because general accounting strength alone does not guarantee sound judgment in a costing environment.
How do strong candidates typically evaluate opportunities like this?
Strong candidates rarely evaluate a role based on title alone. They look at what the position actually owns, how the function is viewed internally, whether the environment is stable or in transition, and what success will realistically look like in the first 6 to 12 months. Many first discover a role through a posting, but the strongest career decisions usually come from understanding the context behind the opportunity, not just the job description. In accounting and finance hiring, that level of context is often what separates a lateral move from a meaningful one. Learn more about how strategic accounting and finance searches differ from transactional recruiting.

Senior Project Accountant

Overview

Responsibilities

Qualifications

Apply Now

Frequently Asked Questions

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