Project Accountant / Construction Accountant

Job Title: Construction Project Accountant

Full-Time:· Finance & Accounting

Department: Finance & Accounting

Reports To: Controller / CFO

Employment Type: Full-Time, Remote

Start Date: As soon as possible

About the role

The Construction Project Accountant plays a critical role in supporting the financial management of the company’s real estate development portfolio. Working in close partnership with Operations, this position is responsible for tracking project-level costs, reconciling monthly progress billings to expenses recorded in the general ledger, facilitating intercompany invoicing between related entities, and delivering clear project-level financial reporting to stakeholders. The ideal candidate brings a solid foundation in accounting principles, hands-on experience with intercompany transactions, and proficiency in NetSuite ERP.

What you’ll do

Project Accounting & Cost Management

• Partner with the Project Coordinator to monitor budgets, commitments, and actual costs across all active real estate development projects.

• Reconcile monthly progress billings submitted by the project team against expenses recorded in the general ledger, including invoices, physical check disbursements, and credit card transactions.

• Track job cost allocations and ensure expenditures are coded accurately to the correct project, cost code, and cost type.

• Prepare and maintain detailed project cost reports, forecasts, and variance analyses for project managers and senior leadership.

• Monitor project budgets and flag potential overruns or discrepancies in a timely manner.

Project-Level Financial Reporting

• Produce comprehensive, project-level financial reports on a monthly basis, providing stakeholders with a clear view of each development project’s financial position.

• Compare actual costs incurred to approved project budgets, identify and explain variances, and escalate material discrepancies to project management and senior leadership.

• Identify and accrue for expenses that have been incurred but not yet invoiced, ensuring project financials reflect a complete and accurate picture at each reporting period.

• Monitor overall project status, including percentage of completion, remaining budget, and projected cost-to-complete, and incorporate these metrics into regular reporting packages.

• Track project invoicing activity and outstanding receivables, monitor collections on intercompany and third-party billings, and follow up on aged or unapplied items.

• Maintain and distribute a project-level reporting dashboard or schedule that enables leadership to assess portfolio-wide financial health at a glance.

• Assist in the preparation of project-specific financial summaries for lenders, investors, or partners as required.

Intercompany Billing & Payables

• Prepare and issue intercompany invoices (pay applications) between related entities in connection with development activity.

• Ensure intercompany transactions are properly documented, approved, and eliminated in consolidated financial statements.

• Coordinate with the accounts payable team to process vendor invoices and subcontractor pay applications accurately and on schedule.

• Maintain intercompany transaction schedules and reconcile intercompany balances monthly.

NetSuite ERP Administration

• Create, manage, and maintain Sales Orders in NetSuite for project-related billing activity.

• Ensure accurate entry and workflow of project transactions within NetSuite, including purchase orders, bills, and journal entries.

• Assist in the development and maintenance of NetSuite project accounting workflows, saved searches, and reporting.

• Collaborate with the finance team on system improvements, integrations, or process enhancements within NetSuite.

General Accounting & Month-End Close

• Prepare monthly journal entries related to construction activity, including accruals, prepaid amortization, and capitalized costs.

• Support the month-end and year-end close process by delivering timely, accurate project-level schedules and reconciliations.

• Maintain organized, audit-ready workpapers and project accounting files.

• Assist with annual audit preparation, including responding to auditor inquiries related to construction-in-progress and development costs.

• Support preparation of lender draw requests and documentation packages as needed.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Serve as the primary accounting liaison to the project management and construction teams.

• Communicate regularly with the Project Coordinator to align on project status, cost approvals, and billing milestones.

• Interface with vendors, subcontractors, and related-entity finance teams to resolve billing discrepancies and outstanding items.

• Provide financial data and ad hoc analysis to support project decision-making.

What we’re looking for

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a closely related field.

• 2–5+ years of accounting experience, with at least 1–2 years in construction, real estate development, or a project-based environment.

• Solid understanding of GAAP and fundamental accounting principles.

• Demonstrated experience with intercompany accounting and related-entity transactions.

• Hands-on experience with NetSuite ERP, specifically including Sales Order creation and management.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, and reconciliation workflows).

• Strong attention to detail and ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously under deadline pressure.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate financial data for non-financial stakeholders.

Preferred

• Experience in a real estate development or general contracting environment.

• Familiarity with Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC) or comparable construction management platforms.

• Experience processing or reviewing AIA-format pay applications and progress billings.

• Knowledge of construction draw processes and lender reporting requirements.

• CPA designation or active progress toward licensure is a plus.