Project Accountant

About Columbia Energy

Columbia Energy & Environmental Services, headquartered in Richland, WA, is a well-established small business providing engineering, design, fabrication, instrumentation and controls, and other specialized services. We support both federal and commercial clients and have built a strong reputation for delivering practical, high-quality solutions on complex projects.

Our work often involves fixed-price design/build/test projects along with other contract structures. With operations in Richland, Washington and Idaho Falls, Idaho, our team supports projects across engineering, fabrication, and testing environments.

As a growing company, we value people who are collaborative, practical, and willing to jump in and help solve problems. Team members have the opportunity to work closely with leadership and play a meaningful role in how projects and processes are managed.

Why Join Columbia Energy?

At Columbia Energy, employees have the opportunity to work on interesting technical projects while being part of a small organization where individual contributions matter.

This role works closely with the Controller and project managers, helping support the financial side of projects from start to finish. The position offers strong visibility into how projects operate and how financial decisions impact project success.

Position Overview

Columbia Energy is seeking an experienced Project Accountant to support the financial management of projects performed under government and commercial contracts.

This role works closely with the Controller and project managers to ensure accurate job costing, project billing, and financial reporting across multiple active projects. The position plays an important role in helping project teams understand project financial performance while ensuring project accounting records remain accurate and well organized.

The ideal candidate will have experience working in a project-based accounting environment, strong attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines.

Essential Responsibilities & Duties 

Project Accounting & Cost Tracking

• Maintain accurate job cost tracking across multiple active projects


• Partner with project managers to track project financial performance and provide visibility into project costs and budgets


• Monitor project budgets, costs, and revenue recognition


• Track project labor costs and ensure labor charges are applied to the correct projects and cost codes


• Review labor allocations and project-related payroll data to ensure labor costs are properly applied to projects


• Reconcile project accounts and investigate cost variances

Project Billing & Financial Reporting

• Prepare and process contract billings including time-and-material and fixed-price invoices


• Support preparation of Work-in-Progress (WIP) schedules and project profitability reporting


• Assist project managers with financial reporting and cost forecasting


• Track subcontractor costs and ensure supporting documentation is properly maintained for billing and audit purposes

Accounting & Financial Support

• Prepare journal entries related to project activity


• Assist with month-end close activities related to project accounting


• Review project expenditures to ensure proper coding and contract compliance


• Work closely with the Controller to maintain accurate financial records related to project activity

Contract Compliance & Audit Support

• Assist with financial reporting requirements related to government contracts


• Support internal and external audits by ensuring project documentation and cost records are organized and accurate

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field preferred


• 3–5+ years of accounting experience, preferably in project, construction, engineering, or government contracting environments


• Experience with job costing and project financial tracking


• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills


• Ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in project-based accounting environments


• Familiarity with government contract billing structures (T&M, firm fixed price, etc.)


• Experience with ERP or accounting systems (Microsoft Dynamics NAV experience a plus)


• Strong Microsoft Excel skills


• Experience supporting audits or contract compliance reviews

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive salary based on experience


• Medical, dental, and vision coverage (company covers 100% of employee premiums)


• 401(k) with company match


• Paid time off and company holidays

Equal Opportunity Employer

Columbia Energy is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal and state law.