Accounting Manager -Construction

Job Description

Job Description

Together We Build – Partnership, Innovation, Excellence, and Safety

At Kelso Industries, 4,000+ employees across 40+ companies work together to deliver exceptional HVAC, mechanical, plumbing, refrigeration, and electrical solutions nationwide. Join us to grow your career, make an impact, and be part of a team where innovation, excellence, and safety come first.

Recruiter Notice: We respectfully ask external recruiters and staffing agencies not to submit candidates. We only accept direct applications.

Position Summary

The Accounting Manager supports the day‑to‑day accounting operations of a growing HVAC company. This role is responsible for maintaining accurate financial records, supporting the monthly close process, assisting with job costing and reporting, and partnering closely with Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, and operational teams.

The ideal candidate has a strong accounting foundation, hands‑on experience in a service or construction‑related environment, and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast‑paced, project‑driven business.

Key Responsibilities

General Accounting & Month‑End Close

• Work alongside Operations to develop and post accurate percent complete ("WIP") entries. This includes challenging assumptions around cost-to-complete estimates, understanding and explaining variances in WIP components (contract value, cost estimates, and margin), and ensuring appropriate WIP adjusting (or "under/over") entries are recorded in the general ledger.
• Prepare and post journal entries in accordance with GAAP.
• Assist with monthly, quarterly, and year‑end close activities.
• Reconcile general ledger accounts, including bank, credit card, prepaid, accrual, and fixed asset accounts.
• Assist with financial statement preparation and variance analysis.
• Maintain accurate supporting schedules and documentation.

Reporting

• Prepare written and verbal variance explanations (actuals versus budget, forecast or prior year and full-year forecast/budget to prior year, etc).
• Oversee the production of required reports (revenue roll forward, sales pipeline, budget vs. actuals, cash flow forecast, etc.)
• Produce annual reporting, budgets, and forecasting.
• Analyze financial data and provide insights to support business decisions.
• Pull data from ERP systems and organize it into usable formats

Job Costing & Project Accounting

• Support job costing and project margin tracking for HVAC and plumbing service and project work.
• Review costs, revenues, and labor against jobs to ensure proper coding and accuracy.
• Assist with Work‑in‑Progress (WIP) schedules, job closeouts, and cost analysis.
• Partner with operations and project management teams to resolve discrepancies.

Accounts Payable & Accounts Receivable Support

• Support AP and AR teams as needed to ensure accurate posting and timely processing.
• Review invoices, coding, and job allocations for accuracy.
• Assist with customer billing reviews, credit memos, and payment application.
• Support collections efforts by providing documentation and account analysis.

Payroll & Labor Cost Support

• Assist with payroll journal entries and reconciliations.
• Support labor cost allocation to jobs and service work.
• Partner with HR/Payroll teams to ensure accurate payroll reporting and coding.

Compliance & Audit Support

• Assist with sales tax compliance, filings, and reporting.
• Support external auditors and CPA firms during audits and reviews.
• Maintain documentation to support internal controls and compliance requirements.

Systems & Process Improvement

• Work within accounting and job cost systems (e.g., ERP, accounting software, timekeeping systems).
• Identify opportunities to improve accounting processes, reconciliation efficiency, and reporting accuracy.
• Help automate recurring tasks.
• Assist with system clean‑ups, data integrity reviews, and process documentation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field required.
• 2–5 years of accounting experience; in construction is required. Strong preference in the HVAC trade.
• Solid understanding of general ledger accounting and month‑end close.
• Experience with job costing, WIP, or project accounting strongly preferred.
• Proficiency in Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, formulas).
• Experience with accounting systems (NetSuite experience a plus).
• Experience participating or leading ERP implementations or major system upgrades is preferred. Candidate should be comfortable adapting to change, redesigning business processes, and driving successful adoption of new technologies
• Strong attention to detail, accuracy, and follow‑through.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a deadline‑driven environment.
• Strong communication skills and ability to partner cross‑functionally.

Preferred Experience (Nice to Have)

• Experience in HVAC, plumbing, construction, or field‑service environments.
• Familiarity with multi‑state payroll environments.
• Exposure to Sales & Use Tax compliance.

Why Join Kelso Industries?

Join us and be part of a team dedicated to creating efficient, sustainable, and high-performance environments that make a lasting impact across the industrial, commercial, and institutional sectors.

Here you will experience:

Growth Opportunities: Develop new skills, take on exciting challenges, and advance your career in meaningful ways.

Company Culture: You'll thrive in an environment that supports your growth, values your contributions, and makes work fulfilling and enjoyable.

Impact: Your work directly contributes to meaningful outcomes, allowing you to see the difference you make and feel a sense of purpose every day.

Competitive Compensation & Benefits: You'll be rewarded fairly for your contributions while enjoying perks that enhance your financial security, health, and overall well-being.

Kelso Industries celebrates diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We do not discriminate in any aspect of employment based on race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, age, veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local employment discrimination laws where Kelso does business