Accounting Analyst

Description:

***ALL CANDIDATES MUST BE W2 EMPLOYEES OF THE SUBMITTING AGENCY***

JOB TITLE: Budget Accountant

LOCATION: Denbigh Professional Park | 606 Denbigh Blvd, Newport News, VA 23608

POSITION TYPE: 100% Onsite

SCHEDULE: Monday-Friday | Day Shift

CONTRACT: Temp-to-Perm | FTE salary upon conversion: $50,000-$60,000

START DATE: ASAP upon successful completion of the hiring process

IMPORTANT CALL OUTS
• This is a hands-on accounting role for someone who enjoys working directly in detailed financial data and day-to-day accounting functions.
• The client is highly selective and closely evaluates education, hands-on accounting depth, compensation alignment, and assessment performance.
• Advanced Excel is a critical requirement. Candidates must be able to independently use VLOOKUPs, XLOOKUPs, Pivot Tables, and common formulas.
• Candidates complete an accounting/Excel assessment before interview consideration. Recent candidates have most often fallen short in VLOOKUPs and formulas.
• A separate Excel Assessment Prep Guide may be shared with qualified candidates before testing.
• Healthcare accounting experience is preferred, but strong operational accounting experience may be considered without healthcare experience.
• Candidates must be willing to work 100% onsite and convert to permanent employment if selected. Local candidates are strongly preferred.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
• Updated resume with candidate phone number and email address included
• Transcript(s)
• Last 4 digits of SSN
• Minimum FTE salary requirement or confirmation the candidate is comfortable within the $50,000-$60,000 range
• Explanation for any employment gap greater than 90 days within the past 7 years
• Confirmation of 100% onsite availability and daily commute/relocation plan, if applicable
• Confirmation of willingness to convert to permanent employment

HIRING PROCESS
• Rehire check
• Resume and transcript review
• HR compensation review
• Accounting/Excel assessment
• Manager/Director interview
• VP interview
• Leadership discussion/final decision

ASSESSMENT PREPARATION
• Candidates should refresh VLOOKUP, XLOOKUP, Pivot Tables, common Excel formulas, budget-to-actual calculations, financial reconciliations, General Ledger concepts, journal entries, and financial statement analysis before completing the client assessment.
• Practice resources are intended only as a refresher before the client assessment.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION
• Bachelor's Degree in Accounting; OR
• Bachelor's Degree in Business, Finance, or a related field with an Accounting concentration or approximately 21+ completed accounting credit hours.
• Transcripts are required for submission and will be reviewed to verify qualifying accounting coursework.

EXPERIENCE
• Target profile: approximately 3-5+ years of progressive, hands-on accounting experience. The client has not defined a strict minimum year requirement, so depth and recency of relevant accounting ownership are more important than title alone.
• Budget preparation, budget management, forecasting, and budget-to-actual analysis
• Financial analysis, financial reporting, and financial statement preparation
• General Ledger accounting, journal entries, accruals, adjustments, and reclassifications
• Account reconciliations and discrepancy investigation
• Month-end, quarter-end, and/or year-end close
• Variance analysis, cost analysis, expense analysis, and financial projections
• Candidates whose backgrounds are primarily AP, AR, payroll, bookkeeping, tax-only, audit-only, or financial analysis without hands-on accounting ownership may not meet the needs of this role.

CERTIFICATIONS
• No specific certification is required. CPA, CPA-track coursework, CMA, or other relevant accounting credentials are a plus.

TECHNICAL SKILLS
• Advanced Microsoft Excel proficiency, including VLOOKUP, XLOOKUP, Pivot Tables, advanced formulas, SUM/SUMIF/SUMIFS, IF/IFERROR, COUNTIF/COUNTIFS, and absolute/relative cell references.
• Ability to use Excel for budget-to-actual calculations, variance analysis, financial data comparison/reconciliation, and troubleshooting formula or lookup errors.
• ERP/accounting system experience preferred. Relevant systems may include Oracle, SAP, Workday, PeopleSoft, Lawson, Microsoft Dynamics, Great Plains, QuickBooks, or comparable financial systems.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS
• Strong analytical thinking, independent judgment, attention to detail, and ability to interpret financial data and applicable regulations.
• Ability to work independently, manage competing deadlines, identify discrepancies, and communicate accounting findings clearly.
• Genuine interest in detailed, day-to-day accounting work and an individual-contributor environment.
• 100% onsite availability in Newport News, VA and willingness to convert to permanent employment if selected.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
• Healthcare accounting or hospital finance experience
• Medicare/Medicaid cost reporting or healthcare reimbursement experience
• Regulatory reporting or CMS-related financial compliance experience
• Cost reporting, internal controls, audit support, or process-improvement experience
• Experience working in a large ERP environment

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
• Assist with preparation and maintenance of annual operating and departmental budgets.
• Prepare forecasts and financial projections and perform budget-to-actual analysis.
• Analyze revenue, expenses, financial trends, cost drivers, and significant variances; research and explain discrepancies.
• Prepare and post journal entries, accruals, adjustments, and reclassifications as needed.
• Maintain General Ledger accuracy and perform account reconciliations.
• Support month-end, quarter-end, and year-end close activities.
• Prepare and analyze financial statements, supporting schedules, and management reports.
• Perform cost analysis and support cost-control and financial planning initiatives.
• Assist with audit, regulatory, and compliance-related financial reporting and documentation.
• Partner with operational leaders and internal stakeholders to explain financial results and support informed decision-making.
• Use Excel and ERP systems to analyze, reconcile, and report financial data accurately and efficiently.
• Support accounting process improvements, documentation, internal controls, and reporting accuracy.