Senior Accounting Manager

Accounting Leader OpportunityZero Impact Energy is an end-to-end renewable energy provider. Through our family of affiliated operating companies - Zero Impact Solutions, Zero Impact Builders, Zero Impact Electrical and ChargeTronix - we sell, finance, design, engineer, build, own and maintain EV charging, fleet electrification, solar microgrid, battery energy storage, hydroponic farming and water-reuse systems for commercial and enterprise clients. We are a licensed C-10 contractor with construction crews across California, and we manufacture our own EV chargers. Our revenue is backed by state and utility incentive programs (CALeVIP, utility make-ready programs, LCFS credits and federal energy tax credits) and by charging assets we own and operate under long-term revenue-share agreements. This makes our accounting more complex than a typical contractor's, involving multiple entities, project and job-cost accounting, manufacturing, incentive-program compliance and an owned asset base. We have grown quickly and operate with a lean team. Our accounting function now needs a leader who can strengthen its processes, establish structure and bring it in line with the standards expected across the business.This is a challenging opportunity for an experienced accounting leader to take ownership of an evolving accounting function and play a key role in shaping its future. As the company has grown, our accounting processes and procedures have not always kept pace. The incoming leader will be responsible for addressing existing backlogs, strengthening reconciliations, establishing documented processes, and creating clear roles and expectations within the team. The goal is to build a more structured, efficient, and audit-ready accounting operation, with a consistent monthly close, reliable financial reporting, accurate project margins, and a team equipped to meet the company's needs as it continues to grow. This role will require someone who is comfortable stepping into challenges, identifying gaps, and leading meaningful improvements. You will have the authority and leadership support to make changes, develop the team, and create lasting improvements. This role is ideal for someone who thrives on challenges, enjoys building structure, and is motivated by turning complex processes into efficient, well-established systems.Team Leadership & Transformation (30%) · Close, Reporting & Controls (30%) · Project, Job-Cost & Multi-Entity Accounting (25%) · Cash, Audit, Tax & Incentive-Program Compliance (15%)Team leadership & transformation (30%)Lead, develop and hold accountable a team of 3 accounting staff (AP, AR, bookkeeping and staff accountants). Define clear roles, responsibilities and performance standards for every seat.Assess the current state of the function – books, team, systems and controls – in your first 30 days; deliver a prioritized stabilization and improvement plan; then execute it.Replace heroics with systems: document procedures, build close checklists, and cross-train the team so no process depends on a single person.Coach, train and give candid performance feedback. Hire and, where necessary, restructure to get the right people in the right seats.Run a weekly operating cadence for the team (priorities, agings, open items, close status). Communicate status, risks and bad news early and plainly to the Director of Finance and company leadership.Build strong working relationships with construction, sales, procurement, and operations to support business needs, improve communication, and keep projects and processes running smoothly.Close, reporting & controls (30%)Own an accurate, timely monthly, quarterly and year-end close across all entities. Establish and enforce a close calendar and checklist.Ensure every balance sheet account – cash, AR, retainage, WIP, inventory, fixed assets, accruals, intercompany, debt – is reconciled monthly with documented support. Clear historical reconciling items.Produce the monthly financial reporting package: entity and consolidated P&L, balance sheet, cash flow, project margins and KPIs, with variance commentary leadership can act on.Design and implement internal controls appropriate to a company of our size: approval matrix, segregation of duties, vendor onboarding, credit-card and expense policies, journal-entry review.Rationalize the chart of accounts, dimensions (entity, project, program, site) and GL structure so that reporting comes out of the system instead of being rebuilt in Excel.Lead the selection or optimization of accounting systems and automation – ERP, AP automation, expense management, and integrations with Salesforce, Smartsheet and project tools. Eliminate manual workarounds and measure the time saved.Advise staff on non-routine and technical accounting matters; research and document positions.Project, job-cost & multi-entity accounting (25%)Own job-cost accounting for construction projects: budgets, committed costs, change orders, progress billing (including AIA-style G702/G703), retainage, and the monthly WIP schedule (over/under billings) under ASC 606 over-time revenue recognition.Run monthly project-margin reviews with construction project managers; flag margin fade, unbilled work and cost overruns early.Manage preliminary notices, lien releases, subcontractor and vendor compliance (insurance, W-9s) and certified-payroll / prevailing-wage records on publicly funded projects.Account for charging assets we own and operate: capitalization, depreciation, site-level P&L, revenue-share calculations and payments to site hosts, and utility cost pass-through.Account for manufacturing activity at ChargeTronix: inventory, COGS, standard costs and warranty reserves.Manage intercompany transactions, shared-cost allocations and eliminations; produce consolidated results across the affiliated entities.Cash, audit, tax & incentive-program compliance (15%)Own the 13-week cash forecast. Manage AP prioritization, AR collections, retainage receivable and customer deposits so that cash is never a surprise.Track incentive-program receivables and compliance by program and site – CALeVIP, utility make-ready programs, LCFS credit generation and sales, federal tax credits (30C / 48E) and grants – with documentation that will stand up to an agency audit.Support bank and lender compliance reporting (covenants, borrowing base, equipment financing) and investor and partner reporting.Lead the annual audit or review – PBC lists, schedules, auditor communication – and clear findings so that each year's is cleaner than the last.Oversee sales and use tax (including California contractor rules), 1099s, business licenses and property-tax filings; coordinate income tax with our outside CPA.Support budgeting and forecasting.Other duties as assigned.The leader we are looking for technically skilled, but what separates the right person for this seat is how they lead:Has done this before. You have taken over a disorganized or under-built accounting function and can walk us through exactly what you found, what you changed, in what order, and what the results were.Sets the standard and holds it. You define what "done" and "right" mean, you inspect the work, and you do not let deadlines slide quietly.Calm under pressure. You prioritize effectively, make sound decisions with the information available, and provide steady direction to your team, even in challenging situations.Builds people. You coach, you give direct feedback, you make the hard calls on fit, and your teams get measurably better under you.Builds systems, not dependence. You would rather document, automate and cross-train than be the only one who knows how it works.Takes ownership. You communicate openly, address challenges proactively, and take accountability for delivering results and finding solutions.Player-coach. You set direction, and you also roll up your sleeves during a close, a catch-up or an audit.Builds strong cross-functional relationships. You work effectively across departments, communicate expectations clearly, and gain cooperation to keep processes and projects moving forward.What you bringExperience: 8+ years of progressive accounting experience, including 3+ years managing an accounting team (hiring, developing and evaluating staff), ideally in a company of our size and growth stage.Industry: Construction / contractor accounting strongly preferred – job costing, WIP, over-time (percentage-of-completion) revenue recognition, progress billing, retainage, certified payroll. Manufacturing, renewable energy or other project- and incentive-driven industries are a strong plus.Transformation track record: Demonstrated experience building or rebuilding processes, controls and the close in a messy or fast-growing environment – a catch-up close, a first audit, a