Director of Project Accounting

A Wiss client in the professional services industry is seeking to add a Director of Project Accounting to their growing team across the U.S. The Director of Project Accounting leads all aspects of project financial operations from project setup and budgeting through forecasting, invoicing, reporting, and project closeout. This role provides strategic leadership overall project-level financial operations ensuring accurate revenue recognition, contract compliance, and actionable financial insight across project lifecycles. This role partners closely with Project Managers, Finance, and Operations leadership to optimize project performance and support firm-wide profitability. Experience managing multi-location teams is critical for success.

Compensation is outlined below. The position requires 2-3 days in the office and occasional travel to other U.S. locations.

Core Responsibilities:

Strategic Oversight:

Drive the continuous evolution of the project accounting function, aligning financial operations with business goals and fostering a culture of innovation and accountability

Lead and develop the project accounting team, in partnership with the CFO, setting performance standards, and providing mentorship

Support the development of financial acumen within project and operations teams through coaching, training, and ongoing business partnership

Establish and enforce project accounting policies, procedures, and internal controls aligned with GAAP and FAR.

Drive consistency in revenue recognition, IP analysis, and percent-complete methodologies across all projects and offices

Project Financial Management:

Oversee project setup, budgeting, forecasting, billing, and close-out processes

Monitor project profitability, backlog, and cash flow; identify risks and recommend corrective actions

Review and approve complex contract terms, change orders, and billing arrangements

Ensure timely and accurate invoicing in compliance with contract requirements (T&M, lump sum, cost-plus, etc.)

Oversee estimates-at-completion (EAC) processes and project forecasting to ensure accurate assessment of project financial performance and margin attainment

Partner with operations and finance leaders to improve billing efficiency, collections performance, and overall DSO metrics

Reporting & Analysis:

Deliver predictive project performance analytics that identify emerging risks and opportunities and support achievement of profitability targets

Support month-end and year-end close processes related to project revenue and unbilled/deferred revenue

Partner with CFO and FP&A on forecasting, budgeting, and long-range planning

Business Development:

Partner with Operations and Business Development teams to support project pricing, fee development, and contract profitability analysis

Collaboration & Process Improvement:

Collaborate with Business Unit leaders to improve project profitability, forecasting accuracy, and operational decision-making

Serve as a strategic advisor to Business Unit Leads and Project Managers on financial performance, contract compliance, and risk mitigation

Champion continuous improvement in processes, systems and tools

Own the automation and dashboard roadmap for project financial reporting, partnering with FP&A and IT on execution

Support audit requirements related to project accounting

Lead the integration and standardization of project accounting processes across acquired businesses and operating companies

Develop and implement training programs that enhance project accounting capabilities across the organization.

Qualifications/Education:

Required:

Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field

10+ years of progressive project accounting experience, with at least 5 years in a leadership role

Experience in A/E, consulting, or professional services project accounting

Strong command of revenue recognition, contract accounting, and WIP management

Experience with ERP systems (Deltek Vision/Vantagepoint preferred)

Proven ability to lead, develop, and scale a high-performing team

Preferred:

CPA or MBA

Experience with government contracting and FAR/DCAA compliance

Familiarity with multi-entity or multi-office operations

Skills & Attributes:

Strategic thinker with strong analytical and problem-solving skills

Partners with Operations while serving as an independent voice for financial discipline

Builds business acumen across project and operations teams, not just within Finance

Target Compensation: Salary - $150-$180k + discretionary bonus and comprehensive benefits and 401K