Senior Project Accountant

Job summary

Own project-based accounting, including WIP and job costing, project profitability analysis, financial close, reporting, budgeting, forecasting, and cash-flow reporting. Partner with project and operations leaders, oversee AP, AR, and payroll, and improve financial controls, systems, reporting tools, and processes.

Job details

Foresight Recruitment Group is partnering with a growing, privately owned, project-based organization in Ottawa to recruit a senior accounting professional who can take real ownership of the finance function. This is not a traditional transactional accounting role. We are looking for someone who understands the financial story behind individual projects. Someone who can dig into WIP, job costing, margins, forecasts and variances, identify when something doesn’t look right, and confidently work with operational leaders to understand why. The successful candidate will act as the senior accounting resource within the business, overseeing the full accounting cycle while helping strengthen reporting, systems, controls and financial processes as the organization continues to grow. What you’ll be responsible for: • Owning monthly WIP and job-cost accounting • Analyzing percentage of completion, earned revenue, cost-to-complete and project profitability • Identifying margin fade, cost overruns and unusual project variances • Leading month-end and year-end close • Preparing financial statements, management reporting and balance-sheet reconciliations • Budgeting, forecasting and cash-flow reporting • Working closely with Project Managers and Operations on project financial performance • Providing oversight across AP, AR and payroll • Supporting organizational bonus and incentive calculations • Strengthening internal controls, approval processes and accounting procedures • Improving reporting tools, dashboards and data visibility • Identifying opportunities for automation and more efficient use of technology • Providing leadership with forward-looking financial insight and recommendations What we’re looking for: • 5+ years of progressive accounting experience • Strong hands-on WIP and job-cost accounting experience • Advanced QuickBooks Online skills • Advanced Excel skills • Experience managing month-end and year-end close • Strong financial reporting, reconciliation, budgeting and forecasting experience • Experience within construction, contracting, engineering, restoration or another project-based environment is strongly preferred • Strong professional written and verbal communication skills • The confidence to challenge inconsistencies and work directly with operational leaders • A proactive, analytical mindset. Someone who looks for root causes, not just corrections Candidates may currently hold titles such as: Senior Job Cost Accountant | Senior Project Accountant | Accounting Manager | Assistant Controller | Controller CPA designation or progression toward a CPA is an asset, but strong practical experience will also be considered. What makes this opportunity particularly interesting is the growth potential. The organization is continuing to expand, and this role has a clear opportunity to evolve into broader Controller-level responsibility over time. We’re looking for someone who wants to help build and improve the accounting function, not simply inherit and maintain it. Interested? Reach out to me directly or apply through Foresight Recruitment Group. #AccountingJobs #OttawaJobs #ConstructionAccounting #ProjectAccounting #JobCosting #AccountingManager #ControllerJobs #FinanceJobs #Hiring

What you’ll do

Own project-based accounting, including WIP and job costing, project profitability analysis, financial close, reporting, budgeting, forecasting, and cash-flow reporting. Partner with project and operations leaders, oversee AP, AR, and payroll, and improve financial controls, systems, reporting tools, and processes.

Requirements

Requires at least five years of progressive accounting experience, strong hands-on WIP and job-cost accounting experience, advanced QuickBooks Online and Excel skills, and experience with financial close, reporting, reconciliations, budgeting, and forecasting. Experience in a project-based industry is strongly preferred; CPA designation or progress toward a CPA is an asset, alongside strong communication, analytical, and problem-solving skills.

Listed skills

• Budgeting · Preferred
• Financial Reporting · Preferred
• Quickbooks Online · Preferred
• Month-End Close · Preferred
• Process Improvement · Preferred
• Forecasting · Preferred

Other relevant skills

Identified from the job description. Confirm important requirements above.

• WIP Accounting
• Job-Cost Accounting
• Percentage-of-Completion Analysis
• Project Profitability Analysis
• Month-End Close
• Year-End Close
• Financial Reporting
• Balance-Sheet Reconciliations
• Budgeting
• Forecasting
• Cash-Flow Reporting
• QuickBooks Online
• Advanced Excel
• Internal Controls
• Project Financial Analysis
• Process Improvement

Job areas

• Finance & Accounting
• Management & Leadership
• Construction
• Data & Analytics