Director of Finance
RESPONSIBILITIES
Accounting and close
- Close both entities monthly on an accrual basis. This covers reconciliations, accruals, prepaid and depreciation schedules, intercompany balances, and consolidation.
- Maintain the chart of accounts, close procedures, and internal controls, including approval limits, payment runs, wire approvals, and vendor verification.
- Prepare the year-end package for the outside CPA firm's annual review engagement, and oversee sales tax, 1099s, and statutory filings.
Project accounting, billing and collections
- Own the monthly billing cycle across fixed fee, percent complete, hourly, and reimbursable arrangements. This includes AIA-format invoices, client portals, and subconsultant pass-through billing.
- Lead monthly billing reviews with project leadership, covering WIP and unbilled, fee earned against budget, additional services, and final invoices.
- Own project setup from signed agreements and additional service requests: project numbers, phases, fee budgets, billing terms, and consultant budgets.
- Run accounts receivable and collections, including aging, client follow-up, escalation, and the annual bad-debt review.
- Oversee timesheet compliance as the basis for accurate billing.
Reporting and analysis
- Produce monthly financial reporting for firm leadership: P&L against budget, the balance sheet, WIP and AR, project performance, utilization, fee projections, and backlog.
- Define and report the firm's key performance measures: utilization, effective multiplier, overhead rate, net revenue per employee, days sales outstanding, backlog, and project margin.
- Build the annual budget and quarterly re-forecast.
- Prepare the annual billing rate tables and multipliers, and provide historical cost data for fee proposals.
Cash, banking and insurance
- Issue the weekly cash and AR report, and keep a rolling 13-week cash forecast and a six-month outlook.
- Own the firm's banking relationships and credit facility, including lender reporting and account administration.
- Manage owner distributions, support annual insurance renewals, and administer the corporate card program.
Payroll, benefits accounting and tax
- Be accountable for payroll accuracy and payroll tax compliance for staff in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, including S corporation shareholder treatment.
- Reconcile benefits billing; fund and reconcile 401(k) deferrals and the employer match; support annual plan compliance testing. Work alongside HR, which owns benefits administration.
- Keep the firm's annual tax and compliance calendar for both entities, and serve as the day-to-day contact for the outside CPA firm on returns, estimated payments, year-end planning, and the review engagement.
Systems and team
- Serve as finance lead and system owner for Deltek Vantagepoint: the close, project and billing setup, project reporting, and user training.
- Lead, develop, and review the accounting team.
SKILLS/REQUIREMENTS
- Bachelor's degree in accounting or finance. A CPA or public accounting background is preferred.
- Minimum of 12 years of progressive accounting and finance experience, including at least five in architecture, engineering, construction, or another project-based professional services firm.
- Direct responsibility for WIP, fee-based billing, and project profitability, and the ability to explain them clearly to a designer.
- Experience running a monthly close and leading an accounting team as the senior or second finance person in a firm.
- Clear, plain written and verbal communication, and comfort advising firm leadership.
- Builds and documents repeatable processes.
- Commitment to collaboration, professionalism, and contributing to firm-wide activities.
