Bachelor's degree in accounting or finance; CPA preferred.
12+ years of progressive accounting and finance experience, with 5+ years in project-based professional services.
Direct experience with WIP, fee-based billing, and project profitability.
Proven ability to lead a monthly close and manage an accounting team.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, especially in advising leadership.
Skilled in building and documenting repeatable processes.
Collaborative and professional, with a commitment to firm-wide contributions.
Responsibilities
Close monthly financials for both entities on an accrual basis, including reconciliations and consolidations.
Maintain internal controls and chart of accounts, overseeing payment approvals and vendor verification.
Manage the monthly billing cycle and lead billing reviews with project leadership.
Produce monthly financial reports for firm leadership, including P&L and project performance metrics.
Issue weekly cash and AR reports, maintaining a rolling cash forecast.
Ensure payroll accuracy and compliance across multiple states, including tax obligations.
Serve as finance lead for Deltek Vantagepoint, overseeing project reporting and user training.
Benefits
Opportunity to lead and develop a finance team.
Engagement with firm leadership in strategic financial decisions.
Access to advanced financial systems and tools.
Collaboration with HR on benefits and compliance matters.
Full Job Description
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.
