Director Project Accounting

McDermott International, Ltd; Greater London; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

McDermott International, Ltd invites applications for an Accounting Director – Project to lead financial performance on a major EPC program. You will partner with project leadership to drive forecasting, cost control, cash flow oversight, and timely reporting across the project lifecycle.

The role requires 10+ years of progressive finance or project accounting on large EPC ventures, with strong contract interpretation and executive communication skills.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, or a related discipline required; CPA, CMA, or MBA preferred
• 10+ years of progressive finance or project accounting experience on large EPC projects
• Strong knowledge of project financial management: EAC, percent complete, cash flow, cost forecasting, working capital
• Experience working with customers, joint ventures and cross-functional project teams in complex contractual environments
• Strong commercial acumen: interpret contracts, assess entitlement, support change orders/claims
• Executive-level communication and presentation skills with the ability to influence stakeholders
• Proven leadership: build high-performing teams and drive accountability in a matrixed project environment
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with ability to synthesize complex data
• High integrity, judgment, and resilience with focus on controls, risk, and commercial position
• Strong Excel and ERP reporting/tooling capabilities

Responsibilities

• Lead all project finance activities: budgeting, forecasting, cost control, revenue recognition, cash flow management, and monthly reporting
• Serve as the primary finance partner to the Project Director and leadership team; provide insight and decision support
• Own the project forecast including EAC, margin analysis, working capital, and cash collection; identify risks and opportunities
• Drive governance and compliance with policies, controls, delegated authority, and contractual requirements
• Partner with project controls, contract management, and legal to evaluate exposures, change orders, claims, contingencies
• Lead financial input into customer and JV governance forums; present the company’s position clearly
• Build productive relationships with JV partners and customer counterparts; align with contractual rights
• Challenge cost assumptions, schedule impacts, risk assessments, and proposed settlements; escalate when needed
• Oversee invoicing, collections, funding requirements, and liquidity planning for the project
• Lead, coach, and develop the project finance team; foster accountability and high-quality analysis
• Support audits, management reviews, and ad hoc requests with well-supported analysis

Skills

Leadership

Forecasting

Cost control

Cash flow management

Financial reporting

Stakeholder management

Executive communication

Contractual awareness

ERP systems

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Finance or Accounting

CPA / CMA / MBA preferred

Tools

ERP systems

Job description

Job Overview

The Accounting Director – Project role is a finance leadership position embedded within a major EPC project. This role is accountable for driving financial performance, commercial discipline, and strong governance across the full project lifecycle, from project setup through execution and closeout. The Accounting Director serves as a trusted business partner to project leadership, working closely across internal stakeholders and partners to deliver accurate forecasting, disciplined cost management, robust cash flow oversight, and timely financial reporting.

Job Description

Job Overview

The Accounting Director – Project role is a finance leadership position embedded within a major EPC project. This role is accountable for driving financial performance, commercial discipline, and strong governance across the full project lifecycle, from project setup through execution and closeout. The Accounting Director serves as a trusted business partner to project leadership, working closely across internal stakeholders and partners to deliver accurate forecasting, disciplined cost management, robust cash flow oversight, and timely financial reporting.

Responsibilities

• Lead all project finance activities for a major EPC project, including budgeting, forecasting, cost control, revenue recognition, cash flow management, and monthly financial reporting
• Serve as the primary finance partner to the Project Director and project leadership team, providing insight, challenge, and decision support to improve financial and operational outcomes
• Own the project forecast, including estimate-at-completion, margin analysis, working capital, and cash collection, ensuring risks and opportunities are identified early and communicated clearly
• Drive financial governance and compliance with company policies, internal controls, delegated authority, and contractual requirements across the project organization
• Partner with project controls, contract management, and legal teams to evaluate commercial exposures, change orders, claims, contingencies, and other matters affecting project profitability and cash flow
• Lead financial input into customer and joint venture governance forums, including review meetings, operating committees, and project steering discussions, presenting the company’s position with clarity and credibility
• Build productive working relationships with joint venture partners and customer counterparts while maintaining firm alignment to the company’s contractual rights, financial controls, and commercial objectives
• Challenge cost assumptions, schedule impacts, risk assessments, and proposed commercial settlements when needed, escalating issues appropriately to protect the company’s financial interests
• Oversee invoicing, collections, funding requirements, and liquidity planning for the project, ensuring timely conversion of earnings to cash and disciplined management of working capital
• Lead, coach, and develop the project finance team, fostering accountability, collaboration, and high-quality analysis in a dynamic project environment
• Support internal and external audits, management reviews, and ad hoc executive requests with well-supported analysis and clear, concise communication

Qualifications

Essential Qualifications and Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, or a related discipline required; CPA, CMA, or MBA preferred
• 10+ years of progressive finance or project accounting experience, with significant experience supporting large, complex EPC projects; energy, offshore, infrastructure, or oil and gas experience preferred
• Strong knowledge of project financial management, including estimate-at-completion, percent complete accounting, project cash flow, cost forecasting, and working capital management
• Demonstrated experience working with customers, consortium or joint venture partners, and cross-functional project teams in a complex contractual environment
• Strong commercial acumen with the ability to interpret contracts, assess entitlement, support change orders and claims, and defend the company’s position with professionalism and confidence
• Executive-level communication and presentation skills, with the ability to influence project leadership, corporate stakeholders, customers and joint venture counterparts
• Proven leadership capability, including building high‑performing teams, developing talent, and driving accountability in a matrixed project environment
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills, with the ability to synthesize complex financial and operational information into actionable recommendations
• High degree of integrity, sound judgment, and resilience, with the ability to remain collaborative while holding firm on matters of controls, risk, and commercial position
• Strong systems capability, including advanced Excel and experience with ERP, project controls, and reporting tools used in large project environments
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, meet demanding deadlines, and perform effectively in a fast‑paced, international project environment

About Us

Our ingenuity fuels daily life. Together, we’ve forged some of the most trusted partnerships across the energy value chain to make what was once just an idea a reality: laying subsea infrastructure thousands of feet below sea level, installing platforms hundreds of miles from shore, using our expertise to design and build offshore wind infrastructure, and reshaping the onshore landscape to deliver the energy products the world needs safely and sustainably. For more than 100 years, we've been making the impossible possible. Today, we're driving the energy transition with more than 30,000 of the brightest minds across 54 countries.