Cost Accountant

Vaco; Plano (TX); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Vaco by Highspring is seeking a Cost Accountant to help scale the subsidiary's accounting function for a growing data center project portfolio. The role emphasizes cost visibility, project profitability, and cross-functional collaboration with project management, operations, and finance leadership.

The ideal candidate has a solid background in cost accounting and job costing within a project-based setting, with strong Excel and ERP experience to drive accurate reporting and strategic insights.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
• 2+ years of cost accounting, project accounting, job costing, or related experience.
• Experience in construction, engineering, or other project-based environments preferred.
• Understanding of job costing, cost allocation, budgeting, and variance analysis.
• Exposure to percentage-of-completion accounting, WIP schedules, and project reporting.
• Advanced Excel skills (pivot tables, lookups, data analysis).
• Experience with an ERP or project accounting system.
• Strong analytical skills and attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Analyze project costs, labor, materials, subcontractor expenses, and overhead for accurate cost allocation and reporting.
• Maintain and enhance job costing processes for visibility into budgets, actual costs, commitments, and costs to complete.
• Partner with project managers and operations to monitor financial performance and identify variances.
• Support POC accounting, WIP schedules, and project profitability analysis.
• Prepare cost reports, variance analyses, and forecasts for decision-making.
• Monitor cost drivers affecting project margins including labor, materials, and subcontracts.
• Assist month-end close with journal entries, accruals, reconciliations, and reporting.
• Reconcile project cost detail to GL and investigate discrepancies.
• Assist budgeting/forecasting with historical cost data and trend analysis.
• Evaluate cost accounting procedures and implement improvements aligned with scale.
• Collaborate with corporate finance to align reporting with standards.

Skills

Cost accounting

Job costing

Financial analysis

ERP experience

Advanced Excel

Variance analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

Project accounting

Education

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

Tools

ERP system

Job description

We are seeking a Cost Accountant to join a growing construction subsidiary of a larger, well-established parent company. With significant growth driven by increasing demand in the data center market, the organization is investing in its finance and accounting infrastructure to support continued expansion.

This role will play a key part in building out the subsidiary's accounting function, strengthening cost visibility, and providing financial insight into project performance and profitability. The ideal candidate brings a strong foundation in cost accounting, job costing, and financial analysis, with the ability to work cross-functionally with project management, operations, and finance leadership in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Analyze project costs, labor, materials, subcontractor expenses, and overhead to ensure accurate cost allocation and reporting.
• Maintain and enhance job costing processes to provide visibility into project budgets, actual costs, commitments, and estimated costs to complete.
• Partner with project managers and operational leadership to monitor project financial performance, identify cost variances, and recommend corrective actions.
• Support percentage-of-completion (POC) accounting, work-in-progress (WIP) schedules, and project profitability analysis.
• Prepare and analyze cost reports, variance analyses, and financial forecasts to support project-level and business-wide decision-making.
• Monitor labor productivity, material usage, subcontractor costs, and other key cost drivers affecting project margins.
• Assist with month-end close activities, including journal entries, accruals, account reconciliations, and cost-related reporting.
• Reconcile project cost detail to the general ledger and investigate discrepancies to ensure accurate financial reporting.
• Support budgeting and forecasting processes by providing historical cost data, trend analysis, and updated project cost estimates.
• Evaluate existing cost accounting procedures and implement improvements to reporting, controls, and processes as the business scales.
• Collaborate with corporate finance and accounting teams to align reporting practices with parent company standards and requirements.
• Develop and maintain financial reports and analytical tools that improve visibility into project costs, gross margins, and operational performance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
• 2+ years of experience in cost accounting, project accounting, job costing, or a related accounting function.
• Experience in construction, engineering, industrial services, manufacturing, or another project-based environment preferred.
• Understanding of job costing, cost allocation, budgeting, and variance analysis.
• Exposure to percentage-of-completion accounting, WIP schedules, and project financial reporting strongly preferred.
• Advanced Excel skills, including pivot tables, lookups, and financial data analysis.
• Experience working with an ERP or project accounting system.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to identify trends, investigate discrepancies, and communicate financial findings.
• Excellent attention to detail, organization, and ability to manage competing priorities in a growing business.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively with both finance and non-finance stakeholders.

Equal Opportunity Notice

Highspring LLC (d/b/a Vaco by Highspring) and its parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries ("we," "our," or "Vaco by Highspring") are committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race (including but not limited to traits historically associated with race such as hair texture and hair style), color, sex (includes pregnancy or related conditions), religion or creed, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, status as a veteran, union membership, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, political affiliation, or any other protected characteristics as required by applicable law. The company is also committed to ensuring that persons who need them are provided with reasonable accommodations; if an accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact [e-mail] .

Vaco by Highspring also wants all applicants to know their rights that workplace discrimination is illegal.

Representation Notice

Additionally, you agree that you will be giving Vaco by Highspring the exclusive right to present your as a candidate for the foregoing employment opportunity. You further agree that you have represented information about yourself accurately and have not affirmatively misrepresented your qualifications. Lastly, you agree to maintain as confidential, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any information you learn from Vaco by Highspring about the position and you will limit disclosure of information about the position only to the extent necessary to perform any obligations in furtherance of your application. In exchange, Vaco by Highspring agrees to exercise reasonable efforts to represent you through all solicitation, job screening and resume dispersal.

Privacy Notice

Vaco by Highspring respects your privacy and are committed to providing transparent notice of our policies.

• California residents may access Vaco by Highspring HR Notice at Collection for California Applicants and Employees here.
• Virginia residents may access our state specific policies here.
• Residents of all other states may access our policies here.
• Canadian residents may access our policies in English here and in French here.
• Residents of countries governed by GDPR and UK GDPR may access our policies here.

Additionally, submissions to this position are subject to the use of AI to perform preliminary candidate screenings, focused on ensuring minimum job requirements noted in the position are satisfied. More details about Vaco by Highspring's use of AI can be found here (https://www.highspring.com/ai-use-notices/). Further assessment of candidates beyond this initial phase will be conducted by recruiters and hiring managers. Vaco by Highspring does not know and cannot opine on if its client's use of AI products in hiring.

Pay Transparency Notice

Determining compensation for this role (and others) at Vaco by Highspring depends upon a wide array of factors including but not limited to:

the individual's skill sets, experience and training;

licensure and certification requirements;

office location and other geographic considerations; and

other business and organizational needs.

With that said, as required by local law, Vaco by Highspring believes that the following salary range referenced above reasonably estimates the base compensation for an individual hired into this position in geographies that require salary range disclosure. The individual may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses and/or participation in medical, dental, and vision benefits as well as the company's retirement plan (or similar retirement benefits).