Finance Manager/Director

Tecton Architects; Hartford (CT); On-site; USD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Tecton Architects, a Hartford-based multi-disciplinary design firm, seeks a mid-career finance leader to own the numbers end-to-end—closing the books accurately, forecasting firm direction, and delivering insights to principals and project managers. Title and scope set at Manager or Director level based on experience.

This hands-on role covers month-end close, project accounting, billing, budgeting, variance analysis, and controls.

Qualifications

• Own the full monthly close and related processes.
• Strong command of US GAAP and revenue recognition concepts.
• Experience building budgets, forecasts, and variance analysis.
• Ability to explain financial results to non-financial stakeholders.
• Demonstrated integrity and discretion with confidential information.

Responsibilities

• Lead accounting close, journal entries, accruals, and reconciliations.
• Manage AP/AR, payroll, and cash forecasting.
• Oversee billing, WIP, and revenue recognition across projects.
• Provide management with dashboards and variance commentary.
• Support audits and internal control improvements.

Skills

Month-end close ownership

US GAAP

Budgets and forecasting

Variance analysis

Excel (pivot, lookups)

Financial storytelling

Education

Bachelor's degree in accounting/finance

Tools

Deltek Vantagepoint

Job description

Agathos AEC is a leading network of Architecture and Engineering Design firms dedicated to collective growth, innovation, and operational excellence. By joining our platform, you become part of a broader ecosystem that provides best-in-class resources, technology, and career development opportunities across the AEC industry.

Based in Hartford, Connecticut, and founded in 1979, Tecton is a premier, multi-disciplinary firm providing integrated architecture, interior design, and master planning services. Licensed in 10 states with offices in Connecticut and Rhode Island, Tecton’s 50-plus-person team is known for high-performance, human-centric design across the Education, Public Safety, Healthcare, Advanced Manufacturing and Corporate Workplace sectors.

About the Role

We are a rapidly growing architecture firm. We are hiring a mid-career finance/business leader to own the numbers end to end — closing the books accurately, forecasting where the firm is headed, and giving our principals and project managers the information they need to run profitable projects. This is a hands-on role. You will prepare the close, not just review it. You will also sit close to firm leadership and be expected to explain what the numbers mean and what we should do about them. Title and scope will be set at Manager or Director level based on your experience.

Responsibilities

Accounting and month-end close

• Own the full monthly close: journal entries, accruals, prepaids, deferrals, fixed assets, and account reconciliations. Deliver a clean, explainable close within 7 business days.
• Maintain the general ledger and chart of accounts in accordance with US GAAP, including revenue recognition on professional services contracts (ASC 606, percent-complete and milestone methods).
• Manage accounts payable, accounts receivable, expense reporting, and consultant/subconsultant payables.
• Oversee payroll processing and reconciliation, including PTO accruals and benefit deductions.
• Maintain and improve the close calendar, checklists, and supporting workpapers so the process is repeatable and not dependent on one person's memory.

Project accounting and billing

• Run the monthly billing cycle: phase and fixed-fee invoices, hourly not-to-exceed, reimbursables, and consultant markups. Get invoices out accurately and on schedule.
• Maintain work-in-progress and unbilled/deferred revenue schedules; reconcile earned revenue to contract value and fee remaining by phase.
• Partner with project managers on fee-versus-effort tracking, additional service authorizations, and change orders so scope creep is caught while it can still be billed.
• Own collections and days sales outstanding. Escalate aged receivables to the responsible principal with the facts in hand.
• Budgeting, forecasting, and cash
• Build and maintain the annual firm budget and overhead plan, including staffing, compensation, and indirect cost assumptions.
• Produce a rolling revenue and cash forecast driven by backlog, contracted fee remaining, and probability-weighted pipeline.
• Manage cash: weekly cash position, working capital, line of credit usage, and covenant compliance.
• Model the impact of decisions before we make them — new hires, office space, bonus pools, and technology investments.

Variance analysis and operational reporting

• Deliver a monthly reporting package to leadership: P&L versus budget and prior year, balance sheet, cash flow, backlog, and project profitability — with written variance commentary that names the driver, not just the delta.
• Own the firm's operating metrics: utilization, realization, net service revenue, overhead rate, effective multiplier, revenue per employee, and profit by project, market sector, and principal.
• Build practical dashboards and reports that project managers and studio leaders will actually use, and coach them to read their own numbers.
• Support leadership with ad hoc analysis: go/no-go economics on pursuits, fee proposals and staffing plans, rate table updates, and benchmarking against industry survey data.

Compliance, controls, and outside relationships

• Assist the corporate controller with the annual audit and tax return preparation with our outside CPA firm; own the request list and the work-in-progress schedules.
• Maintain internal controls — segregation of duties, approval thresholds, banking access, and fraud prevention.
• Support contract review from the financial and risk side: payment terms, billing rates, insurance requirements, and consultant flow-down terms.

Systems and team

• Help us implement then be responsible for the local accounting and project management system (Deltek Vantagepoint) as the system of record; drive data hygiene and reporting improvements.
• Supervise and develop 2 staff.
• Identify and implement process automation that removes manual work from the close and billing cycles.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, or a related field.
• 10–15+ years of progressive accounting and finance experience, including ownership of the month-end close.
• Working command of US GAAP, with practical experience applying revenue recognition to service contracts.
• Demonstrated experience building budgets, forecasts, and variance analysis for an operating business — not just reporting history.
• Strong Excel skills (pivot tables, lookups, modeling) and comfort working in an integrated ERP or project accounting system.
• The ability to explain financial results to people who are not financial: clearly, briefly, and without jargon.
• Sound judgment and discretion with compensation, ownership, and other confidential information.

Required Skills

• CPA preferred, not required. MBA also welcome.
• Experience in architecture, engineering, or another professional services firm where labor is the product and projects are the profit center.
• Familiarity with project-based accounting concepts: work in progress, percent complete, utilization, multipliers, and backlog.
• Experience with Deltek Vantagepoint is a plus.