Government Contracts & Compliance Accountant / Staff Accountant

OptiPro Systems, Inc.; New York (NY); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

OptiPro Systems, Inc. in Ontario, NY is seeking a Government Contracts & Compliance Accountant/Staff Accountant to manage federal contract billing, SBIR programs, and the annual close for OptiPro and affiliated entities.

This role reports to the Financial Controller, requires 3–5 years in government contract accounting, and will ensure FAR compliance, prepare ICS submissions, and support audits while coordinating intercompany eliminations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, or a related field required; CPA or CMA preferred.
• 3–5 years of government contract accounting experience required, including SBIR, DCAA audits, and ICs preparation.
• Demonstrated experience with FAR Part 31 cost principles and provisional indirect rate development required.
• Multi-entity financial close experience required; experience with QuickBooks and an ERP system required; Epicor experience preferred.
• Experience with federal agencies such as NASA, DOE, or the Missile Defense Agency strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Serve as primary accounting and compliance contact for all federal government contracts and grants, including SBIR Phase I and II awards.
• Prepare and submit monthly invoices to federal agencies in the required format, ensuring all billed costs are allowable, allocable, and reasonable per FAR Part 31.
• Maintain accurate cost accounting records with proper segregation of direct and indirect costs across active periods.
• Develop, monitor, and update provisional indirect cost rates; track actual versus budgeted rates and recommend adjustments.
• Prepare and submit the annual Incurred Cost Submission (ICS) to the DCAA or cognizant agency, ensuring accuracy and completeness.
• Support audits by preparing documentation, responding to auditor requests, and coordinating with the Financial Controller.
• Monitor all active government contracts to ensure expenses align with contract terms and approved budgets.
• Maintain working knowledge of FAR clauses and observe them across contracts/grants.
• Track milestones, periods of performance, funding levels, and key delivery dates; alert management of deadlines or risk of over-expenditure.
• Collaborate with Financial Controller and R&D for pre-award cost budgets and cost narratives.
• Identify and exclude unallowable costs from billings and IFC.
• Maintain organized, audit-ready contract files with all awards, modifications, invoices, and cost documentation.

Skills

FAR compliance

SBIR knowledge

Contract billing

Multi-entity close

QuickBooks

Excel skills

Auditor liaison

Education

Bachelor’s degree in accounting, Finance, or a related field

CPA or CMA designation

Tools

Epicor ERP

Microsoft Excel

Job description

JOB TITLE

Government Contracts & Compliance Accountant/Staff Accountant

REPORTS TO

Financial Controller

LOCATION

On-site in Ontario, NY

EMPLOYMENT TYPE

Full-Time Salary Exempt

Salary Exempt employees are expected to work a minimum of 40 hours per workweek and such additional hours as necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of their position and meet business and operational demands.

The standard workweek is Monday through Friday, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm.

Position Summary

The Government Contracts & Compliance Accountant / Staff Accountant is responsible for two core areas of the accounting department. The first is the accounting, billing, and regulatory compliance functions associated with federal government contracts and grants awarded to OptiPro Systems, including SBIR Phase I and Phase II programs funded by agencies such as NASA, the Department of Energy (DOE), and the Missile Defense Agency. The second is the monthly financial close for OptiPro Systems, Peak Fabrications, and five affiliated entities. This role requires a detail-oriented accounting professional with direct experience in federal contract compliance and multi-entity financial reporting.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

Government Contract Accounting & Compliance

• Serve as the primary accounting and compliance contact for all federal government contracts and grants, including SBIR Phase I and Phase II awards.
• Prepare and submit monthly invoices to federal agencies in the required format, ensuring all billed costs are allowable, allocable, and reasonable in accordance with FAR Part 31 cost principles.
• Maintain accurate cost accounting records for all government contracts, ensuring proper segregation of direct and indirect costs across all active periods of performance.
• Develop, monitor, and update provisional indirect cost rates; track actual versus budgeted rates and recommend adjustments throughout the fiscal year.
• Prepare and submit the annual Incurred Cost Submission (ICS) to the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) or the applicable cognizant federal audit agency, ensuring accuracy and completeness.
• Support DCAA, DOE, and other federal agency audits by preparing documentation, responding to auditor requests, and coordinating with the Financial Controller throughout the audit process.
• Monitor all active government contracts and grants to ensure expenses are incurred and charged in accordance with contract terms, approved budgets, and federal regulations.
• Maintain a working knowledge of applicable FAR clauses and ensure they are properly observed across all active contracts and grants.
• Track contract milestones, periods of performance, funding levels, and key delivery dates; alert the Financial Controller and relevant department managers of upcoming deadlines or risk of over-expenditure.
• Collaborate with the Financial Controller and the R&D department to support pre-award proposal submissions, including preparation of cost budgets, budget justifications, and cost narratives.
• Ensure unallowable costs are properly identified, tracked, and excluded from government billings and the annual IFC.
• Maintain organized, audit-ready contract files including all awards, modifications, correspondence, invoices, and cost documentation.
• Identify and elevate compliance risks or contract issues to the Financial Controller promptly.

Monthly Financial Close

• Perform the monthly financial close for OptiPro Systems and Peak Fabrications, including all required journal entries, account reconciliations, and supporting schedules.
• Perform the monthly financial close for five affiliated entities maintained in QuickBooks, ensuring all transactions are recorded accurately and in the correct accounting period.
• Prepare monthly financial statements and supporting schedules for all entities in a timely manner; identify and report significant variances from budget to the Financial Controller.
• Maintain intercompany transaction records and ensure proper eliminations are applied during closing.
• Assist with preparation of annual financial statements and support external audit or review processes as needed.

Accounts Payable Support

• Provide GL coding guidance and review for the Receptionist and AP Specialist on vendor bills, ensuring accurate and compliant cost classification across government and commercial accounts.
• Review and confirm coding of corporate credit card (AMEX) charges to ensure proper account assignment.
• Assist with accounts payable processing as needed to support the accounting team.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities

None

Qualifications

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, Finance, or a related field required; CPA or CMA designation preferred.
• Minimum 3–5 years of government contract accounting experience required, including direct experience with SBIR programs, DCAA audits, and ICs preparation.
• Demonstrated experience with FAR Part 31 cost principles and provisional indirect rate development required.
• Multi-entity financial close experience required; experience with QuickBooks and an ERP system required; Epicor experience preferred.
• Experience working with federal agencies such as NASA, DOE, or the Missile Defense Agency strongly preferred.

Required Skills

• Strong working knowledge of FAR, DFARS, and SBIR program regulations and compliance requirements.
• Proficiency in government contract billing and incurred cost submission preparation.
• Solid understanding of indirect rate structures and cost pool management.
• Proficiency in QuickBooks and Microsoft Excel, with intermediate to advanced spreadsheet skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with high attention to detail.
• Ability to manage multiple concurrent deadlines across government reporting cycles and monthly close schedules.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to present financial results and compliance matters clearly to management and auditors.
• High level of professional integrity and discretion in handling sensitive contract and financial information.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. This position is primarily performed in a professional office setting. The employee regularly works at a desk using a computer, phone, and standard office equipment. Occasional visits to the production floor may be required in connection with project-related activities. The noise level in the work environment is generally moderate in the office; noise levels may be louder in production areas.

Measures of Performance (KPIS)

• Accuracy and timeliness of monthly government contract invoices submitted to federal agencies.
• Timely and accurate preparation and submission of the annual Incurred Cost Submission (ICS).
• Readiness and quality of documentation provided during DCAA, DOE, and other federal agency audits.
• Accuracy and timeliness of the monthly financial close for all entities.
• Accuracy of indirect cost rate monitoring and variance reporting to the Financial Controller.
• Consistency and accuracy of GL coding guidance provided to the AP team.

About The Company

OptiPro Systems, located in the greater Rochester (NY) area, has been providing precision machine tools for New York state manufacturing companies for more than 40 years. OptiPro was founded on the principles of sales integrity combined with unprecedented service and support. Maintaining this business model allowed OptiPro to become a world leader in designing and manufacturing innovative grinding, polishing, and metrology machines for the precision optics and advanced ceramics industries. To learn more, you can watch our company video here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsLDnOJHMO4

EEO Disclaimer

OptiPro Systems is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, military or veteran status, or any other Federal or State legally protected class. We are committed to maintaining an inclusive workplace through ongoing affirmative action efforts.