Project Accountant

The Hawk Group; Anchorage (AK); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

The Hawk Group is seeking an experienced Project Cost Accountant to support financial and cost-control activities across projects. You will link accounting records with project cost-control systems, ensuring costs, accruals, forecasts, and expenditures are accurately captured.

Collaborate with Project Controls, Finance, Contracts, Procurement, Engineering, Construction and management to provide financial visibility for effective cost management and decisions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or related field.
• Minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible accounting/project cost-control experience.
• Experience with contracts, purchase orders, accruals, forecasts, and project cost reporting.
• Experience reconciling project cost-control systems to general ledger accounting records.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and ERP systems.

Responsibilities

• Maintain accurate project cost records and ensure expenditures are coded to project accounts, contracts, PO and GL accounts.
• Review invoices and expenses for proper coding, documentation, and contractual alignment.
• Reconcile cost-control records to general ledger and resolve discrepancies.
• Monitor actuals against budgets, forecasts, commitments, and funding.
• Prepare monthly accruals and support cost reporting with project teams.
• Monitor contracts, POs, commitments and remaining values to support forecasting.
• Assist with EAC, ETC, cash-flow forecasting, and monthly cost reporting.
• Review invoices for compliance with contract terms and approved rates.
• Prepare cost reconciliations, variance analyses, and cost summaries for leadership.
• Analyze actual costs vs budget/forecast to identify trends and issues.
• Support monthly closes, audits, and financial inquiries.

Skills

Analytical skills

Problem-solving

Communication

Collaboration

Attention to detail

Time management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting

CPA or CMA certification preferred

Tools

Microsoft Excel

ERP systems

Job description

Hawk is seeking an experienced Project Cost Accountant to support the financial and cost-control activities of the Project. This role serves as an important link between accounting records and project cost-control systems, helping ensure project costs, commitments, accruals, forecasts, and expenditures are accurately recorded, reconciled, analyzed, and reported.

Working closely with Project Controls, Finance, Contracts and Procurement, Engineering, Construction, and project management, the Project Cost Accountant will provide the financial visibility needed to support effective cost management and project decision-making.

What You’ll Do

• Maintain accurate project cost records and ensure expenditures are properly coded to project accounts, WBS/CBS elements, contracts, purchase orders, and general ledger accounts.
• Review project invoices and expenses for appropriate coding, supporting documentation, contractual alignment, and financial accuracy.
• Reconcile project cost-control records to the general ledger and investigate and resolve discrepancies.
• Monitor actual expenditures against budgets, forecasts, commitments, and available funding.
• Prepare and maintain monthly project accruals and work with project teams to validate outstanding financial obligations.
• Monitor contracts, purchase orders, commitments, invoices, and remaining contract values to support accurate forecasting.
• Assist with Estimate at Completion (EAC), Estimate to Complete (ETC), cash-flow forecasting, and monthly project cost reporting.
• Support the financial evaluation and tracking of contract changes, purchase order changes, and approved change orders.
• Review contractor and vendor invoices for compliance with contract terms, approved rates, purchase orders, and supporting documentation.
• Prepare reconciliations, variance analyses, cost summaries, and other financial reports for project leadership.
• Analyze actual costs against budget and forecast to identify trends, variances, and potential issues.
• Support monthly financial close activities, audits, project reviews, and financial inquiries.
• Maintain accurate supporting documentation and audit trails for project financial transactions and adjustments.
• Support continuous improvement of project accounting, cost-control, and reporting processes.

What You’ll Bring

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field required.
• CPA, CMA, or other relevant professional certification preferred, but not required.
• Minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible accounting, project accounting, or project cost-control experience.
• Experience supporting large capital projects, engineering and construction projects, mining, oil and gas, infrastructure, or other major industrial projects strongly preferred.
• Experience working with contracts, purchase orders, commitments, accruals, forecasts, and project cost reporting.
• Experience reconciling project cost-control systems to general ledger accounting records.
• Experience working in a multi-contractor or EPC/EPCM project environment preferred.
• Strong understanding of accounting principles and project cost-accounting practices.
• Working knowledge of project cost controls, budgeting, forecasting, commitments, accruals, and variance analysis.
• Ability to work with WBS/CBS structures and project cost codes.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to identify and investigate financial discrepancies.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and experience with ERP, accounting, and project cost-control systems.
• Strong attention to detail with the ability to manage multiple priorities and monthly reporting deadlines.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills and the ability to collaborate across Finance, Project Controls, Procurement, Engineering, Construction, and contractor organizations.
• Ability to appropriately handle confidential and financially sensitive information.
• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States.