Project Accountant

Talentify; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 5,298,000 - 6,622,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental & vision

401(k) plan

PTO

Life Insurance

Job summary

Aston Carter seeks a Project Accountant for an onsite Chicago role focused on full-cycle cost management for large construction projects. You will manage cost controls, analyze change orders, and support audits and transactional finance activities in a fast-paced environment.

You will prepare monthly cost reports, present risk assessments, and provide data-driven insights to stakeholders. Proficiency with Procore, Smartsheets, and Excel is required. This is a contract-to-hire position.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Construction Management, Quantity Surveying, Engineering, or a related field.
• Minimum of 1 year of project accounting or finance experience in the construction industry.
• Minimum of 1–3 years of experience in a project management, cost management, or accounting role within the commercial construction industry.
• Thorough understanding of construction accounting principles and practices.

Responsibilities

• Support full-cycle cost management for large construction projects, establishing and maintaining strong cost controls.
• Facilitate subcontractor change management system processes and complete submissions reviews.
• Process change orders in system of record ensuring timeliness and accuracy.
• Assist with audit and transactional finance support activities on construction sites.
• Prepare and present monthly cost reports and risk assessments to stakeholders.

Skills

Cost accounting

Construction accounting

Audit support

Change orders

Procore

Smartsheets

Excel

Data interpretation

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Construction Management, or related field

Tools

Procore

Autodesk Construction Cloud

Smartsheets

Excel

Job description

Job Title: Project Accountant

Job Description

The Project Accountant supports full-cycle cost management for large, complex commercial construction projects, with a strong focus on transactional finance, audit activities, and change order administration. This role helps maintain robust cost controls from project concept through completion, ensures accurate financial reporting, and partners closely with project teams to manage the financial aspects of construction activities and subcontractor compliance.

Responsibilities

• Support full-cycle cost management for large construction projects, establishing and maintaining strong cost controls from initial concept through project completion.
• Facilitate the use of the subcontractor change management system, ensuring responsible parties respond in a timely manner and performing completeness reviews on all submissions.
• Process change orders in the system of record, maintaining high standards of timeliness, accuracy, and completeness throughout the entire change order lifecycle.
• Assist with audit and transactional finance support activities, focusing on the detailed, behind-the-scenes accounting work required at construction project sites.
• Support the preparation and presentation of monthly cost reports and risk assessments to internal and external stakeholders, highlighting key variances, emerging risks, and recommended mitigation actions.
• Contribute clear financial content and data-driven insights to monthly stakeholder meetings and formal presentations, providing expert commentary on project cost performance.
• Review and interpret contractual terms to recommend entitlements related to change orders, claims, and other commercial matters, helping protect the project’s financial position.
• Coordinate directly with client finance and accounting teams to ensure accurate reporting, alignment on financial data, and full compliance with established financial controls.
• Analyze and report on local labor markets, union implications, commodity price fluctuations, and tax impacts to inform project cost strategies and budget updates.
• Assist in resolving invoice and change order discrepancies, addressing payment-related issues, and ensuring that subcontractors and vendors are paid accurately and on time.
• Partner with the Project Cost Manager, who focuses on risk assessment and forecasting, by providing reliable transactional data and supporting the financial management of change orders and subcontractor compliance.

Essential Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Construction Management, Quantity Surveying, Engineering, or a related field.
• Minimum of 1 year of project accounting or finance experience in the construction industry.
• Minimum of 1–3 years of experience in a project management, cost management, or accounting role within the commercial construction industry.
• Thorough understanding of construction accounting principles and practices.
• Hands-on experience with the entire change order lifecycle, including initiation, review, processing, and closeout.
• Proficiency in construction management software such as Procore or Autodesk Construction Cloud.
• Experience in project accounting within a construction environment, including reconciliation and data entry.
• Ability to interpret and apply contractual terms to change orders, claims, and other commercial matters.
• Strong analytical skills to assess labor markets, union impacts, commodity fluctuations, and tax considerations as they relate to project costs.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience working on large-scale commercial construction projects with multiple buildings and long construction timelines.
• Comfort working in a highly transactional accounting environment, with a focus on audits, change orders, and subcontractor compliance.
• Ability to present financial information clearly to senior stakeholders, using data-driven insights and concise commentary.
• Familiarity with Excel and Smartsheets, particularly for tracking processes and supporting project financial workflows.
• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills to manage multiple change orders and financial transactions simultaneously.
• Effective communication and collaboration skills to work closely with project teams, finance departments, and external stakeholders.

Work Environment

This role is based onsite at large construction project locations across the United States, with work performed five days per week at the job site. Each site may include anywhere from 4 to 14 buildings under construction, and project durations can range from approximately 18 months to several years, with a robust pipeline of future builds providing ongoing project opportunities. The onsite office environment consists of modern mobile office trailers designed as corporate workspaces, typically housing 30 to 100 office employees. Each individual has their own dedicated workspace equipped with monitors and necessary hardware. The site offices include restrooms and lunch is provided. Typical working hours are approximately 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The role involves extensive use of Procore as the primary project financial management tool, as well as Smartsheets for process management and some use of Excel. The position is fully onsite, with potential access to regional corporate hubs only in limited circumstances, and the expectation remains consistent onsite presence at the designated job site.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Chicago, IL.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $38.46 - $48.07/hr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following:

• Medical, dental & vision
• Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
• 401(k) Retirement Plan – Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
• Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
• Short and long-term disability
• Health Spending Account (HSA)
• Transportation benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Chicago,IL.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Oct 2, 2026.

About Aston Carter

Aston Carter provides world-class corporate talent solutions to thousands of clients across the globe. Specialized in accounting, finance, human resources, talent acquisition, procurement, supply chain and select administrative professions, we extend the capabilities of industry-leading companies. We draw on our deep recruiting expertise and expansive network to meet the evolving needs of our clients and talent community with agility and excellence. With offices across the U.S., Canada, Asia Pacific and Europe, Aston Carter serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® Platinum Award winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email [e-mail] for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance:

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector:

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI):

We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.