Senior Accountant - Construction & Real Estate

Palisade Partners; Denver (CO); On-site; USD 100,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

FSA

401(k) with match

Job summary

Palisade Partners is seeking a Senior Accountant to manage full-cycle accounting for a diversified real estate portfolio and related construction activity in our Denver office. You will oversee property- and entity-level ledgers, job costing, draw management, and lien waiver administration while liaising with field teams, management, and ownership.

The role requires 3–5 years of construction/real estate accounting, strong attention to detail, and experience in AI-enabled processes.

Qualifications

• 3–5 years of accounting experience in construction, real estate, development, or construction loan administration.
• Hands-on experience with draw preparation, lien waiver processing, and POC/WIP reporting.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to work independently across deadlines.
• Experience incorporating AI into accounting cycles and processes.

Responsibilities

• Maintain job cost ledgers, WIP schedules, and cost-to-complete projections across multiple projects.
• Maintain property- and entity-level ledgers, intercompany activity, fixed assets, and month-end close.
• Prepare monthly owner pay apps and invoices; coordinate funding with owners, lenders, and title companies.
• Administer lien waivers; review subcontractor pay apps against contracts and change orders.
• Handle bank reconciliations, cash flow projections, payroll, AR, and year-end 1099s.
• Prepare financial reports for ownership and investors; track capital activity, debt service, and loan covenants.
• Assist President of Construction with pricing, invoice audits, and project billing; support Controller with year-end statements and tax workpapers.

Skills

AI in accounting

WIP reporting

Draw & lien waivers

Independent work

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting/Finance

Job description

We are seeking a Senior Accountant to manage full-cycle accounting for our real estate portfolio and related construction activities, including property- and entity-level accounting, job cost accounting, draw management, and lien waiver administration. This role is a key liaison between the field, project and property management, finance, and ownership. Candidates should have experience incorporating AI into their daily work and be open to exploring new AI tools. This job is in-office in our office in Denver, Colorado with occasional local day-trip site visits.

Key Responsibilities

• Maintain job cost ledgers, WIP/percentage-of-completion schedules, budget-to-actual variance reporting, and cost-to-complete projections across multiple projects
• Maintain property- and entity-level general ledgers, including intercompany activity, fixed assets, and month-end close
• Prepare monthly owner pay applications consistent with internal format, similar to AIA, produce invoices from the general contractor, and follow up with owners, lenders, and title companies to ensure timely funding
• Administer lien waivers and review subcontractor pay applications against contracts, change orders, and insurance and licensing requirements
• Handle bank reconciliations, cash flow projections, payroll (including certified payroll), accounts receivable, and year-end 1099s
• Prepare financial reports for ownership and investors; track capital activity, debt service, and loan covenants
• Support the President of Construction with pricing, invoice audits, and project billing, and assist the Controller with annual financial statements and tax workpapers

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field
• 3―5 years of accounting experience in construction, real estate, development, and/or construction loan administration
• Hands-on experience with draw preparation (company uses a process similar to AIA), lien waiver processing, and percentage-of-completion/WIP reporting
• Proficiency in common accounting software; real estate experience preferred
• Strong attention to detail, clear communication, and the ability to work independently across competing deadlines

Core Competencies

• High attention to detail and ability to manage competing deadlines across multiple projects
• Professional, courteous communication skills to work effectively with colleagues, owners, lenders, project management, and subcontractors
• Analytical mindset with the ability to identify cost trends and billing discrepancies proactively
• Discretion in handling sensitive financial and contract information
• Ability to work independently and take ownership of project accounting in a fast-paced work environment
• Experience incorporating AI into accounting cycles and general work processes
• $100,000—$120,000, commensurate with experience
• Health, dental, vision, FSA, and 401(k) with match