Staff Accountant

NES Alliance; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

NES Alliance is seeking a strong, hands-on Staff Accountant to join the accounting team of an established federal government contractor. Reporting to the Accounting Manager, the Staff Accountant will support the monthly close, general ledger, project accounting, billing, accounts receivable, payroll/labor accounting, reconciliations, and other day-to-day accounting tasks.

This is an execution-focused role requiring ownership of responsibilities, meeting deadlines, and resolving discrepancies

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field.
• Approximately 5–7 years of progressive accounting experience.
• Solid understanding of GAAP and fundamental accounting principles.
• Hands-on experience with journal entries, general ledger accounting, account reconciliations, and month-end close.
• Strong Excel skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to organize multiple recurring responsibilities and meet deadlines consistently.
• Ability to work independently within established procedures.
• Clear and concise written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and post recurring and non-recurring journal entries with appropriate supporting documentation.
• Prepare balance sheet and general ledger account reconciliations.
• Research and resolve reconciliation differences promptly.
• Assist with monthly and year-end close activities.
• Prepare supporting schedules and account analyses.
• Reconcile subsidiary records and reports to the general ledger.
• Maintain complete and organized close documentation.
• Assist with accruals, prepaid expenses, fixed assets, payroll-related entries, and other recurring accounting activities.
• Support accounting for federal government contracts, including CPFF, T&M, and FFP contracts.
• Review project accounting information for accuracy and completeness.
• Assist with project setup and maintenance in Costpoint.
• Research project-level cost, billing, revenue, and funding discrepancies.
• Review project transactions for proper project, organization, account, and cost-pool coding.
• Work with the Accounting Manager and other departments to resolve project accounting issues.
• Assist with preparation and processing of government and commercial customer billings.
• Support Costpoint billing processes.
• Reconcile billed and unbilled accounts receivable.
• Apply customer cash receipts accurately and timely.
• Research billing and cash application discrepancies.
• Maintain appropriate supporting documentation for invoices and receivables.
• Assist with monitoring outstanding receivables.
• Review and reconcile labor distribution activity.
• Reconcile payroll-related accounts and transactions to the general ledger.
• Assist with accounting for leave accruals, benefits, payroll liabilities, and related employee costs.
• Research discrepancies between timesheets, payroll, labor distribution, projects, and the general ledger.
• Support accounts payable accounting and related reconciliations.
• Review employee expense reports and reimbursements for appropriate coding and supporting documentation.
• Prepare credit card reconciliations.
• Research and resolve discrepancies.
• Ensure transactions are properly recorded to the appropriate accounts, projects, organizations, and cost pools.
• Assist with indirect cost pool and allocation-base reconciliations.
• Support analysis of actual versus provisional indirect rates.
• Prepare schedules and supporting documentation as requested for audits, incurred cost submissions, and other government contracting requirements.
• Maintain organized supporting documentation consistent with company policies and government contracting requirements.
• Follow established accounting procedures and internal controls.
• Maintain and update documentation for assigned accounting responsibilities.
• Identify discrepancies or process issues and bring them to the Accounting Manager's attention promptly.
• When practical, research the issue and recommend a solution rather than simply identifying the problem.
• Take ownership of assigned accounting responsibilities from beginning to completion.
• Complete recurring tasks accurately and on schedule without repeated follow‑up.
• Produce well‑supported reconciliations and accounting entries.
• Identify discrepancies and proactively research their cause.
• Know when an issue can be resolved independently and when it should be escalated.
• Communicate issues concisely and clearly.
• Maintain organized supporting documentation.
• Be comfortable performing detailed accounting work on a daily basis.
• Become increasingly self‑sufficient as knowledge of the company, contracts, and systems develops.

Skills

GAAP basics

Journal entries

General ledger

Month-end close

Excel skills

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Independence

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field

Tools

Deltek Costpoint

Job description

We are seeking a strong, hands-on Staff Accountant to join the accounting team of an established federal government contractor.

Reporting to the Accounting Manager, the Staff Accountant will be responsible for recurring accounting activities supporting the monthly close, general ledger, project accounting, billing, accounts receivable, payroll/labor accounting, account reconciliations, and other day-to-day accounting functions.

This is an execution-focused position for an accountant who takes ownership of assigned responsibilities, meets deadlines consistently, researches and resolves discrepancies, and can work with increasing independence.

Experience with federal government contracting and Deltek Costpoint is strongly preferred.

Key ResponsibilitiesGeneral Ledger & Month-End Close

• Prepare and post recurring and non-recurring journal entries with appropriate supporting documentation.
• Prepare balance sheet and general ledger account reconciliations.
• Research and resolve reconciliation differences promptly.
• Assist with monthly and year-end close activities.
• Prepare supporting schedules and account analyses.
• Reconcile subsidiary records and reports to the general ledger.
• Maintain complete and organized close documentation.
• Assist with accruals, prepaid expenses, fixed assets, payroll-related entries, and other recurring accounting activities.
  

Project Accounting & Government Contracts

• Support accounting for federal government contracts, including CPFF, T&M, and FFP contracts.
• Review project accounting information for accuracy and completeness.
• Assist with project setup and maintenance in Costpoint.
• Research project-level cost, billing, revenue, and funding discrepancies.
• Review project transactions for proper project, organization, account, and cost-pool coding.
• Work with the Accounting Manager and other departments to resolve project accounting issues.
  

Billing & Accounts Receivable

• Assist with preparation and processing of government and commercial customer billings.
• Support Costpoint billing processes.
• Reconcile billed and unbilled accounts receivable.
• Apply customer cash receipts accurately and timely.
• Research billing and cash application discrepancies.
• Maintain appropriate supporting documentation for invoices and receivables.
• Assist with monitoring outstanding receivables.
  

Labor & Payroll Accounting

• Review and reconcile labor distribution activity.
• Reconcile payroll-related accounts and transactions to the general ledger.
• Assist with accounting for leave accruals, benefits, payroll liabilities, and related employee costs.
• Research discrepancies between timesheets, payroll, labor distribution, projects, and the general ledger.
  

Accounts Payable, Expenses & Credit Cards

• Support accounts payable accounting and related reconciliations.
• Review employee expense reports and reimbursements for appropriate coding and supporting documentation.
• Prepare credit card reconciliations.
• Research and resolve discrepancies.
• Ensure transactions are properly recorded to the appropriate accounts, projects, organizations, and cost pools.
  

Indirect Rates & Compliance Support

• Assist with indirect cost pool and allocation-base reconciliations.
• Support analysis of actual versus provisional indirect rates.
• Prepare schedules and supporting documentation as requested for audits, incurred cost submissions, and other government contracting requirements.
• Maintain organized supporting documentation consistent with company policies and government contracting requirements.
  

Process Documentation & Controls

• Follow established accounting procedures and internal controls.
• Maintain and update documentation for assigned accounting responsibilities.
• Identify discrepancies or process issues and bring them to the Accounting Manager's attention promptly.
• When practical, research the issue and recommend a solution rather than simply identifying the problem.
  

QualificationsRequired

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field.
• Approximately 5–7 years of progressive accounting experience.
• Solid understanding of GAAP and fundamental accounting principles.
• Hands‑on experience with journal entries, general ledger accounting, account reconciliations, and month‑end close.
• Strong Excel skills.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills.
• Ability to organize multiple recurring responsibilities and meet deadlines consistently.
• Ability to work independently within established procedures.
• Clear and concise written and verbal communication skills.
  

Strongly Preferred

• Accounting experience with a federal government contractor.
• Hands‑on Deltek Costpoint experience.
• Familiarity with CPFF, T&M, and FFP contracts.
• Experience with government contract billing and project accounting.
• Familiarity with indirect rates, cost pools, and allocation bases.
• Understanding of FAR requirements and government contracting accounting concepts.

What Success Looks Like

• Take ownership of assigned accounting responsibilities from beginning to completion.
• Complete recurring tasks accurately and on schedule without repeated follow‑up.
• Produce well‑supported reconciliations and accounting entries.
• Identify discrepancies and proactively research their cause.
• Know when an issue can be resolved independently and when it should be escalated.
• Communicate issues concisely and clearly.
• Maintain organized supporting documentation.
• Be comfortable performing detailed accounting work on a daily basis.
• Become increasingly self‑sufficient as knowledge of the company, contracts, and systems develops.

Reporting Relationship

• The Staff Accountant reports directly to the Accounting Manager and works closely with the Corporate Controller and other members of accounting, contracts, project management, payroll, and operations.

Staff Accountant – Government ContractingPosition Summary

We are seeking a strong, hands‑on Staff Accountant to join the accounting team of an established federal government contractor.

Reporting to the Accounting Manager, the Staff Accountant will be responsible for recurring accounting activities supporting the monthly close, general ledger, project accounting, billing, accounts receivable, payroll/labor accounting, account reconciliations, and other day‑to‑day accounting functions.

This is an execution-focused position for an accountant who takes ownership of assigned responsibilities, meets deadlines consistently, researches and resolves discrepancies, and can work with increasing independence.

Experience with federal government contracting and Deltek Costpoint is strongly preferred.