WSP is currently initiating a search for an Assistant Vice President, Project Accounting to support our Southeast district for our Atlanta, GA office location. Tampa, FL and Raleigh, NC locations will also be considered. 

This Opportunity

Experienced supervisor-level senior project accountant and finance professional performing in the role of district project accounting manager or in the role of a very senior Project Accountant with a large degree complexity and/or as subject matter expert. In addition to maintaining a project portfolio of their own, responsible for supervising other project accountants, auditing other project accounting staff work and assessing skills sets and developmental needs. Collaborates and partners with business leaders across infrastructure / transportation / construction / professional services and other multiple functions to engage in portfolio-based review and analysis of financial performance of projects, reporting on key and secondary financial metrics, providing recommendations for addressing problem project corrective strategies, and overseeing invoicing and revenue recognition efforts. Ensures that responsibilities are delivered and adhered to with a level of quality that meets or exceeds acceptable industry standards, supporting the delivery of future-ready solutions to clients.

Your Impact

• For individual project portfolio, manage and analyze the collection, recording, and allocating project costs and revenue, ensuring accurate project profit and loss calculations, and communicating project financial performance and profitability to project/program management.
• Ensure complete understanding of all contract terms and conditions.
• Responsible for lifecycle project accounting for larger and/or multi-faceted complex projects involving the creation of project accounts in Oracle, project performance, close-out, and reconciling overall project payables and receivables to project budgets – this includes developing and providing a schedule of values, review of subcontractor pay applications, billing approved subcontractor costs, holding/billing retention per contract, and billing labor, general conditions, incremental spend, overhead and fee, and revenue recognition.
• Oversee project closeouts and direct and/or assign project closeout activity as needed for their district. Performs in-depth analysis to identify and mitigate potential problems.
• Interpret and summarize contract data, including changes and accurate deliverables for complex projects and initiatives.
• Oversight of subcontracting process for projects within their portfolio, working with project accountants to ensure compliance with procurement and business subcontractor processes.
• Oversight of projects under their responsibility with regards to invoicing life cycle and metrics, ensuring complete and accurate delivery of invoicing completed by project accounting team; communicating and collaborating with Billing Department to resolve issues.
• Monitor key financial indicators on projects within their district, evaluating financial performance, identifying potential problems and helping to mitigate any potential issues, investigating further as needed.
• Monitor/analyze revenue and unbilled balances for projects under their purview, communicating and collaborating with district business leaders to resolve issues.
• Provide recommendations to senior Finance management regarding the potential write-off of any project-related billings that cannot be billed to or collected from clients.
• Attend or coordinate project related meetings to inform the team regarding the current status of project financials, completing or following up on any identified actions as discussed; attends management or district level meetings to report on the current status of project financials.
• Supervise, train and mentor project accountants within District Level responsibility on financial analysis, the development of reports, and interpretation of analyses done on projects.
• Supports project accountants when needed in project meetings.
• Oversee the preparation and submittal of government reports and formal audit responses related to projects, participating in meetings and communication with internal and external auditors.
• Leader in designing, creating and/or enhancing tools to further project performance for the wider project accounting group. 
• Meet with staff to review workload, assign new project work, assess skill level of those reporting to them, and audit employees work.
• Remain current in latest project accounting principles and subject matter.
• Exercise responsible and ethical decision-making regarding company funds, resources and conduct, and adhere to WSP’s Code of Conduct and related policies and procedures.
• Perform additional responsibilities as required by business needs.

Who You Are

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, Business, or closely-related discipline (or demonstrated proven equivalent experience).
• 10 years of relevant post education experience in corporate project accounting. 
• Highly proficient knowledge of project accounting principles, practices, and methods and their application to project work-related issues. 
• Familiarity with Oracle.
• Experienced with providing critical review for documents, contracts, agreements, and preparing deliverables and plans with a high degree of complexity.
• Strong ability to make technical computations and calculations involving the application of accounting principles, understanding Contractual requirements and making factual comparisons to the appropriate regulations and/or contract stipulations.
• Demonstrated ability with coordinating with various stakeholders at all levels and understanding complex contract requirements, scope, and schedule.
• Strong self-leadership and interpersonal skills with the ability to effectively, persuasively, and tactfully interact with clients, subcontractors, regulators, project managers, and employees at all levels of the organization.
• Responsive and professional communication skills, both written and verbal – able to solve problems and provide a solution-focused response through communication.
• Effective management practices and works independently to provide guidance and coaching to mid-level to senior level team or project members, with strict adherence to QA/QC.
• Advanced proficiency with strong technical writing, office automation and accounting software, technology, math principles, MS Excel, pivot tables, formulas, data format/sort/filter, VLOOKUP, predictive models, and tools. 
• Mature critical thinking and problem-solving skills required to apply learned subject matter and technical knowledge to reach conclusions from testing results, data collation, statistical analysis and arriving at the most effective, economical, and logical solution.
• Well-defined experience with collaboratively working with others such as subcontractors, consultants, and clients on outstanding accounts receivables.
• Awareness of and adherence to WSP USA’s Project Delivery Handbook.
• Proven track record of upholding workplace safety and ability to abide by WSP’s health, safety and drug/alcohol and harassment policies.
• This is a professional role and as such work deadlines and work hours may extend beyond a typical workday.
• Occasional travel may be required depending on project-specific requirements.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s Degree is preferred (but not required).