What are the responsibilities and job description for the Project Finance Specialist position at Blue Onyx Systems?
Project Finance Specialist
At Blue Onyx, we are out to empower the people who produce with easy-to-own integrated automation solutions. To help us grow, we are seeking a Project Finance Specialist to own the financial side of our projects, from purchasing and invoicing to budgets and hours, so every project is priced, tracked, and billed accurately.
In this role, you will manage purchasing, billing, and budget tracking across our automation projects, partnering with the Director of Operations, project teams, and leadership to keep our financials accurate, timely, and ready for decision-making.
MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
• Manage purchasing from start to finish: create purchase orders, enter vendor bills, record receipt of goods and services, and match them to invoices in QuickBooks.
• Create and send customer estimates and invoices based on project milestones, billing schedules, and approved change orders.
• Track labor hours against project budgets and invoice hours accurately and on time.
• Build and monitor project budgets, comparing budget to actual costs and flagging overruns or margin risk early.
• Prepare monthly reports on project costs, hours, margins, and purchasing for Operations, Finance, and Leadership.
• Manage accounts payable and accounts receivable, including vendor payments, collections follow-up, and aging reports.
• Support month-end close, including account reconciliations, accruals, and work-in-progress (WIP) reporting.
• Partner with project teams on job costing, change orders, and billing milestones so financial data matches project status.
• Maintain accurate financial records and documentation in QuickBooks, SharePoint, and other systems of record.
• Improve purchasing, invoicing, and budgeting processes and controls as the company grows.
QUALIFICATIONS AND ROLE EXPECTATIONS
• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• 5 to 10 years of experience in accounting, project accounting, or finance roles, with a track record of managing purchasing, invoicing, and budget tracking; automation, manufacturing, or engineering environments preferred.
• Advanced QuickBooks experience, including purchase orders, bills, estimates, invoicing, and reconciliations.
• Working knowledge of job costing, WIP reporting, and month-end close.
• Strong Excel skills (pivot tables, lookups, budget tracking) and proficiency with Microsoft Office, plus the ability to learn Blue Onyx tools, including IXD, Teams/SharePoint, and Zoho Projects.
• High attention to detail and accuracy, with sound judgment in handling confidential financial information.
• Comfortable managing multiple projects, deadlines, and billing cycles at once.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills for working with project teams, vendors, and customers.
• A dependable self-starter who takes ownership and follows through without close supervision.
• This is an in-person role based in our New Berlin, WI office.
ABOUT BLUE ONYX
At Blue Onyx, we are out to successfully deploy 501 automation systems over the next 10 years. Our Core Values are key to our success:
Refuse to Lose — Own the problem; Separate facts from assumptions; Bring the right people in; Keep momentum under pressure.
Committed to Success — Think beyond your department; Protect the handoff; Clarify assumptions early; Measure by outcome.
Above & Beyond — Clean fit and finish; Clear HMI and documentation; Serviceable design; Raise issues before shipment.
Actually Give a Shit — Notice the small things; Help before someone fails; Own mistakes quickly; Leave things better than found.
If that mission sounds exciting to you, our Core Values are a match, and the role fits your experience, then we invite you to apply to learn more about our organization — we look forward to meeting you!