Construction Accounting Manager

JHM is assisting a client search for an Construction Accounting Manager in Chattanooga, TN.

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced Construction Accounting Manager to lead the accounting and financial reporting functions of a growing construction company.

This is a key office leadership position responsible for maintaining accurate financial records, strengthening accounting processes, and providing ownership and project managers with timely, reliable financial information. The position will oversee the monthly close, job costing, work-in-progress reporting, billing, cash-flow reporting, subcontractor compliance, and other construction-related accounting processes.

This is not an entry-level bookkeeping position. The successful candidate must have hands-on construction accounting experience and understand how job costs, contract billing, retainage, change orders, committed costs, and project performance affect a contractor’s financial results.

Key Responsibilities

Accounting and Financial Reporting

• Manage the monthly and year-end close
• Maintain the general ledger and review transactions for accuracy
• Prepare bank, credit card, and balance-sheet reconciliations
• Prepare monthly financial statements, cash-flow forecasts, and management reports
• Establish consistent accounting procedures and internal controls
• Coordinate with the company’s external CPA on financial reporting, tax compliance, and audits
• Maintain organized accounting records and supporting documentation

Construction Accounting and Job Costing

• Maintain accurate project-level job cost records
• Review costs for proper project, cost-code, and expense classification
• Prepare and analyze WIP schedules, including contract values, costs incurred, estimated costs to complete, billings, retainage, and over- or underbillings
• Work with ownership and project managers to identify job cost discrepancies, margin changes, budget issues, and billing concerns
• Maintain contract values and approved change orders
• Prepare project profitability, backlog, and other management reports

Billing, Accounts Receivable, and Accounts Payable

• Manage customer billing, including AIA G702/G703 pay applications, schedules of values, and retainage
• Monitor accounts receivable and follow up on outstanding invoices and retainage
• Oversee accounts payable, invoice coding, approvals, and payment scheduling
• Maintain subcontractor and vendor records, including W-9s, certificates of insurance, licenses, and lien waivers
• Monitor subcontract commitments, purchase orders, invoices, and change orders
• Reconcile vendor statements and support year-end Form 1099 reporting

Payroll and Administrative Support

• Oversee or support payroll processing, reporting, and PTO tracking
• Assist with contracts, subcontracts, business licenses, permits, and insurance documentation
• Support project closeout and warranty documentation as needed
• Communicate with ownership, project managers, field personnel, subcontractors, vendors, clients, lenders, and municipalities

Required Qualifications

• At least three years of construction accounting or project accounting experience
• Experience with job costing and project-level financial reporting
• Experience independently preparing AIA G702/G703 pay applications
• Understanding of retainage, schedules of values, change orders, and committed costs
• Experience with accounts payable, accounts receivable, reconciliations, and monthly close
• Hands-on QuickBooks and Microsoft Excel experience
• Experience maintaining subcontractor compliance documentation
• Strong organizational, analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills
• Ability to manage competing priorities and meet accounting and billing deadlines
• High degree of accuracy, confidentiality, accountability, and follow-through

Preferred Qualifications

• Five or more years of construction accounting experience
• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business administration, or a related field
• Experience preparing WIP schedules and analyzing over- and underbillings
• Knowledge of percentage-of-completion accounting
• Experience with cash-flow forecasting, project profitability, and backlog reporting
• Experience supporting financial statement, tax, insurance, or workers’ compensation audits
• Experience supervising or reviewing accounting personnel

Schedule and Work Environment

This is a full-time, in-office position in the Chattanooga area.

The Construction Accounting Manager will work closely with company ownership, project managers, superintendents, subcontractors, vendors, clients, lenders, insurance representatives, municipalities, and the company’s external CPA.

Compensation

Compensation will be based on experience and qualifications.

2 weeks PTO, 5 days of sick/personal leave

Eligible for an annual discretionary bonus based on company and individual performance.