Construction & Development Accountant
On-siteSalt Lake City, Utah, United States
Job Summary
Design and operate project accounting procedures and controls, including project and cost-code setup, contract and commitment records, change-order controls, and documentation standards. Review contractor pay applications against contracts and approved schedules of values; validate work completed, retainage, prior payments, approved changes, cost coding, calculations, and supporting documentation. Confirm required lien waivers or releases, certifications, and other payment conditions are complete; investigate exceptions and recommend draw or payment packages for approval under WGU's delegated-authority framework. Record and reconcile project costs, commitments, accruals, accounts payable, and funding activity; coordinate accurate and timely month-end and year-end close. Maintain construction-in-progress records and support capitalization, placed-in-service determinations, asset transfers, and related accounting in accordance with U.S. GAAP and WGU policy. Reconcile accounting actuals and commitments to project-controls records and finance forecasts; identify and communicate variances, emerging exposures, and data-quality issues. Support debt or bond draws, incentive and grant documentation, covenant reporting, audits, and other compliance requirements with complete, audit-ready records. Provide functional guidance and coordinate external accounting or draw-review resources. This senior individual contributor leads the accounting and financial-controls function for WGU's large-scale construction and development program, including the new headquarters campus.
Required Qualifications
- CPA or MAcc, or equivalent relevant experience under WGU policy
- Eight or more years of progressive accounting, construction accounting, or project accounting experience
- At least three years supporting construction draws, pay applications, or complex capital projects
- Strong understanding of U.S. GAAP, construction-in-progress and fixed-asset accounting, month-end close, reconciliations, and internal controls
- Working knowledge of construction contracts, schedules of values, change orders, retainage, lien waivers, and payment documentation
- Advanced Excel skills and experience with ERP, project accounting, or construction-management systems
- Strong judgment, attention to detail, and stakeholder communication
- Relocation assistance is available to candidates who live more than 50 miles from Salt Lake City
- This position may require occasional travel of up to 20%, including required attendance at designated company summits (typically one to two per year)
- Additional travel may include conferences, visits to company locations, and other business-related events as needed
- Additional travel may be assigned as needed to support business requirements
- Full-Time Regular Positions (classified as regular and working 40 standard weekly hours)
- This is a full-time, regular position (classified for 40 standard weekly hours)
Desired Qualifications
- Experience with owner-side accounting for large commercial, mixed-use, institutional, or corporate headquarters development
- Knowledge of AIA G702/G703 payment documents and construction lender or bond-draw requirements
- Experience with Workday or a comparable ERP and Procore, Kahua, e-Builder, or a comparable project platform
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