Assistant Project Accountant Jobs in Madison, WI

Westphal & Company is seeking an Accounting Manager to perform complex accounting and financial functions, assist in the supervision of a team of accounting professionals, and become a champion of utilizing Vista Viewpoint’s ERP. This role is responsible for overseeing daily accounting operations, general ledger maintenance, and month-end close activities. The position requires strong leadership capabilities, analytical and organizational skills, accuracy, and a deep understanding of accounting principles, with a focus on project accounting, accounts payable and receivable, and financial reporting within a construction environment.

Key Job Responsibilities

General Accounting & Financial Operations: Oversee daily accounting operations including accounts payable, accounts receivable, and general ledger entries. Prepare and post complex journal entries, accruals, and reclassifications. Maintain accurate records for billing, collections, and cash receipts. Monitor and reconcile bank accounts, credit card activity, and balance sheet accounts.

Financial Reporting & Analysis: Assist in the preparation of financial statements, budgets, and audit schedules. Perform detailed balance sheet reconciliations and budget-to-actual analysis. Prepare supporting schedules and variance analysis for management review. Compile data for job cost and overhead variance analysis.

Sales & Use Tax: Determine the proper taxability of projects based on scope of work and location. Ensure taxes are properly calculated based on project set ups, vendor invoice entry and customer sales invoice preparation. Accurately and timely file state sales and use tax returns.

Month-End & Year-End Close: Manage the monthly and annual close processes, ensuring all deadlines are met. Prepare and review journal entries, reconciliations, and supporting documentation. Partner with the Controller to finalize financial statements and coordinate audit activities.

Project & Cost Accounting: Provide oversight and guidance for job costing, variance analysis, and job close-out procedures. Conduct job cost accounting reviews of contract jobs and work orders. Compile and analyze data for forecasting and budgeting processes.

Accounts Receivable & Collections: Prepare and review customer invoices ensuring compliance with contractual requirements. Oversee customer communication and collection efforts. Maintain accurate aging schedules, monitor AR balances, and resolve billing discrepancies promptly.

Accounts Payable & Purchasing: Supervise vendor invoice processing, verify accuracy, ensure timely payments, and maintain proper expense and job coding. Support purchasing functions, vendor relationship management, and AP process improvements.

Fixed Assets & Equipment Accounting: Oversee fixed asset accounting, including reconciliations, depreciation entries, equipment utilization, and cost entries. Coordinate with third-party accountants on asset management and audit activities.

Leadership & Team Management: Supervise, mentor, and develop accounting team members, providing coaching, training, and performance feedback. Delegate tasks effectively, ensuring workload balance and timely completion of all accounting functions. Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous learning across the department.

Process Improvement & Systems: Act as subject matter expert for the ERP system, leading optimization efforts and serving as primary resource for troubleshooting and system enhancements. Identify and implement process improvements and automation opportunities. Contribute to developing the accounting playbooks and best practice documentation to strengthen system utilization.

Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with Project Management, Operations, and other departments to ensure proper divisional, tax, and department coding. Support internal controls, participate in process improvement initiatives, and demonstrate company core values through collaborative engagement.

Qualifications:

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field
• Minimum 5-7 years of a combination of public accounting experience
• Construction industry accounting experience with knowledge of percentage-of-completion accounting, union payroll, job costing, and WIP schedules
• Experience with month-end close, financial statement preparation and external audit processes

Preferred

• CPA or CMA designation
• Experience with electrical contracting or union construction environment

Key Competencies & Attributes

• Technical accounting knowledge with ability to research and apply complex accounting standards and GAAP, including construction industry revenue recognition
• Exceptional attention to detail and accuracy with commitment to maintaining high-quality financial records
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with ability to identify trends, variances, and issues in financial data
• Ability to mentor and guide accounting staff with patience and effective teaching skills
• Understanding of construction operations, project delivery, and profitability drivers
• Proficiency with construction accounting software and ERP systems
• Advanced Excel skills including pivot tables, LOOKUPS, and complex financial modeling
• Excellent communication skills with ability to explain financial information to non-financial audiences
• Ability to provide financial insights and analysis that support business decisions
• Strong organizational skills with ability to manage multiple priorities and meet critical deadlines
• High degree of integrity and ethics with commitment to maintaining confidentiality of sensitive financial information
• Proactive approach to identifying process improvements and recommending best practices
• Collaborative approach with ability to build effective relationships across departments and with external partners
• Ability to work effectively under pressure and maintain composure during demanding periods such as audits and closings
• Understanding of construction bonding and surety requirements
• Knowledge of internal controls and compliance principles

Working Conditions

Environment: Professional office environment in Madison, Wisconsin.

Schedule: Full-time, Monday through Friday with standard business hours. Extended hours required during month-end and year-end close periods, audit season, and budget preparation as required by business need.

Physical Demands: Primarily sedentary work involving extended periods of computer use for financial analysis, reporting, and system work. Requires visual acuity for reviewing detailed financial statements and supporting schedules.

Travel: Occasional between company offices in Madison, Janesville, Pewaukee and Dubuque, IA is required. Minimal travel to other locations may include job site visits for project accounting reviews, meetings with external auditors or attendance at professional development conferences or training.

Technology: Extensive use of construction accounting software, ERP systems, Microsoft Office Suite (especially Excel), and financial reporting tools. Must be comfortable learning and adapting to new accounting systems and technology platforms.

Founded in 1931, Westphal & Co. is a full service electrical & technology contractor serving the Midwest and selected domestic markets from our headquarters in Madison, WI. Our primary markets include governmental, commercial, industrial, health care, and energy. We have both PE’s and RCDD’s on staff. The company performs work on everything from residential projects to the largest industrial projects. Our Globalcom Technologies division is a technology contractor specializing in structured cabling, security/CCTV, and cellular enhancement projects. In addition to construction, we also provide full preconstruction, design build services, Building Information Modeling (BIM), and prefabrication.