Director, Project Accounting

Overview

Farnsworth Group is seeking a Director of Project Accounting. This senior‑level leader manages a team of 10‑15 Project Accountants and serves as the primary financial resource for Group Leaders and Project Managers across the firm’s architecture, engineering, and survey practice groups.

Champaign, Lisle, Normal, Peoria, Springfield, IL;
Dallas, TX;
St. Louis, MO;
Waukee, IA

• Lead, manage, and develop a team of 10‑15 Project Accountants supporting multiple practice groups and Group Leaders.
• Establish clear performance expectations, conduct regular one‑on‑ones, and deliver timely, constructive feedback and formal performance reviews.
• Design and deliver structured onboarding and ongoing training programs to build team proficiency in project accounting fundamentals and Deltek workflows.
• Identify individual development opportunities and support career growth paths for team members at all experience levels.
• Foster a team culture grounded in accuracy, accountability, client service, and continuous improvement.
• Manage workload distribution across the team, balancing assignments to Group Leaders and project portfolios equitably and strategically.
• Recruit, interview, and onboard Project Accountants as the team grows or turnover occurs, partnering with HR on hiring practices.

• Oversee accurate and timely project setup in Deltek, including contract values, fee structures, billing terms, phases, tasks, and labor categories.
• Review and interpret prime contracts, subconsultant agreements, and task orders to ensure billing plans and revenue structures are configured correctly.
• Ensure all contract modifications, amendments, and scope changes are reflected in the system promptly and accurately.
• Establish and enforce project setup standards and naming conventions to support consistent reporting across the firm.
• Partner with Group Leaders and Project Managers during contract negotiation to advise on financial terms, billing structures, and fee adequacy.

• Direct the full invoicing cycle for the firm’s project portfolio, ensuring invoices are prepared, reviewed, and issued accurately and on schedule.
• Review draft invoices prepared by Project Accountants for completeness, accuracy, contract compliance, and appropriate backup documentation.
• Manage the invoice approval workflow in coordination with Project Managers and Group Leaders.
• Monitor accounts receivable aging across the portfolio; escalate delinquent accounts and support collection efforts.
• Ensure proper handling of retainage, subconsultant pass‑through costs, and reimbursable expenses per contract terms.
• Support preparation and submission of billing on government, federal, and cost‑plus contract types, including compliance with FAR billing requirements where applicable.

• Oversee monthly revenue recognition, ensuring compliance with ASC 606 and percentage‑of‑completion accounting.
• Review and approve earned value calculations, percent‑complete estimates, and EAC updates prepared by Project Accountants.
• Prepare and deliver monthly project financial reports to Group Leaders, including contract status, revenue earned, billed‑to‑date, backlog, and profitability metrics.
• Identify projects with financial risk—budget overruns, write‑downs, scope creep, or stalled billings—and elevate them proactively.
• Coordinate with the Sr. Controller and Finance Director on month‑end close activities related to project revenue, unbilled receivables, deferred revenue, and WIP adjustments.

• Serve as a subject matter expert and internal resource for Deltek, guiding users on system use.
• Oversee the accuracy of the project accounting database, conducting periodic audits of setup, labor posting, expense coding, and billing data.
• Partner with IT and finance leadership on system upgrades, module implementations, and workflow enhancements.
• Develop and maintain standard operating procedures for all Deltek project accounting processes and train team members.
• Leverage reporting and…