Lead Accountant - Real Estate Development

Lead Accountant, Real Estate Development

The Lead Accountant, Real Estate Development is the accounting and financial-controls lead for WGU's large-scale construction and development program, including the new headquarters campus. This senior individual contributor owns construction draw accounting, project cost verification, reconciliations, close and capitalization support, control documentation, and audit readiness. The role partners with Development, Project Controls, Finance, Procurement, Treasury, Legal, contractors, architects, and external reviewers to protect the integrity of project financial records and payments.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and operate project accounting procedures and controls, including project and cost-code setup, contract and commitment records, change-order controls, and documentation standards; lead related process, system, and reporting improvements.
• 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.

Qualifications

• CPA or MAcc, or equivalent relevant experience under WGU policy.
• Eight or more years of progressive accounting, construction accounting, or project accounting experience, including 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.

• 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.