Role search
Get a AIA Billing Specialist who can own G702 progress payment applications.
No postings. No stacks of resumes. No chasing. You choose from a short list of people who have done this before.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you engage someone we present.
Interim Headhunters starts with the work behind this request: An AIA Billing Specialist ensures that your payment applications match actual job progress and contract terms. This role sits between the field operations team and your cash management process.
This is what we do all day: place interim executives, interim managers and contract professionals.
Need someone now? Call 305-306-4829.
- No upfront fee
- 2 to 3 vetted consultants per assignment
- Matched to your industry
- You choose
- Interim plus permanent search
- AIA Billing Specialist
The judgment call
What this hire really comes down to
An AIA Billing Specialist ensures that your payment applications match actual job progress and contract terms. This role sits between the field operations team and your cash management process. The primary challenge involves turning raw cost data into approved owner invoices. If a specialist misses a detail in the schedule of values or fails to capture a change order, you lose months of cash flow while waiting for an approval.
Precision in billing requires a firm grasp of contract retainage and progress reporting. A general accountant might reconcile a bank statement but struggle to allocate costs across specific phases of a construction project. You need someone who validates every line item against the master budget before it goes to a client.
What we check
What we check before you see anyone
- We verify their experience with G702 and G703 documentation by asking for examples of how they handled partial releases of retainage. We look for individuals who can explain the mechanical link between a change order and an updated schedule of values. If they cannot describe the calculation for a change in contract sum versus a change in work scope, they will likely create errors in your owner billings.
- We audit their ability to manage lien waiver workflows alongside subcontractor payments. A proficient specialist knows the difference between conditional and unconditional waivers and the timing required for each. We ask how they confirm that a subcontractor has provided updated insurance before they release a payment. This check prevents your firm from facing mechanic liens due to clerical oversights or missing signatures.
- We assess their comfort with construction-specific ERP software and modules. We confirm that they understand how to pull cost reports directly from the system rather than relying on manual spreadsheets that invite human error. We require proof that they know how to code invoices to the correct cost types so that your job status reports remain accurate for the project management team.
- We review their history regarding audit trails and document retention. You need someone who organizes project folders so that your auditors can find every support document for a billing period in minutes. We verify that they maintain a log of correspondence with owners and lenders to keep track of payment status and any disputed items that need quick resolution.
Sourcing
Where we find them
We find these specialists working within the internal accounting departments of medium-sized general contractors or trade subcontractors. These individuals handle high-volume billing cycles that require them to coordinate with project managers every month. They move toward new opportunities when they seek better software environments or a firm that prioritizes higher standards for financial controls.
We also recruit from boutique accounting firms that specialize in construction audit and project accounting. These professionals often look for an exit into private industry to apply their expertise to a single company. They bring a deep understanding of regulatory requirements and internal controls, which provides a clean and predictable billing cycle for your firm.
Where searches go wrong
Mistakes we see
- Hiring managers often hire someone with general accounts receivable experience and assume they can learn construction billing quickly. The specific logic of retainage, stored materials, and partial lien waivers is too complex to pick up while keeping the project on schedule.
- Relying on manual spreadsheets instead of native construction accounting software modules. This creates a data silo where the billing figures do not match the job cost ledger, leading to surprises when the project reaches its conclusion.
- Neglecting to clarify who manages the pay-when-paid logic between owner payments and subcontractor distributions. Without a clear process, you risk paying subcontractors before you have the cash from the owner, which creates a negative impact on your project margins.
The search
How the AIA Billing Specialist search runs
- We identify candidates who have spent at least three years specifically managing owner billings for commercial or industrial projects. We filter out those who have only handled standard service-based invoicing without the complexities of progress billing and schedule of values management.
- We evaluate their software history to ensure they have used platforms that integrate project management and accounting. We confirm they know how to import budget changes and how to troubleshoot billing errors that occur when the cost system and the billing system fall out of sync.
- We present candidates who can explain their process for reconciling a job file at the end of a project. We look for the technical maturity required to close out a contract and ensure that no trailing costs or uncollected retainage balances remain open on your books.
Questions
Can this specialist handle my general ledger entries too?
This specialist focuses on project-specific billing and cost coding. They can support general accounting tasks but their primary value is in ensuring your owner billings are accurate and on time.
Do I need to train them on my construction software?
We prioritize candidates who have already used your specific software or a platform with identical architecture. They will only need orientation on your specific internal approval processes.
What is the fee structure?
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
How do you ensure they understand lien law?
We vet their experience by checking how they handled lien waiver release requirements in past states. They must know how to align releases with specific payment timelines.
What replacement terms apply?
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
How are recruiting fees agreed?
No upfront fee. You pay only if you engage someone we present. We scope the assignment before quoting; the fee page explains our model.
How soon can we see options?
Availability depends on the assignment and the people who fit it. We qualify interest and commitments rather than promising a shortlist date before the search is scoped.
What if the scope grows?
Discuss new responsibilities before adding them to the engagement. Agree the priorities and record any change to the brief and terms.
Can we extend an engagement?
Discuss what remains unfinished and whether the same responsibility is still needed. Extensions depend on the person's commitments and the agreed engagement terms.
Can the appointment become permanent?
A permanent move can be discussed if both sides want it. Review the future role and the applicable agreement instead of assuming that temporary coverage automatically converts.
How is a confidential search handled?
Tell us what can be disclosed and whom we must not contact. We agree those boundaries before approaching people; do not send sensitive records with an initial brief.
What are the replacement terms?
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
What do you not do?
We do not sell job-board reposting as a search or bill hourly for recruiting work. We do not take a retainer unless expressly agreed, and an introduction does not authorize an engagement.
Tell us the seat
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire. Share the title, the situation and the timing. A person reads it.
AIA Billing Specialist by industry and related roles
Executive roles above this one
More Accounting Operations roles
The Six-Step Search
What do you get at each step of the search?
We agree what the person must own before contacting anyone. You see how the search is scoped and which backgrounds we pursue. We speak with candidates about the work before presenting them. The Six-Step Search gives you useful written notes and support through interviews, rather than a pile of applications.
- 01
Scope call
We talk through the seat, the business and what has to change.
You get: A one-page role brief you approve before we search.
- 02
Market map
We work out where people who have done this job actually sit.
You get: A short note on the pool and how we plan to reach it.
- 03
Direct outreach
We approach people who are not looking at job boards.
You get: Progress updates so you are never chasing us.
- 04
Screening
We interview every candidate on the work, not the resume.
You get: Written notes on fit, availability and terms for each person.
- 05
Shortlist and interviews
You meet a short list. We handle the scheduling.
You get: Several vetted options and a debrief after each interview.
- 06
Offer and start
You choose. We help settle terms and the start date.
You get: Confirmed terms, a start date and check-ins after day one.
Tell us who you need.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you engage someone we present.
Send us the seat. We will take it from there.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you engage someone we present.