Role search
Get a Construction Accountant who can own project job cost data.
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: Your general ledger balances, but it does not tell you which jobs are losing money.
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
- Construction Accountant
The judgment call
What this hire really comes down to
A construction accountant manages the financial lifecycle of individual projects. You need this person to translate field activity into accurate job cost data and revenue recognition. They maintain the work in progress schedule and calculate the percentage of completion daily. When this oversight fails, billing inaccuracies occur and lenders lose visibility into your project performance. This role serves as the primary connection between project management requirements and the accounting ledger.
The construction ledger relies on specific project structures rather than just standard accounting entries. A general accountant often struggles to grasp how retainage, lien waivers, and owner billings dictate cash flow. We seek candidates who possess practical experience with these structures. Your hire must understand the math behind overbilling and underbilling to ensure your margins remain visible. This person takes full ownership of the project records rather than performing administrative data entry.
What should the brief settle before we search?
Your general ledger balances, but it does not tell you which jobs are losing money. A construction accountant needs access to contract values, change orders and cost-to-complete estimates from project teams. Ask how they would challenge a WIP schedule when a job's margin improves without a documented scope change. Check the distinction between cash collected, billings and earned revenue. The accountant cannot fix job reporting alone if project managers do not own estimates. State who reviews those estimates and approves corrections.
What we check
What we check before you see anyone
- We audit their history with work in progress schedules by confirming they built them from scratch. We drill into how they updated estimated costs at completion and calculated monthly overbillings or underbillings. We verify how their schedules informed decisions made by their controllers or surety partners. This involves examining their process for identifying margin drift on active jobs.
- Our billing review focuses on their proficiency with AIA style pay applications and schedules of values. We investigate their process for managing stored materials and the release of retainage. We verify their ability to manage change order flow from initial project manager approval through to the final customer invoice. We check if they maintain the tracking of pending change orders against the original contract value.
- We inspect their knowledge of compliance paperwork including conditional and unconditional lien waivers by state requirements. We confirm their past methods for verifying subcontractor insurance and licensing before releasing payments. We ask specifically how they managed pay-when-paid terms to avoid cash flow strain during slow project activity. We evaluate their workflow for flagging expired certificates of insurance to protect the project owner.
- We perform a deep dive into the specific construction accounting software they operated. We do not accept resumes that list tools without detail. We confirm if they understand how systems structure phases and cost types to match your internal setup. We probe their ability to create custom reports that pull data from specific job cost categories rather than relying solely on default system output.
Sourcing
Where we find them
We source candidates from accounting departments within general contracting firms and specialty subcontractors. We also target accounting teams at real estate developers who manage significant ongoing construction projects. These environments require the exact nuance for job cost coding and owner reporting that you need. We focus on individuals who handle the full cycle of project accounting rather than those in siloed accounts payable roles.
We recruit from construction focused public accounting firms. These individuals often transition into private industry to apply their knowledge directly to project profitability. They possess a rigorous understanding of how field reports translate into the ledger. This candidate pool offers a strong combination of technical discipline and practical field experience for your project needs.
Where searches go wrong
Mistakes we see
- Hiring a general accountant who lacks specific project cost experience. They often misunderstand the difference between job cost tracking and standard overhead accounting. This leads to massive errors in overbilling calculations.
- Prioritizing software certifications over hands-on experience with AIA billing and retainage. Knowing a button sequence does not equal knowing the logic behind a pay application or the impact of retainage on cash position.
- Assuming an applicant from a different industry will adapt quickly. Construction accounting rules regarding lien waivers and progress billing are highly specific and do not transfer from other industries. This results in compliance exposure and delays in project funding.
The search
How the Construction Accountant search runs
- We define your project accounting needs based on your current software and volume of active jobs. We identify candidates who have managed similar contract structures and billing complexities. This ensures the candidate has seen the exact type of cost complexity you currently face.
- We conduct a technical interview focused on their specific experience with job cost coding and WIP schedules. We verify their ability to identify and correct billing errors before they reach the owner. We look for concrete examples of how they handled audit inquiries regarding project cost variances.
- We present candidates who have proven success in maintaining the financial integrity of projects. You meet only those who can demonstrate how they managed past cash flow and margin reporting. We facilitate interviews where you can confirm their communication style with project managers and field superintendents.
Questions
How do you verify if a candidate knows construction accounting?
We test their ability to build a work in progress schedule from source data. We also ask specific questions about the mechanics of retainage and AIA billing processes.
Can I hire someone from a general corporate accounting background?
We discourage this. The nuance of job cost coding and lien waiver compliance requires specialized experience that generalists lack.
What should we discuss before requesting Construction Accountant candidates?
A construction accountant needs access to contract values, change orders and cost-to-complete estimates from project teams. Ask how they would challenge a WIP schedule when a job's margin improves without a documented scope change.
What happens if the candidate does not know our software?
We prioritize candidates who understand the logic of construction accounting first. Most professionals with the right background can adapt to new software quickly.
Do you charge fees before a candidate starts?
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
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.
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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.