Senior Project Accountant in Newport Beach, California at McCarthy Building Companies, Inc.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Senior Project Accountant supports the Finance Business Partner in providing financial analysis, forecasting support, performance reporting, and operational insights across an assigned Business Unit or region.

This role works closely with the Finance Business Partner, Accounting, and Operations teams to monitor financial performance, evaluate project forecasts, identify financial risks and opportunities, and support informed business decisions.

The Senior Project Accountant assists in translating financial information into meaningful insights, ensuring financial data is accurate, consistent, and actionable. Through hands-on involvement in financial planning, project performance reviews, and business reporting, this position provides an opportunity to develop the analytical, operational, and business partnership skills necessary to advance into a Finance Business Partner role.

While the Accounting Team maintain responsibility for transaction processing, accounting close activities, and routine accounting functions, the Senior Project Accountant focuses on financial analysis, forecasting support, reporting, and operational financial performance.

This role will report into Finance Business Partner for the given Business Unit they are assigned to.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Business Unit Financial Planning, Forecasting, and WIP Analysis

• Support the Finance Business Partner in developing and maintaining Business Unit financial forecasts, including revenue, gross margin, G&A, operating profit, headcount, and backlog.
• Assist in the preparation and analysis of Annual Operating Plans (AOP), quarterly forecasts, and financial projections.
• Review project financial forecasts and work-in-progress (WIP) reporting to identify unusual trends, potential risks, and opportunities for improvement.
• Analyze project cost-to-complete, fee movement, under billed analysis, projected profitability, and cash flow performance.
• Assist in reviewing forecast assumptions and identifying inconsistencies between project financial projections and operational expectations.
• Track significant forecast changes and maintain supporting documentation for financial reviews.
• Coordinate with project teams and Accounting to investigate financial discrepancies and resolve reporting inconsistencies.

Financial Performance Management and Reporting

• Prepare monthly and quarterly financial reports, dashboards, and performance summaries for Business Unit leadership.
• Perform variance analysis comparing actual financial results against budgets, forecasts, and prior periods.
• Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs), including revenue, gross margin, operating profit, G&A spending, cash flow, and project forecast accuracy.
• Identify financial trends, unfavorable variances, and emerging risks requiring further review.
• Assist the Finance Business Partner in preparing financial presentations and supporting materials for leadership meetings and operating reviews.
• Maintain and enhance financial reporting tools to improve visibility into Business Unit performance.
• Ensure financial reporting is accurate, timely, and consistent with regional and enterprise reporting requirements.

Business Partnership and Operational Support

• Collaborate with project teams, Operations leadership, and Accounting to understand financial performance and operational challenges.
• Support the Finance Business Partner in evaluating project financial health, operational trends, and business performance.
• Participate in project forecast reviews and financial discussions to develop an understanding of operational and financial drivers.
• Assist in evaluating financial implications of staffing changes, resource allocations, project performance, and business initiatives.
• Prepare supporting financial analyses to help leadership evaluate operational decisions.
• Follow up on identified financial issues, action items, and reporting discrepancies to support timely resolution.
• Develop relationships with operational stakeholders and build an understanding of how project-level decisions influence Business Unit financial results.

G&A Financial Management and Budget Support

• Assist in monitoring Business Unit and regional G&A budgets, forecasts, and actual expenditures.
• Analyze overhead spending, identify budget variances, and evaluate trends in operating expenses.
• Support headcount planning, charge out analysis, staffing cost projections, and department-level expense forecasting.
• Coordinate with Accounting and department leaders to investigate unexpected expenses.
• Assist in identifying opportunities for improved cost management and financial efficiency.

Financial Governance, Controls, and Process Improvement

• Support the Finance Business Partner in promoting consistent financial reporting, forecasting practices, and internal controls.
• Assist in performing financial quality-control reviews to identify reporting inconsistencies, unsupported assumptions, and potential financial exposure, both at the G&A and project level.
• Partner with Accounting, Operations, and Internal Controls to address financial reporting exceptions and improve data reliability.
• Identify opportunities to streamline financial analysis, reporting, and forecasting processes.
• Maintain documentation supporting financial reviews, analysis, and reporting.
• Support the implementation of standardized financial dashboards, reporting tools, and financial management practices across Business Units.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in finance, Accounting, Economics, Business Administration, or related field.
• 24 years of progressive experience in finance, accounting, financial analysis, or related discipline.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret financial information, identify trends, and investigate variances.
• Working knowledge of budgeting, forecasting, financial statements, and financial performance analysis.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including financial modeling, pivot tables, and advanced formulas.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet reporting deadlines.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain financial information to non-financial stakeholders.
• Strong attention to detail, intellectual curiosity, and a willingness to develop an understanding of business operations.
• Ability to work collaboratively with Finance, Accounting, and Operations teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in commercial construction, engineering, project accounting, or another project-based operating environment.
• Familiarity with construction, financial reporting, WIP schedules, cost-to-complete forecasting, and project margin analysis.
• Experience with CMiC, Anaplan, Power BI, Smartsheet, or comparable financial reporting and planning systems.
• Experience supporting financial forecasting, budget analysis, or project performance reviews.
• Understanding G&A expense management, departmental budgets, and operational financial planning.

Professional Development and Career Progression

The Senior Project Accountant position is intended to develop future Finance Business Partners through exposure to financial planning, construction operations, financial reporting, and strategic business support.

As proficiency develops, the Senior Project Accountant will progressively assume greater responsibility for financial analysis, forecast reviews, leadership reporting, and direct collaboration with Business Unit stakeholders.

Success in this position requires a commitment to financial accuracy, continuous improvement, proactive problem-solving, and developing the business acumen necessary to support operational and financial decision-making.

• Monthly deliverables
• G&A variance reporting, updated dashboards, project financial exception tracking, and monthly financial performance summaries.
• Quarterly deliverables
• Forecast QC reviews/interims, quarterly financial reporting packages, updated G&A projections, and documented forecast risks and opportunities.
• Annual deliverables
• AOP supporting schedules, departmental G&A budget preparation, historical financial trend analyses, and planning assumptions.

The salary range for this position is: $87,000-127,000. This does not include possible bonus and other benefits which can impact total compensation. Compensation offered may vary based on work location, experience, qualifications, specialty, training, and market and business considerations, among other factors.

McCarthy is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, including disability and protected veteran status.

NOTICE TO EXTERNAL SEARCH FIRMS: McCarthys Talent Acquisition Team is the only authorized representative permitted to engage with external search firms, staffing agencies, or other third-party recruiting partners. McCarthy maintains an Approved Agency List for recruiting partners, which is reviewed and updated annually.

McCarthy will only consider submissions from agencies with a signed fee agreement in place for the current year. McCarthy does not accept unsolicited resumes, candidate submissions, or referrals from agencies that do not meet these requirements.

If a candidate is submitted without an active agreement, McCarthy will have no obligation to pay any fees and reserves the right to contact, engage, interview, or hire such candidate(s) without any financial or other responsibility to the submitting agency. Unsolicited resumes, including those sent directly to hiring managers or other employees, will be considered the property of McCarthy.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.