Operation Accounting Specialist in Waterford, Michigan at Pentastar Aviation

The Operations Accounting Specialist is an accounting position responsible for supporting the Accounting Department while serving as a key liaison between Accounting, Flight Operations, MRO, and other internal departments as needed.

This role is designed to improve communication, accuracy, and accountability between operational activity and financial reporting. The position will help ensure vendor activity, aircraft-related charges, operational expenses, system entries, and supporting documentation are captured accurately and in a timely manner.

This position will report to the Accounting Department but will regularly interact with multiple operational teams. They will work closely with Flight Operations, MRO, Account Management, and other departments as needed to ensure accurate financial and operational coordination. The ideal candidate is detail-oriented, organized, willing to learn, and interested in building a strong foundation in accounting while gaining exposure to aviation operations.

The purpose of this role is to bring structure, ownership, and accountability to the financial side of cross-departmental operational activity.

• Serve as a liaison between Accounting, Flight Operations, MRO, and other departments as needed.
• Help ensure operational activity is properly communicated to accounting for accurate billing, reporting, and financial tracking.
• Coordinate with department leaders to clarify charges, vendor activity, aircraft-related costs, operational expenses, and supporting documentation.
• Support process improvement between departments to reduce manual work, duplicate entry, and communication gaps.
• Help create clear workflows for items that involve multiple departments.
• Assist in identifying duties or reports that should remain with the operating department responsible rather than be shifted to accounting.
• Assist with accounts payable functions, including invoice review, coding, documentation, and routing for approval.
• Support accounts receivable activity by helping verify charges, supporting documentation, and billing accuracy.
• Assist with vendor statement reviews and account reconciliations.
• Support month-end close activities by gathering documentation, researching discrepancies, and preparing supporting schedules.
• Help maintain accurate records for vendor charges, aircraft-related expenses, operational expenses, and interdepartmental transactions.
• Assist with general ledger support, expense coding, journal entry backup, and account research as requested.
• Coordinate with Flight Operations, MRO, and other departments to ensure vendor charges are properly assigned and communicated.
• Review operational data for completeness and accuracy before it is used for accounting or billing purposes.
• Identify recurring issues in vendor data, system entry, documentation, or workflow, and bring them forward for review.
• Maintain organized records and backup documentation for recurring transactions and vendor-related activity.
• Prepare and maintain recurring accounting and operational support reports as assigned.
• Help document standard processes for recurring tasks, vendor coordination, and interdepartmental accounting workflows.
• Work with Accounting leadership to improve accuracy, accountability, and timeliness of information moving between departments.
• Assist in transitioning appropriate tasks away from manual processes when automation or clearer department ownership is more appropriate.

• Associate’s or bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business administration, or a related field preferred.
• Entry-level to 2 years of accounting experience.
• An internship experience or relevant coursework in accounting or finance is preferred.
• Basic understanding of accounting principles, including accounts payable, accounts receivable, expense coding, reconciliations, and supporting documentation.
• Strong attention to detail and willingness to ask questions to ensure accuracy.
• Ability to communicate professionally with multiple departments, including Accounting, Flight Operations, MRO, and other internal teams.
• Comfortable reviewing invoices, vendor information, transaction details, and operational documentation.
• Basic Microsoft Excel skills, including data entry, sorting, filtering, and simple formulas.
• Ability to learn company systems, accounting software, reporting tools, and other internal platforms.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage recurring tasks and deadlines.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality with financial, vendor, customer, and operational information.
• Willingness to learn aviation-specific processes and how operational activity connects to accounting records.

• Previous internship, part-time role, or entry-level experience in accounting, finance, billing, accounts payable, accounts receivable, or administrative support.
• Exposure to invoice processing, vendor statements, reconciliations, purchase orders, or general accounting support.
• Aviation experience is preferred, including exposure to aircraft operations, maintenance, flight operations, charter, aircraft management, or aviation-related billing.
• Experience working in a business, maintenance, or operational environment is helpful but not required.
• Experience with Excel, accounting systems, or data-entry platforms is preferred.
• Interest in growing into a broader accounting or financial operations role.