Project Accountant

For over 100 years, Maguire has been an industry leader in the fabrication, construction, and maintenance of water storage tanks and elevated water towers. The Project Accountant translates estimates into detailed budgets, maintains accurate job costs, analyzes variances, and supports project forecasting. The Project Accountant will provide timely, supportable project budgets that show what was estimated, what has been spent, why results differ, and what costs remain. The role also creates a feedback loop to Estimating, Operations, and Finance to improve forecasts, revenue recognition, execution assumptions, and profitable pricing.

Essential Functions:

Project Budget Development

• Review estimates, contracts, turnover documents, and key cost support for new projects.
• Translate estimates into standardized budgets by project cost code.
• Document key quantity, labor, production, and pricing assumptions.
• Separately track the original budget, changes, current forecast, commitments, and actual costs.

Job Costing, Forecasting, and Variance Analysis

• Compare actual costs and commitments with the budget and current forecast.
• Identify material variances in usage, productivity, pricing, scope, schedule, or coding.
• Explain variances in operational terms. For example, compare estimated paint products, quantities, unit costs, and waste with actual results.
• Conduct forecast reviews with project managers and update remaining costs and estimate at completion based on progress, commitments, and known risks.
• Identify emerging project risks and communicate lessons that improve estimating, execution, and future pricing.

Infor Syteline, CPQ, and Data Integrity

• Develop strong working knowledge of Infor Syteline project accounting and reporting.
• Maintain accurate budgets and job costs in Infor and understand how transactions flow into project costs.
• Review project transactions for completeness and accuracy; research and correct errors.
• Support project setup, templates, reporting, and process documentation. Based on capability and business needs, this role may administer Infor CPQ and Design Studio, including cost updates, configuration improvements, and user support.

Reporting and Cross-Functional Support

• Prepare recurring reports on budgets, actual costs, remaining-cost forecasts, projected margin, and significant variances.
• Document forecast assumptions so Finance can evaluate projected margins and revenue recognition.
• Support job-cost reviews and closeout; identify unrecovered or over-budget costs and document lessons learned.
• Partner with Estimating, Project Management, Operations, and Finance to resolve issues and improve decisions.
• Improve procedures, budget tools, reports, and controls based on variances and lessons learned.
• Provide project-financial training and promote accountability for cost accuracy.

Performance Expectations

• Assigned projects have complete, approved budgets within established timelines.
• Detailed budgets reconcile to the original estimate used to price the work.
• Project managers and Finance receive accurate, actionable cost and margin forecasts.
• Material variances are promptly explained and communicated to the teams responsible for estimating and execution.
• Budgets and forecasts are updated as conditions change, and lessons learned inform future assumptions and pricing.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed and not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of team members. May perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals to perform the essential functions.

• Bachelor's or associate degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, Construction Management, or a related field preferred.
• Two or more years of project accounting, job-cost accounting, or related experience preferred.
• Strong Excel skills, including formulas, lookups, pivot tables, and reconciliations.
• ERP or construction-accounting software experience preferred; Infor Syteline, CPQ, or Design Studio experience is beneficial but not required.
• Ability to learn Maguire’s construction, rehabilitation, fabrication, and coatings operations.
• Strong analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills with consistent attention to detail.
• Ability to manage multiple projects, work independently, protect confidential information, and escalate significant concerns.

Preferred Experience

• Construction, specialty contracting, fabrication, or manufacturing experience.
• Preparing budgets from estimates and analyzing project cost variances.
• Percentage-of-completion accounting, cost forecasting, or project billing.
• Working with operational leaders to improve reporting, systems, or controls.

Work Environment:

• Majority of work is performed in an office environment, including prolonged computer use.
• Occasional visits to fabrication facilities, project sites, or other company locations may be required.
• Occasional lifting or moving of items up to 25 pounds may be required.

At Maguire, we believe in protecting and storing quality water. We do this by being the best water tank company for our customers and employees. Maguire is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE). Maguire complies with all applicable federal, state and local laws regarding hiring and employment. Qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or veteran status.