Senior Project Accountant

Job Title: Senior Project Accountant 

Location: Des Plaines, IL (Hybrid)

Salary Range: $100,000 - $115,000 + Bonus

Benefits: Health/Vision/Dental/PTO/401k

An established and mission-driven organization is seeking a Project Accountant / Financial Analyst to act as a strategic business partner to project and program managers. This role is responsible for full-cycle project accounting and financial oversight of assigned contracts and grants, ensuring compliance, financial discipline, and optimized funding outcomes. The ideal candidate will bring strong analytical and interpersonal skills, a detail-oriented mindset, and experience working with funders, program stakeholders, and accounting systems.

Key Responsibilities:

• Serve as a financial partner to assigned project managers, providing tools, reporting, training, and guidance to ensure sound financial stewardship.

• Deliver monthly budget-to-actual reports, burn rates, and fund balances; meet regularly with managers to review key metrics and address variances.

• Assist in the development and maintenance of project budgets for new and existing contracts and grant proposals.

• Set up new projects in the ERP system (e.g., CostPoint), ensuring accurate coding and configuration.

• Prepare and reconcile financial reports for assigned projects on schedule, including expenditure tracking and accruals.

• Submit timely and accurate billing, expenditure vouchers, and payment requests to funders, including all required backup documentation.

• Record submitted vouchers and invoices in the accounts receivable subledger, ensuring completeness and accuracy.

• Analyze monthly expenses and prepare reclassifications and accurate revenue accruals by specified deadlines.

• Reconcile revenue and receivables monthly; maintain organized, auditable project files including budgets, reports, and documentation.

• Monitor accounts receivable activity and maintain clean balances through timely processing of adjustments, refunds, and approved write-offs.

• Conduct periodic fiscal compliance audits and assist in funder, financial, and single audits by preparing assigned schedules and support.

• Track and report on project performance metrics to leadership and ensure alignment with funder requirements and internal standards.

• Maintain strong communication with funders and external stakeholders, resolving issues promptly and professionally.

• Contribute to continuous improvement in financial operations, compliance processes, and tracking systems.

• Collaborate across departments, including Legal, Grants, Program, and Finance teams, to support optimal performance and contract execution.

• Support additional tasks such as subrecipient monitoring, cost claims, and funder-specific reporting as assigned.

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, or a related field.

• Strong knowledge of funder contract regulations and compliance requirements.

• 3+ years of experience in project/grant accounting, financial reporting, or similar role.

• Proven ability to prepare financial reports, analyses, reconciliations, and projections.

• Expert-level Microsoft Excel skills; proficient in Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook.

• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to manage multiple priorities.

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills; experience partnering with non-financial stakeholders.

• Ability to meet strict deadlines and maintain accountability for deliverables.