Cost Accounting Manager
hrbArlington (VA)
About the role
Publicly Traded Aerospace & Defense Technology Company
Cost Accounting Manager
$140k-$160k + Bonus
Location: Arlington, VA – Hybrid (2-3x)
The Role:
Our client, is hiring a Cost Accounting Manager to own project cost accounting and independent financial analysis across active government programs. You'll report to the Director of Finance and Accounting, and be trusted to run your book of projects independently after ramp-up.
What You'll Do:
Maintain project cost-accounting structures and financial master data across multiple concurrent government programs
Reconcile project ledgers to the general ledger; investigate and resolve labor, AP, procurement, and billing discrepancies
Prepare journal entries, accruals, and cost transfers as part of month-end close
Build and maintain Estimate at Completion (EAC) / Estimate to Complete (ETC) forecasts, integrating actual costs, commitments, staffing plans, and risk
Analyze cost trends against budget; flag margin risk and cost-to-complete pressure before it shows up in final results
Support milestone-based billing and revenue recognition (ASC 606) by validating that billing support ties to documented project progress
Present financial results and recommendations to Finance leadership, Program Managers, and Program Controls
What You'll Need:
Bachelor's in Accounting, Finance, or a related field
4+ years in cost accounting, project accounting, or program finance
Hands-on month-end close experience: journal entries, accruals, reconciliations
Experience building EAC/ETC forecasts and identifying project margin risk
Familiarity with milestone/deliverable-based billing and ASC 606
Advanced Excel (PivotTables, XLOOKUP, SUMIFS); ERP experience a plus (Unanet, Deltek Costpoint/Vantagepoint, SAP, Oracle, or NetSuite)
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