Senior Project Accountant Construction (Division)
Role Purpose
Own and control project cost management, payment governance and core financial processes across all construction projects.
Act as the financial gatekeeper for all construction spend, with full accountability for project controls, AP ownership and payment accuracy. This role protects capital, enforces discipline and ensures zero leakage.
Key Responsibilities
Project Cost Control
- Own project budgets, cost codes and commitments in Procore (or equivalent).
- Control commitments, actuals and cost-to-complete forecasting.
- Own change control, variations and approval discipline.
- Ensure alignment between QS valuations, contracts and approved budgets.
- Produce consolidated project cost and risk reporting.
- Challenge commercial assumptions where required.
Payments & AP Control
- Own and control the construction AP and payments function end-to-end.
- Validate all invoices against approved commitments, certifications and contract terms.
- Control retentions, advances and milestone releases.
- Own payment runs in NetSuite / Yardi.
- Ensure full audit trails, segregation of duties and zero unauthorised payments.
Process, Systems & Controls
- Design and implement standard cost and payment governance processes.
- Control system workflows across Procore NetSuite Yardi.
- Define approval matrices and RACI structures.
- Enforce system discipline and consistent adoption across projects.
- Eliminate workarounds and informal approvals.
Cash & Reporting
- Own construction cash outflow forecasting.
- Control timing of payments and commitment exposure.
- Provide clear visibility of committed vs paid vs forecast spend.
- Flag risk early and clearly.
People & Governance
- Own the performance and output of the AP team.
- Act as escalation point for cost and payment disputes.
- Hold project teams accountable where budgets or controls are breached.
- Drive a culture of cost ownership across the division.
Key Skills & Experience
- Minimum 10+ years senior experience in construction project controls; qualified accountant.
- Strong hands-on Procore (or similar project control system) expertise.
- Proven experience leading AP / payment governance functions.
- Deep understanding of valuations, retentions, variations and milestone structures.
- Highly structured, controls-driven mindset with strong commercial judgement.
- Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, multi-project environment.
What Success Looks Like
- Zero unauthorised or out-of-budget payments.
- Clean, disciplined payment runs with full audit integrity.
- Embedded, consistently followed processes across all projects.
- Predictable cash flow and real-time cost visibility.
- No financial surprises.
Culture & Performance Expectations
Technical construction finance expertise is essential
We operate in a high-growth, capital-intensive environment where control failures are expensive. This role requires pace, resilience and strong personal ownership.
We are looking for someone who:
- Acts as a gatekeeper, not a rubber stamp
- Challenges constructively and stands their ground
- Brings intensity, discipline and follow-through
- Solves problems and closes gaps quickly
- Raises standards across the team
This is not a passive reporting role. It is an active controllership role
