Project Cost Accounting Bookkeeper

A day in the life

You start your morning by reconciling bank and credit card activity, clearing duplicates, and filing missing receipts. Before lunch, you review vendor invoices, match them to purchase orders and receiving records, and schedule payments based on terms and cash priorities. In the afternoon, you assist project managers with customer billing support, track deposits and progress payments, and ensure every charge is coded to the right project, cost category, or account. You wrap the day by updating fixed-asset schedules, organizing payroll inputs, and preparing concise reports that give leadership clear visibility into receivables, payables, cash movements, and job costs.

Core responsibilities

General bookkeeping

• Accurately record and classify transactions; maintain a clean, organized general ledger
• Reconcile bank accounts, corporate cards, loans, and other balance-sheet accounts
• Investigate discrepancies, resolve duplicates, and obtain missing documentation
• Maintain electronic records of invoices, receipts, payments, and approvals
• Support monthly, quarterly, and annual close routines
• Prepare recurring bookkeeping summaries and reports for management

Accounts payable

• Receive, review, code, and enter vendor invoices
• Verify invoices against purchase orders, receipts, or required approvals
• Schedule payments in line with vendor terms and cash-management priorities
• Reconcile vendor statements and resolve pricing or quantity issues
• Maintain vendor profiles, remittance details, and required tax documentation
• Monitor open purchase commitments and invoices awaiting approval

Accounts receivable and billing

• Help maintain the invoice log and cash application records
• Track outstanding receivables and flag past-due balances
• Apply customer payments accurately and keep backup documentation organized
• Handle basic billing questions and route complex issues appropriately

Project and job-cost accounting

• Ensure all transactions are coded to the correct customer, project, or account
• Review activity for completeness and escalate inconsistencies
• Maintain orderly records for project-related financials and support billing packages
• Track customer deposits and progress payments
• Maintain separation of direct project costs from general operating expenses

Payroll and employee expense support

• Collect and organize timekeeping data for payroll processing
• Coordinate payroll inputs with the external payroll provider
• Maintain payroll files and supporting documentation
• Review employee expense reports for completeness and receipts
• Confirm proper documentation and coding of expenses
• Assist with compiling payroll and contractor documentation for external processing

Purchasing and inventory support

• Match purchase orders, vendor invoices, receipts, and payments
• Work with purchasing and operations to resolve quantity, price, or delivery variances
• Assist with inventory reconciliations and valuation
• Track customer-owned, consigned, or project-specific materials when required
• Support documentation for serialized equipment, capital assets, tooling, and manufacturing equipment
• Maintain fixed-asset records and depreciation schedules

Financial controls and compliance

• Follow established approval, purchasing, expense, and payment procedures
• Support segregation of duties and appropriate approval authority
• Protect confidential employee, customer, vendor, and company information
• Maintain records per retention requirements
• Support tax preparation, insurance audits, financial reviews, and external accounting requests
• Assist with documentation for government contracts, customer reviews, grants, or audits
• Identify control gaps, recurring errors, and process improvement opportunities
• Comply with confidentiality, cybersecurity, and export-control requirements

Who you’ll collaborate with

Company leadership, project managers, purchasing, manufacturing, employees, customers, vendors, and outside accounting professionals.

Qualifications

Required

• 3+ years of bookkeeping or accounting operations experience
• Hands-on AP, AR, reconciliations, and general-ledger maintenance
• Strong grasp of accrual-based bookkeeping
• Experience preparing customer invoices and maintaining billing support
• Proficiency with accounting software and Microsoft Excel
• Ability to organize and reconcile high volumes of transactions and documentation
• Exceptional attention to detail and commitment to accuracy
• Professional communication with employees, customers, vendors, and outside accountants
• Reliability in meeting recurring deadlines without sacrificing quality
• High discretion with financial, payroll, and personnel information

Preferred

• Associate’s or bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business administration, or related field
• Background in manufacturing, engineering services, government contracting, professional services, or other project-based environments
• Experience with project accounting, job costing, inventory, work in process, or cost of goods sold
• Support experience for government contracts or grant-funded accounting
• Familiarity with purchase orders, bills of material, manufacturing work orders, and material-cost tracking
• Experience assisting external accountants, tax professionals, auditors, or financial reviews
• History of improving procedures, approval workflows, and system controls

What success looks like

• Consistent daily and weekly bookkeeping rhythms are established
• Bank and credit-card accounts are fully reconciled and current
• Customer invoicing is timely and accurate
• Vendor invoices and employee expenses are complete, documented, and correctly coded
• Receivables, payables, cash activity, and project costs are clearly visible
• Unresolved transactions, missing receipts, and discrepancies are reduced
• Management gains clarity on project-level financial performance
• Records withstand customer, accountant, tax, and audit scrutiny

Attributes that thrive here

• Precision and consistency
• Personal accountability
• Sound judgment
• Professional discretion
• Clear written and verbal communication
• Persistence in resolving discrepancies
• Comfort moving between office, engineering, and manufacturing settings
• Drive to improve systems rather than tolerate recurring problems
• Bias toward completing work correctly and on time

Work environment

Fast-moving engineering and manufacturing setting with frequent coordination across program management, purchasing, receiving, inventory, production, engineering, and executive leadership. Regular computer use, document review, data entry, and communication are required, with occasional access to manufacturing or inventory areas.

About Kform

Kform accelerates defense technology development from concept and integration through production and scale. We combine engineering, prototyping, manufacturing, quality, and industrialization to help customers deliver critical hardware faster and with greater production readiness.

We are builders. We work with builders.

Kform is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit, business requirements, and the ability to perform the responsibilities of the position.

Proficiencies and tools

• Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)
• Bookkeeping
• Accounts Payable (AP)
• Bank Reconciliation
• Certified Public Accountant (CPA)

Systems

• ERP Software
• Accounting Software