Staff Accountant

Description

Summary:

Elevate your career with Detroit Defense. Join a dynamic team dedicated to national security through cutting-edge technology. Detroit Defense has a long history of delivering advanced solutions to the Department of War (DOW). Dive into innovation in Systems Engineering, Combat Vehicle Integration, Digital Transformation, Cybersecurity, Data Analytics and Software Development. Your journey to impactful work and rapid growth starts now—Behind the Mission Beyond the Challenge!

Detroit Defense is seeking a well-rounded Staff Accountant to support the general ledger, month-end close, and cost compliance functions in our Deltek Costpoint environment. This role touches nearly every part of the accounting cycle – journal entries and reconciliations, accounts payable coding, employee expense report review, and financial reporting support – and is expected to apply the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and Cost Accounting Standards (CAS) correctly wherever costs are recorded. The ideal candidate is a hands-on Costpoint user who is comfortable moving between GAAP-based accounting tasks and government contract cost compliance, and who works well across Accounting, Payroll, Purchasing/Procurement, and Program Finance.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: 

• Prepare journal entries (accruals, prepaids, reclasses, and adjusting entries) in Deltek Costpoint in accordance with GAAP and company policy.

• Perform monthly reconciliations of assigned balance sheet accounts, including bank, credit card, accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll clearing, and fixed asset accounts.

• Research and resolve reconciling items and variances in a timely manner, documenting root cause and resolution.

• Support monthly and year-end close activities, including close-cycle checklists, supporting schedules, and variance analysis.

• Work hands-on across multiple Costpoint modules (General Ledger, Accounts Payable, Projects, Time & Expense) to ensure costs are recorded accurately and consistently.

• Support maintenance of project/cost objective setup, account structures, and charge codes in coordination with Program Finance and Contracts.

• Support Costpoint testing, upgrades, and continuous process improvement initiatives.

• Troubleshoot day-to-day transactional issues and coordinate with the Costpoint system administrator or IT as needed.

• Assist with invoice processing and coding to the correct contract, task/sub-task, and cost element (direct vs. indirect).

• Apply FAR Part 31 cost principles – including allowability (FAR 31.201-2), reasonableness (FAR 31.201-3), and allocability (FAR 31.201-4) – and Cost Accounting Standards (CAS 401, 402) to ensure invoices and journal entries are coded consistently and allowably.

• Coordinate with Purchasing/Procurement on purchase order matching, vendor setup, and resolution of coding or pricing discrepancies.

• Provide backup coverage for the Accounts Payable function during peak volume, absences, or transitions.

• Review employee expense reports for accuracy, business purpose, and adequate supporting documentation prior to approval and reimbursement.

• Apply company travel & expense policy and FAR 31.205-46 (travel costs) and related FAR 31.205 subparts to identify and flag expressly unallowable costs (e.g., first-class airfare, alcohol, entertainment).

• Apply Cost Accounting Standards (CAS 401, 402, 405 – accounting for unallowable costs, 406 – cost accounting period) to ensure expenses are treated consistently across contracts and accounting periods.

• Maintain organized, audit-ready documentation supporting expense allowability and allocability for DCAA and other government or client audits. 

• Support DCAA, DCMA, and external audits – including incurred cost submissions and accounting system reviews – with documentation, schedules, and analysis.

• Assist in maintaining SOPs and internal controls documentation across general ledger, accounts payable, and expense processes.

• Support 1099, W-2, and other regulatory or compliance reporting as needed.
 

Requirements

Qualifications:

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

• 1–3 years of general accounting experience; government contracting experience strongly preferred.

• Hands-on experience with Deltek Costpoint (or a comparable ERP), ideally across GL, AP, and Projects/Time & Expense modules.

• Solid understanding of GAAP and general ledger accounting, including journal entries, accruals, and account reconciliations.

• Working knowledge of FAR Part 31 cost principles and applicable Cost Accounting Standards (CAS) as they apply to journal entries, AP coding, and expense report review.

• Strong Microsoft Excel skills; comfortable working with large data sets and reconciliations.

• High attention to detail with strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

• Ability to manage multiple deadlines and prioritize competing close-cycle demands.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills; comfortable collaborating across Accounting, Payroll, Purchasing/Procurement, and Program Finance.

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or otherwise authorized to work in the U.S. as required by contract.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience supporting DCAA accounting system reviews or incurred cost submissions.

• Exposure to indirect rate structures (overhead, fringe, G&A) and rate reconciliation.

• Prior experience performing three-way match/vouchering or coordinating directly with a Purchasing/Procurement team.

• Prior experience in the aerospace, defense, or broader federal government contracting industry.

Work Environment / Physical Demands:

• Hybrid work schedule in a standard business office environment.

• Primarily sedentary work involving extended computer use; occasional lifting up to 15 lbs.

• Minimal travel (less than 10%) may be required for training, audits, or site visits.

Detroit Defense offers an impressive compensation and benefits package including:

• Medical, Dental & Vision Benefits

• Company Paid Life and AD&D

• Company Paid Short Term and Long-Term Disability

• Flexible Spending & HSA Accounts

• Legal & ID Shield Services

• 401k with Company Match

• Paid Holidays

• Paid Time Off (PTO)

Why Detroit Defense:
At Detroit Defense, we deliver mission-critical solutions that enhance national security, protect the warfighter, and enable readiness through innovation, technical excellence, and end-to-end lifecycle support. 

Remaining steadfast in our core values of Trustworthy, Mission Driven, Creative, and Agile we are a complex systems integrator for the U.S. Government, Detroit Defense provides solutions to meet the technical and programmatic challenges faced by our customers. Our proven success in multi-domain cross-platform system-of-systems integration results in fielded capability for warfighters. From R&D to production, fielding, and sustainment, Detroit Defense provides services and solutions to Empower Those That protect Us.

Veterans Encouraged to Apply: Detroit Defense proudly supports those who have served. We welcome applicants with military experience, including those transitioning to civilian careers. Your leadership, adaptability, and mission-focused mindset are valued here. Detroit Defense is a proud recipient of the Hire Vets Gold Medallion Award since 2022.

Detroit Defense is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity or gender expression), age, mental or physical disability, creed, ancestry, citizenship, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, medical condition, genetic trait or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.