Senior Project Accountant, Construction

Senior Project Accountant, Construction

Position Summary:

The Senior Project Accountant supports the financial management of construction and development projects from the owner’s side while taking on select managerial responsibilities across construction project accounting operations. This role is responsible for project setup (Yardi), budget and cost tracking, invoice and pay application administration, contract and change order support, monthly reporting, closeout coordination, and oversight of project accounting processes. The Senior Project Accountant works with the Development & Construction team (DCM) while partnering closely with Asset Management, Accounts Payable, and other internal stakeholders to help ensure timely, accurate, and transparent financial controls across the project lifecycle.

Location: Los Angeles, CA or Costa Mesa, CA

Work Arrangement: You will follow a hybrid work model, offering a balanced blend of remote and in-office work.

Key Responsibilities:

• Set up and maintain project cost codes, budgets, commitments, and financial records in the accounting and project management systems (Yardi)
• Track project budgets, actual costs, committed costs, and forecasted spend; identify and explain budget-to-actual variances
• Review vendor, consultant, and contractor invoices for coding, contract compliance, supporting documentation, and approval routing
• Maintain contract (work and service orders), and change order logs; verify that approved values are accurately reflected in project financial records
• Manage Construction in Progress (CIP) reporting monthly
• Manage budget requests and approvals, including soft costs, total budgets, and subsequent revisions
• Manage internal check requests and oversee project-related corporate card expenses
• Prepare monthly project financial reports, cash flow updates, and development or construction cost summaries for internal stakeholders
• Assist project managers with forecasting, contingency tracking, and cost-to-complete analysis
• Reconcile project transactions, investigate discrepancies, and coordinate corrections with Accounts Payable and the general accounting team
• Organize project files and maintain audit-ready records for internal reviews and external audits
• Support project closeout, including final invoice reconciliation, accruals, contract closeout documentation, retention release tracking, and archive preparation
• Provide day-to-day guidance to junior accounting staff or project accounting support personnel, including task delegation, training, and review of work product as needed
• Help establish, document, and enforce project accounting procedures and internal controls to improve consistency and accuracy across multiple projects
• Coordinate priorities across multiple projects and support workload planning to help ensure deadlines for reporting, payment applications, and closeout activities are met
• Participate in process improvement efforts to strengthen controls, reporting accuracy, and efficiency while serving as a resource to cross-functional teams on project accounting matters

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Real Estate, Business, or a related field
• 5+ years of accounting experience, with significant experience supporting construction, development, real estate, or project-based environments
• Demonstrated experience leading workflows, coordinating priorities across teams, or providing oversight to junior staff in a project accounting or construction accounting setting
• Working knowledge of job cost accounting, pay applications, change orders, lien waivers, and construction contract documentation
• Strong Excel skills and proficiency with accounting and project management system, specifically Yardi
• Ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines with strong attention to detail, sound judgment, and follow-through

Preferred Experience:

• Experience on the owner, developer, or owner’s representative side of ground-up, renovation, or tenant improvement projects. Ideally in the industrial real estate sector.
• Familiarity with AIA billing forms, and capitalization policies for development costs.
• Experience coordinating with project managers, architects, consultants, and general contractors.
• Knowledge of Yardi is essential and Smartsheet’s is preferred

Core Competencies

• Financial analysis and reporting
• Budget control and variance analysis
• Organization and document management
• Problem-solving and reconciliation
• Cross-functional collaboration
• Leadership and team coordination
• Process improvement and internal controls
• Time management and prioritization
• Professional judgment and confidentiality

Compensation:

Rexford Industrial's total reward plan includes a premier benefits package, bonus eligibility, and long-term stock incentives. The expected annual salary range for this role is $120,000 to $135,000, with a 15% discretionary annual bonus target and stock grant eligibility. The actual base salary and total compensation offered will depend on various factors, including the qualifications of the individual applicant, years of relevant experience, specific and unique skills, level of education attained, certifications or other professional licenses held, and the location where the job will be performed. The final base salary and total compensation will be described in any offer letter.