Assistant Controller - GovCon

Description

Position Overview

The One 23 Group is seeking an Assistant Controller to support the Corporate Controller and execute accurate, timely, and well-documented accounting operations. This hands-on role supports accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, journal entries, account reconciliations, month-end close, expense administration, government-contract billing support, and recurring accounting reporting.

The Assistant Controller will work across Unanet, Paylocity, WAWF/PIEE, Excel, and approved AI and automation tools.

Requirements

Key Responsibilities

Accounts Payable & Expense Administration

· Process vendor and subcontractor invoices; validate coding, supporting documentation, approvals, and project or account assignment before entry and payment.

· Support vendor payment runs, AP aging, vendor inquiries, statement reconciliations, vendor setup, W-9 maintenance, employee expenses, corporate cards, travel reimbursements, and year-end 1099 activities.

· Coordinate with Contracts, Program Control, Project Managers, and vendors to resolve discrepancies and validate subcontractor and project costs.

Accounts Receivable, Billing & Cash Application

· Prepare and support customer invoicing for Cost Plus, Time & Materials, and Firm Fixed Price contracts, including billing schedules and required supporting documentation.

· Post invoices and cash receipts, apply payments, monitor AR aging, support collections, research unapplied cash, and reconcile billed and unbilled receivable activity.

· Maintain accurate project, contract, funding, labor-category, billing, and charge-code data in Unanet and support submission through WAWF/PIEE when applicable.

Payroll, General Ledger & Close

· Support payroll processing by validating approved employee changes, timekeeping, compensation data, deductions, and labor charging in coordination with Human Resources and Finance.

· Prepare journal entries, accruals, reclassifications, prepaid schedules, and assigned bank, cash, payroll, credit-card, AP, AR, and balance-sheet reconciliations.

· Complete assigned month-end and year-end close tasks, schedules, workpapers, supporting documentation, and timely resolution of reconciling items.

AI-Enabled Accounting Operations

· Use company-approved AI and automation tools to support first drafts of reconciliations, variance explanations, workpaper narratives, accounting procedures, reporting summaries, and recurring checklists.

· Develop reusable prompts, templates, queries, and workflow automations that reduce manual effort across invoice intake, coding review, payment support, cash application, close tracking, reconciliation preparation, and document organization.

· Use AI-assisted analysis to identify duplicate transactions, incomplete support, unusual activity, aging trends, reconciliation differences, and data-quality issues for follow-up.

· Evaluate accounting automation use cases and track outcomes such as cycle-time reduction, error rates, exception volume, timeliness, and hours saved.

· Validate AI output to original source records and applicable accounting policies before use; maintain required approvals, audit trails, access controls, and segregation of duties.

· Protect company, employee, customer, vendor, banking, contract, and financial information by using only approved tools and never entering controlled or sensitive data into unapproved AI systems.

Controls, Reporting & Audit Support

· Maintain complete accounting files, reconciliations, transaction support, workpapers, and audit trails consistent with company procedures and internal controls.

· Prepare recurring reports and schedules including AP aging, AR aging, cash activity, payroll reconciliations, close status, billing status, and other information requested by the Controller.

· Provide transaction detail, schedules, reconciliations, and source documentation for financial audits, DCAA/DCMA requests, Incurred Cost Submission support, customer reviews, and other compliance activities.

· Support accounting-process improvements, system enhancements, data cleanup, SOP development, and other initiatives that improve accuracy, efficiency, control, and scalability.

Required Qualifications

· Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.

· Approximately 3-5 years of progressive accounting experience with hands-on responsibility for transactional accounting and recurring close processes.

· Practical experience with AP, AR, payroll support, journal entries, accruals, account reconciliations, and month-end close.

· Working knowledge of accrual accounting, expense classification, cash application, balance-sheet reconciliations, accounting controls, and supporting documentation.

· Practical experience using generative AI, automation, advanced Excel, or other productivity tools to improve accounting work products, workflows, analysis, or reporting.

· Strong attention to detail, judgment, confidentiality, organization, communication, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage recurring deadlines.

Preferred Qualifications

· Experience supporting a small or mid-sized federal government contractor, professional services company, or similarly fast-paced organization.

· Hands-on experience with Unanet or a comparable GovCon ERP/accounting system and Paylocity or a comparable payroll platform.

· Experience with Microsoft 365, Copilot, ChatGPT Enterprise or equivalent approved generative AI tools, Power Automate, Power Query, or Power BI.

· Familiarity with Cost Plus, T&M, and FFP billing; WAWF/PIEE; FAR cost principles; labor charging; indirect-cost structures; or DCAA audit support.

· CPA-track education, CPA, CMA, or another relevant accounting credential is a plus but not required.