Kearney Senior Accountant, Government Accounting

Full-timeAmericasWashington DC

Job Description

The Senior Accountant, Government Accounting, is the senior technical accountant for PSDS (Public Sector and Defense Services) direct government contracts. The position owns the cost accounting, billing, and compliance cycle that converts recorded labor and expense into allowable, billable, and auditable contract cost. The position serves as technical lead and second-level reviewer for government contracts accounting, supporting the Controller.

 

Key Responsibilities:

Government Contract Cost Accounting and Compliance (approximately 25%)

  • Apply FAR Part 31 and CAS, as applicable, escalating interpretive questions to the Controller and Government Contracts Manager.

  • Review labor, expense, subcontractor, and vendor costs for proper classification and allowability; lead unallowable cost reviews and corrective actions.

  • Monitor timekeeping, contract funding, ceilings, and periods of performance; alert the Controller and project leads before cost or funding thresholds are reached.

Billing, Revenue, and WIP/AR Analysis (approximately 20%)

  • Prepare and review invoices and public vouchers, including rate application, cumulative and ceiling tracking, and supporting documentation.

  • Review contract revenue recognition, unbilled revenue (WIP), and accounts receivable aging; follow up on collections and resolve billing disputes and rejections.

  • Verify billing rates and labor category setup against contract terms.

Indirect Rates, Reporting, Forecasting, and Planning (approximately 15%)

  • Develop and monitor provisional billing and indirect rates, recommending adjustments as cost and base trends change.

  • Prepare monthly contract profitability, funding, backlog, and indirect rate reports for the Controller and Chief Administrative Officer.

  • Support budgeting, forecasting, and planning, including rate inputs for proposals and pricing.

Audit and Accounting System Readiness (approximately 15%)

  • Lead the annual incurred cost submission and respond to auditor and contracting officer inquiries.

  • Coordinate DCAA, DCMA, customer, and external financial statement audits, tracking findings through corrective action.

  • Maintain accounting procedures, controls, and documentation to support pre-award accounting system survey requirements, including separation of duties and review evidence.

Other Responsibilities

  • Prepare and review journal entries and reconciliations, including accruals, unbilled and deferred revenue, and indirect cost pools and allocations.

  • Review Staff Accountant reconciliations, including accounts payable aging, and resolve comments before Controller review.

  • Complete assigned monthly close activities and support year-end close, financial statement preparation, and tax compliance.

  • Serve as the primary finance contact for the Government Contracts Manager and project leads on billing, funding, and rates; support contract setup, modifications, closeout, and final billing.

 

Who You Are

After 100 years, we know this business is fundamentally about making connections—between facts, figures, insights, strategies, tools, technologies, and above all, people. That's why we look for collaborative, insightful, and inquisitive problem-solvers who don't accept the first thing in front of them and who are always unapologetically themselves.

We want to hear from you if you:

  • Have a Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or a related field; 4-6 years of relevant experience, including government contracts accounting. CPA or equivalent is typical for this rank.

  • Have working knowledge of FAR Part 31, DFARS, and CAS as applicable, with experience in indirect rates, incurred cost submissions, cost-type billing, and government audits.

  • Have experience with Unanet, DataBasics, Concur, IEM and the Microsoft Office Suite, and experience with a government contracting accounting system; Unanet experience preferred.

  • Demonstrated accuracy, attention to detail, analytical skill, adaptability, and flexibility.

  • Have strong written and verbal communication, including explaining cost and billing matters to project leads, partners, and auditors.

  • Can work from the Washington D.C. office at least once per week.

 

What we can offer you

Every day, our people work to be the difference for our clients, our communities, and our colleagues. Helping them to make an impact, they are sustained by a competitive remuneration package plus comprehensive benefits and perks, including but not limited to:

  • Generous retirement/pension saving contributions

  • Comprehensive medical insurance for employees and their families

  • Structured and on-the-job learning and development opportunities

  • Personalized opportunities to help you chart a unique journey to pursue your own personal and professional goals

 

Senior Accountant, Government Accounting base compensation range: $117,500-$120,000. It is important to note that at Kearney, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at the top of the range for their role. Individual salaries within each range are determined through a wide variety of factors, including but not limited to education, experience, knowledge, and skills. Kearney reviews compensation regularly and may adjust base salaries to reflect market competitiveness. In addition to salary, individuals may be eligible for a discretionary performance bonus. Our full suite of benefits includes paid time off, paid sick leave, 401(k) match and profit sharing, medical, dental, and vision coverage, healthcare concierge services, backup child/adult care, annual employer HSA contributions, a home office stipend, subsidized gym membership, an annual wellness program, and leaves of absence when needed to support employees' physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

Learn more at Kearney.com/careers.

Equal employment opportunity and non-discrimination

Kearney prides itself on providing a culture where our employees belong and thrive equally, which means our people feel comfort, confidence, and joy as they do great things for our firm, our colleagues, and our clients. That's why Kearney is committed to building a diverse workforce and inclusive environment. Kearney is an equal opportunity employer; we recruit, hire, train, promote, develop, and provide other conditions of employment without regard to a person's gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, race or ethnicity, religion, age, national origin, disability, marital status, pregnancy status, veteran status, genetic information, or any other differences consistent with applicable laws. This includes providing reasonable accommodation for disabilities or religious beliefs and practices. We encourage everyone to apply, including those who may not feel historically represented in consulting. #LI-KH1