Budget Accountant
Location: Denbigh Professional Park | 606 Denbigh Blvd, Newport News, VA 23608
Position Type: 100% Onsite
Schedule: MondayFriday | Day Shift
Contract: Temp-to-Perm | FTE salary upon conversion: $50,000$60,000
Start Date: ASAP upon successful completion of the hiring process
Important Call Outs
This is a hands-on accounting role for someone who enjoys working directly in detailed financial data and day-to-day accounting functions.
The client is highly selective and closely evaluates education, hands-on accounting depth, compensation alignment, and assessment performance.
Advanced Excel is a critical requirement. Candidates must be able to independently use VLOOKUPs, XLOOKUPs, Pivot Tables, and common formulas.
Candidates complete an accounting/Excel assessment before interview consideration. Recent candidates have most often fallen short in VLOOKUPs and formulas.
A separate Excel Assessment Prep Guide may be shared with qualified candidates before testing.
Healthcare accounting experience is preferred, but strong operational accounting experience may be considered without healthcare experience.
Candidates must be willing to work 100% onsite and convert to permanent employment if selected. Local candidates are strongly preferred.
Submission Requirements
Updated resume with candidate phone number and email address included
Transcript(s)
Last 4 digits of SSN
Minimum FTE salary requirement or confirmation the candidate is comfortable within the $50,000$60,000 range
Explanation for any employment gap greater than 90 days within the past 7 years
Confirmation of 100% onsite availability and daily commute/relocation plan, if applicable
Confirmation of willingness to convert to permanent employment
Hiring Process
Rehire check
Resume and transcript review
HR compensation review
Accounting/Excel assessment
Manager/Director interview
VP interview
Leadership discussion/final decision
Assessment Preparation
Candidates should refresh VLOOKUP, XLOOKUP, Pivot Tables, common Excel formulas, budget-to-actual calculations, financial reconciliations, General Ledger concepts, journal entries, and financial statement analysis before completing the client assessment.
Practice resources are intended only as a refresher before the client assessment.
Required Qualifications
Education
Bachelor's Degree in Accounting; OR
Bachelor's Degree in Business, Finance, or a related field with an Accounting concentration or approximately 21+ completed accounting credit hours.
Transcripts are required for submission and will be reviewed to verify qualifying accounting coursework.
Experience
Target profile: approximately 35+ years of progressive, hands-on accounting experience. The client has not defined a strict minimum year requirement, so depth and recency of relevant accounting ownership are more important than title alone.
Budget preparation, budget management, forecasting, and budget-to-actual analysis
Financial analysis, financial reporting, and financial statement preparation
General Ledger accounting, journal entries, accruals, adjustments, and reclassifications
Account reconciliations and discrepancy investigation
Month-end, quarter-end, and/or year-end close
Variance analysis, cost analysis, expense analysis, and financial projections
Candidates whose backgrounds are primarily AP, AR, payroll, bookkeeping, tax-only, audit-only, or financial analysis without hands-on accounting ownership may not meet the needs of this role.
Certifications
No specific certification is required. CPA, CPA-track coursework, CMA, or other relevant accounting credentials are a plus.
Technical Skills
Advanced Microsoft Excel proficiency, including VLOOKUP, XLOOKUP, Pivot Tables, advanced formulas, SUM/SUMIF/SUMIFS, IF/IFERROR, COUNTIF/COUNTIFS, and absolute/relative cell references.
Ability to use Excel for budget-to-actual calculations, variance analysis, financial data comparison/reconciliation, and troubleshooting formula or lookup errors.
ERP/accounting system experience preferred. Relevant systems may include Oracle, SAP, Workday, PeopleSoft, Lawson, Microsoft Dynamics, Great Plains, QuickBooks, or comparable financial systems.
Other Requirements
Strong analytical thinking, independent judgment, attention to detail, and ability to interpret financial data and applicable regulations.
Ability to work independently, manage competing deadlines, identify discrepancies, and communicate accounting findings clearly.
Genuine interest in detailed, day-to-day accounting work and an individual-contributor environment.
100% onsite availability in Newport News, VA and willingness to convert to permanent employment if selected.
Preferred Qualifications
Healthcare accounting or hospital finance experience
Medicare/Medicaid cost reporting or healthcare reimbursement experience
Regulatory reporting or CMS-related financial compliance experience
Cost reporting, internal controls, audit support, or process-improvement experience
Experience working in a large ERP environment
Key Responsibilities
Assist with preparation and maintenance of annual operating and departmental budgets.
Prepare forecasts and financial projections and perform budget-to-actual analysis.
Analyze revenue, expenses, financial trends, cost drivers, and significant variances; research and explain discrepancies.
Prepare and post journal entries, accruals, adjustments, and reclassifications as needed.
Maintain General Ledger accuracy and perform account reconciliations.
Support month-end, quarter-end, and year-end close activities.
Prepare and analyze financial statements, supporting schedules, and management reports.
Perform cost analysis and support cost-control and financial planning initiatives.
Assist with audit, regulatory, and compliance-related financial reporting and documentation.
Partner with operational leaders and internal stakeholders to explain financial results and support informed decision-making.
Use Excel and ERP systems to analyze, reconcile, and report financial data accurately and efficiently.
Support accounting process improvements, documentation, internal controls, and reporting accuracy.