Accounting & Expense Specialist

About the role:

The Accounting & Expense Specialist is responsible for evaluating and strengthening the company's internal controls, with a primary focus on ensuring compliance with corporate credit card and employee expense reimbursement policies. This role independently reviews transactions, tests controls, investigates exceptions, and recommends process improvements across the finance and accounting function. The role works closely with accounting operations, project management, and executive leadership to safeguard company assets, promote accountability, and strengthen policy compliance in a construction subcontracting environment.

Key Responsibilities:

• Audit corporate credit card transactions to verify that all charges are business-related, properly coded, adequately documented with itemized receipts, and approved in accordance with company policy and spending limits.
• Review employee expense reimbursement submissions for policy compliance, including per diem limits, mileage rates, travel and lodging thresholds, meal allowances, and required supporting documentation.
• Identify and investigate policy violations, duplicate submissions, split transactions, personal charges, out-of-policy vendors, and unusual spending patterns; document findings and escalate as appropriate.
• Create and confirm that all expenditures are recorded in the correct general ledger accounts and, where applicable, allocated to the correct job/cost code or project in compliance with the contract, posting to the general ledger on a weekly basis
• Maintain and update job dimensions within the HRIS to ensure accurate expense allocations, reporting, and financial coding.
• Monitor credit limits for cardholders and the credit card program and communicate issues with finance team.
• Track and follow up on unsubstantiated or delinquent expense reports and outstanding credit card reconciliations.
• Verify that approval workflows and segregation-of-duties requirements are enforced for card issuance, spending limit changes, and reimbursement approvals.
• Prepare periodic compliance reports summarizing exceptions, trends, recovery of improper charges, and recommended corrective actions.
• Recommend and help implement updates to credit card and expense reimbursement policies, create efficiencies, and develop employee training. Serve as a resource for employees and managers regarding financial policies and compliance requirements.

Qualifications:

• 3+ years experience in internal audit, compliance, or a related accounting/finance role.
• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or a related field.
• Experience with Rippling or comparable expense management and corporate card platforms (e.g., Concur, Expensify) preferred.
• Experience in construction, engineering, or a project-based industry preferred.
• Familiarity with construction job cost accounting and project cost coding preferred.
• Working knowledge of internal control frameworks (e.g., COSO) and generally accepted auditing procedures.
• Strong proficiency with Microsoft Excel and accounting/ERP or spend management systems (e.g., Rippling).
• Demonstrated ability to analyze transactions, identify exceptions, and document findings clearly.
• High degree of integrity and objectivity, with the ability to maintain independence and handle sensitive information with discretion.
• Strong attention to detail, analytical thinking, and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple audits and deadlines.
• Effective communication skills, including the ability to present findings diplomatically and hold difficult conversations around non-compliance.

Physical Requirements:

• Sit for extended periods (typically 6-8 hours per day) while performing computer-based tasks such as general ledger maintenance, reconciliations, journal entry preparation, and financial reporting.
• Use hands and fingers to operate standard office equipment, including computers, keyboards, mice, telephones, scanners, printers, and calculators.
• Occasionally stand, walk, bend, stoop, or reach to access filing cabinets, retrieve documents, or attend meetings.
• Lift, carry, push, or pull light objects and materials weighing up to 20-25 pounds (e.g., boxes of files, binders, or office supplies).
• Have sufficient vision (with or without correction) to read computer screens, printed documents, and small print; and sufficient hearing to communicate effectively by phone and in person.
• Work in a typical indoor office environment with moderate noise levels from office equipment, conversations, and occasional interruptions