Operations Accountant, Principal

Amentum is a global leader in advanced engineering and innovative technology solutions, trusted by the United States and its allies to address their most significant and complex challenges in science, security and sustainability. Headquartered in Virginia, we have more than 53,000 employees in approximately 80 countries across all 7 continents. The Operations Accountant, Principal is responsible for the financial administration, accounting, and reporting of assigned government contracts and projects. This position serves as a key financial partner to Project/Program Managers, Contracts, Billing, Finance, and Accounting teams, ensuring that contract financial activity is accurately recorded, monitored, reconciled, and reported in accordance with company policies, Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), and applicable government contracting requirements.  The Operations Accountant, Principal will monitor project financial performance, analyze actual costs against budgets and contract funding, support contract billing and revenue processes, and identify financial risks or discrepancies that could affect contract profitability, funding, or compliance.  This position is US Remote telework and US citizenship is required. Candidates must live within driving distance to our offices in Northern Virginia or Dallas-Fort Worth, TX . Key Responsibilities   Oversee the end-to-end financial administration and fiscal health of a complex, high-revenue portfolio of government contracts, ensuring absolute alignment with corporate strategic objectives. Monitor contract costs, funding, revenue, commitments, and expenditures against approved budgets and contract ceilings.  Review labor, subcontract, material, travel, and other direct costs for accuracy, proper project charging, and allowability.  Monitor contract funding and notify management of funding requirements, potential overruns, or approaching contract ceilings.  Oversee multi-faceted government billing structures—including Cost-Plus (CPFR/CPFF), Time & Materials (T&M), and Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) —guaranteeing flawless execution and optimized cash flow. Review billing transactions and supporting documentation for accuracy and compliance with contract requirements.  Prepare invoice packages and cross-functional documentation, ensuring seamless compliance and data integrity within iRAPT/WAWF and agency-specific portals. Reconcile project and contract balances between the accounting system, billing system, project subledgers, and the general ledger.  Review unbilled receivables, accounts receivable, deferred revenue, and other contract-related balance sheet accounts.  Support month and year-end close activities related to assigned contracts.  Partner with cross-functional teams to conduct deep-dive root-cause analyses of billing and project-cost discrepancies, strengthening internal controls and data integrity. Support contract modifications, funding changes, option years, task orders, and other contract actions from a financial perspective.  Assist with revenue recognition and contract accounting in accordance with company policies and applicable accounting standards.  Provide financial analysis and data to support contract reviews, internal management reviews, and customer audits.  Maintain accurate project and contract financial records and supporting documentation.  Assist with internal, external, DCAA, DCMA, and other government audits as required.  Enforce rigid compliance frameworks governing all project expenditures, labor distributions, and direct/indirect cost allocations in strict accordance with FAR, DFARS, and CAS. Provide continuous process improvement initiatives that modernize billing workflows, enhance data visibility, and maximize overall operational efficiency. Project setup and maintenance in the Projects Module of Deltek Costpoint; ensuring accurate setup in concert with published guidance and procedures. Ensure projects are created and maintained in compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) controls, company policies, and outlined procedures. Perform ad hoc financial analysis and reporting as requested by Finance, Accounting, Contracts, or Program Management.  Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Strong understanding of general accounting principles and financial reporting.  Advanced Excel skills, including PivotTables, lookups, formulas, and financial analysis.  Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.  Ability to analyze large volumes of financial and project data and identify discrepancies.  Strong attention to detail and ability to meet recurring monthly reporting and billing deadlines.  Ability to work effectively with Finance, Contracts, Billing, Program Management, and Operations.  Strong communication skills, with the ability to communicate cross-functionally. Knowledge of diverse contract structures and skill in executing accurate client billing operations to ensure timely, compliant, and milestone-based invoicing. Knowledge of cost accounting principles with ability to formulate accurate project budgets and forecasts. Ability to evaluate project accounting workflows and skill in implementing process enhancements or automated tools to reduce manual errors and maximize efficiency. Data-driven and continuous learning mindset  — Candidates should demonstrate curiosity, adaptability, and the ability to learn new technologies quickly, including leveraging AI to automate repetitive tasks, synthesize information, improve communication, and accelerate problem solving while maintaining human judgment and accountability. Ability to evaluate and apply emerging technologies  — Candidates should be comfortable assessing new AI-enabled tools and processes, identifying practical use cases, validating outputs, understanding limitations/risk, and incorporating AI responsibly into day-to-day work. Demonstrated AI fluency and workflow integration  — Candidates should have experience using AI too