Finance Staff Accountant
Job Description
Chalkbeat, the growing nonprofit news organization covering public education in America, is seeking a staff accountant to assist with Chalkbeat’s day-to-day financial operations in accordance with standard accounting procedures. The staff accountant will support ongoing grants administration in a nonprofit environment, in addition to general accounting responsibilities. The staff accountant reports directly to Chalkbeat’s director of finance.
Key responsibilities for this role include:
- Coordinate grant tracking activities, including tracking spending against grant awards and preparing grant reports
- Process accounting transactions in accordance with GAAP and Chalkbeat accounting policies and procedures
- Assist with general accounting functions such as setting up new vendors, depositing cash receipts and setting up new grants
- Maintain electronic filing system for accounting backup documentation
- Maintain financial tracking systems
- Act as the expert expense reporting system superuser and train staff on how to report expenses incurred on behalf of Chalkbeat
- Prepare and record standard and ad hoc journal entries using Intacct
- Reconcile balance sheet accounts
- Prepare monthly financial statement variance analysis
- Prepare quarterly financial summaries for team leads
- Track in-kind donations and pro bono services and record value in Intacct
- Coordinate annual audit process and tax preparation
- Coordinate annual budget construction and related ad hoc analysis
- Assist team leads in understanding their budgets and actual spending
- Coordinate updates to finance policies and procedures documentation and the team desk guide
- Backup junior staff accountant functions as needed
What background and skills do you have? (We know not all strong candidates will have all the skills we list. That’s OK. What else do you bring to the table? Please tell us!):
- Bachelor’s degree in accounting
- Three to five years of accounting experience required
- Non-profit accounting experience preferred; ideally experience at an organization with multiple sites or cost centers
- Knowledge of Intacct (a plus) or other accounting software (a must)
- Demonstrated proficiency in Microsoft Excel
- Demonstrated knowledge of financial reporting and audit support
- Superior attention to detail, with excellent analytical skills
- Ability to follow policies and procedures
- Interpersonal skills for building relationships with key internal and external stakeholders
- Comfort working in a virtual environment, commitment to maintaining efficient, effective systems for a growing organization, and a view of finance as a positive support to our mission, not a bureaucratic obstacle to serving the needs of our team.
Bonus points if you’ve got:
- Master’s degree and/or CPA license
- Prior supervisory experience a plus
- Passion for our mission a plus
The position will be based at our New York office, conveniently located near Penn Station.
This is a full-time position with benefits. Chalkbeat offers a competitive salary, commensurate with experience, and a generous benefits package, including a paid winter recess from December 25 – January 1.
About Chalkbeat:
Chalkbeat is the nonprofit news organization committed to covering one of America’s most important stories: the effort to improve schools for all children, especially those who have historically lacked access to a quality education. We are mission-driven journalists who believe that an independent local press is vital to ensuring that education improves. Currently in seven locations and growing, we seek to provide deep local coverage of education policy and practice that informs decisions and actions, leading to better schools. Read more about our mission and values.
