Accounting Specialist

Position Summary

The Accounting Specialist plays a key role in the Finance Department by performing day-to-day accounting functions including journal entries, bank reconciliations, grant accounting support, intercompany billing, account reconciliations, cost allocations, and maintaining accurate financial records to support organizational compliance and reporting requirements.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

General Accounting

• Prepares and posts routine and recurring general journal entries. 
• Supports month-end, quarter-end, and year-end closing processes. 
• Complete and maintains accurate bank reconciliations for multiple bank accounts. 
• Performs balance sheet account reconciliations and resolves discrepancies in a timely manner.
• Maintains detailed schedules and supporting documentation for assigned accounts.
• Assists with preparation of monthly financial statements and support schedules.
• Maintains organized, accurate, and accessible financial records for audit and compliance purposes.
• Maintains accurate contract, grant, and financial files.

Accounts Payable Support

• Assists with accounts payable processing, including invoice coding, expense allocations, check requests, vendor payments, employee expense reimbursements, and supporting documentation.
• Ensures expenditures are coded to the appropriate program, department, location, and funding source.
• Preform and/or assist with bank reconciliations and check clearing.
• Assists with maintaining vendor files, W-9 documentation, and payment records.
• Reconciles company and employee credit card statements and ensures expenditures are properly coded and supported.

Intercompany Accounting and Allocations

• Prepares and records intercompany billings and allocations to ensure accurate cost sharing across entities, programs, departments, and locations.
• Maintains detailed allocation schedules and supporting documentation.
• Tracks construction contracts and pass-thru funds account balances and reconciliations.
• Assists with monthly cost allocations and shared expense distributions.

Grant Accounting and Compliance

• Maintains grant-related financial spreadsheets, including revenue, expenses, match requirements, and funding utilization.
• Tracks restricted and unrestricted funding activity.
• Verifies that grant expenditures are properly coded and comply with funding source requirements.
• Assists with reimbursement requests and invoicing to funding agencies.
• Compiles supporting documentation for grantors monitoring reviews and site visits.
• Assists with grant reporting and financial compliance requirements.
• Maintains supporting schedules for federal, state, county, city, and private grants.

Audit and Financial Reporting Support

• Assists with year-end audit preparation, supporting schedules, and auditor requests.
• Assists with preparation of information required for Form 990 filings.
• Supports internal and external audits, monitoring reviews, and compliance examinations.
• Assists in maintaining effective internal controls and identifying process improvements.

Other Duties

• Performs special projects and other duties as assigned.
• Supports cross-functional Finance Department activities as needed.

REQUIREMENTS

• Three to five years of accounting or finance experience required.
• Nonprofit accounting experience required.
• Knowledge of fund accounting principles required.
• Knowledge of grant accounting and compliance requirements preferred.
• Experience with bank reconciliations, account reconciliations, and general ledger accounting required.
• Experience with Sage Intacct or similar ERP accounting software required.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Excel, including formulas, Pivot Tables, lookups, and financial reporting.
• Working knowledge of GAAP and internal control practices required.
• Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines.
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise professional judgment.

WORKING CONDITIONS & PHYSICAL WORK DEMANDS

• Sit and work at a computer station for extended periods of time.
• Stand and work at a computer station for extended periods of time.
• Stoop, kneel, bend at the waist, and reach on a daily basis.
• Lift and move up to 20 pounds occasionally.
• Regular and reliable attendance is required.
• Hours may occasionally exceed 40 hours per week to meet organizational deadlines.

ESSENTIAL JOB COMPETENCIES: 

Collaborative: Works harmoniously with others to get a job done; responds positively to instructions and procedures; able to work well with staff, co-workers, peers and managers; shares critical information with everyone involved in a project; works effectively on projects that cross functional lines; helps to set a tone of cooperation within the work group and across groups; coordinates own work with others; seeks opinions; values working relationships; when appropriate facilitates discussion before decision-making process is complete.

Confidentiality; maintains company (employee, finance, customer, etc) information confidential; work area is secure; distributes information only for legitimate business reasons and according to company and legal guidelines.

Detail Oriented: Is alert in a high-risk environment; follows detailed procedures and ensures accuracy in documentation and data; carefully monitors gauges, instruments or processes; concentrates on routine work details; organizes and maintains a system of records.

Flexibility: Remains open-minded and changes opinions based on new information; performs a wide variety of tasks and changes focus quickly as demands change; manages transitions from task to task effectively; adapts to varying customer needs.

Honesty; has honest, direct, and factual communication and actions with internal and external customers.

Full-time employees are offered medical, dental, vision and 403b options. The Society covers 90% of the cost for medical, vision, and HMO dental benefits

SVDPLA provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetics.

Society of St. Vincent de Paul will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring (Ban the Box) Ordinance