Accounting Specialist – Temp position

Position Summary

The Accounting Specialist plays a key role in maintaining the accuracy and integrity of the company's financial operations. This position is responsible for supporting daily accounting functions, including retail bakery sales reconciliation, accounts payable, franchise accounts receivable, payment processing, general ledger maintenance, and month-end close activities. Working closely with store operations, franchisees, vendors, and cross-functional departments, the Accounting Specialist ensures financial transactions are processed accurately, reconciliations are completed on schedule, and accounting records comply with company policies and generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP).

The ideal candidate is detail-oriented, analytical, and highly organized, with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, multi-location retail environment. This role offers the opportunity to contribute to the financial health of a growing organization while partnering with teams across the business to drive operational excellence and continuous process improvement.

Key Responsibilities

Retail Sales Reconciliation

• Reconcile daily retail bakery sales from point-of-sale systems to bank deposits, credit card settlements, third-party delivery platforms, gift cards, and other payment sources.
• Research and resolve discrepancies related to sales, deposits, refunds, chargebacks, discounts, and payment processing fees.

Accounts Payable

• Enter vendor invoices into the accounting system accurately and timely.
• Verify invoice coding, supporting documentation, approvals, purchase orders, and applicable tax treatment.
• Communicate with vendors and internal departments regarding invoice discrepancies, missing approvals, or payment status.
• Maintain organized electronic records of invoices and supporting documents.
• Assist with vendor statement reconciliations and resolution of outstanding items.

Payment Processing

• Prepare vendor payment batches, including checks, ACH, and wire payments, in accordance with approved payment schedules.
• Verify payment details, banking information, due dates, discounts, and supporting approvals.
• Assist with payment runs and ensure payments are recorded correctly in the accounting system.
• Research returned payments, duplicate payments, stale-dated checks, and other payment-related issues.

Franchise Accounts Receivable

• Issue invoices and account statements to franchisees for royalties, product purchases, marketing fees, shared services, and other charges.
• Monitor outstanding balances and follow up with franchisees regarding past-due amounts.
• Apply cash receipts and reconcile franchise customer accounts.
• Research billing or payment discrepancies and coordinate with internal departments and franchisees to resolve issues.
• Prepare accounts receivable aging reports and provide regular collection updates to management.

Month-End Closing

• Assist with monthly, quarterly closing activities.
• Prepare journal entries, account reconciliations, accruals, and supporting schedules.
• Ensure transactions are recorded in the correct accounting period and cost center.
• Assist with the reconciliation of sales, accounts payable, accounts receivable, cash, prepaid expenses, and other balance sheet accounts.

Financial Reporting and P&L Support

• Assist with the preparation of monthly profit and loss statements and management reports.
• Compile financial data from accounting systems and operational reports.
• Review account activity for completeness, accuracy, and unusual fluctuations.
• Coordinate with other accounting team members to ensure financial reporting deadlines are met.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field preferred.
• Two to five years of accounting experience, preferably in retail, restaurant, bakery, franchise, or multi-location operations.
• Experience with accounts payable, accounts receivable, bank or sales reconciliations, and month-end closing.
• Working knowledge of generally accepted accounting principles.
• Strong Microsoft Excel skills, including pivot tables, lookup formulas, and data reconciliation.
• Experience with ERP or accounting systems such as SAP, Oracle, NetSuite, or similar systems preferred.

This position requires general office work with light physical duty, work indoors and are protected from weather and/or contaminants, but not, necessarily, occasional temperature changes. The employee is regularly required to sit and often uses repetitive hand motions. The employee is frequently required to reach with hands and arms and may lift and/or move up to 10 pounds, with occasional standing and walking. Job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice.