Senior Accountant

Reports to – Controller

Position Summary – The Senior Accountant is a key member of the Finance & Accounting team, working under the direct supervision of the Controller. This position is responsible for the day-to-day accounting operations across multiple affiliated entities, including monthly reconciliations, financial statement preparation support, construction-in-progress (CIP) accounting, payroll processing, and property budget assistance. The Senior Accountant is expected to operate with a high degree of independence, accuracy, and professional judgment in a compliance-sensitive environment subject to HUD regulations, Uniform Guidance (2 CFR Part 200), and GAAP.

Qualifications

Education, Experience & Training -

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting required.
• Minimum of 3–5 years of progressively responsible accounting experience; nonprofit, affordable housing, or government-funded environment preferred.
• Experience with multi-entity general ledger environments required.
• Payroll processing experience required.
• Familiarity with HUD/Section 8 subsidy & Low-Income Tax Credits compliance strongly preferred.
• Uniform Guidance, or Single Audit Act requirements strongly preferred.
• Experience with property management accounting software preferred (RealPage Accounting Suite experience a plus).
• CPA candidate or CPA preferred but not required.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities –

• Strong command of GAAP; understanding of fund accounting principles a plus.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, reconciliation models); general proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.
• High attention to detail with the ability to identify discrepancies and resolve them independently.
• Demonstrated ability to manage competing deadlines across multiple entities.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to document accounting activity clearly for audit purposes.
• Commitment to confidentiality of financial, payroll, and personnel data.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively as part of a small, strong, high-accountability team.

Job Responsibilities – those responsibilities italicized below are considered essential functions.

Bank & General Ledger Reconciliations*

• Performs monthly reconciliation of all bank accounts across all affiliated entities, ensuring agreement to the general ledger and resolving discrepancies on a timely basis.
• Maintains and reconciles intercompany due-to/due-from balances across entities on a monthly basis; escalates unresolved variances to the Controller.
• Performs balance sheet account reconciliations as part of monthly close, including prepaid expenses, accrued liabilities, and other accounts as assigned.
• Documents reconciliation workpapers in a clear, audit-ready format consistent with Single Audit and HUD requirements.

 Financial Statement Preparation Support*

• Assists the Controller in the preparation of monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements, including balance sheets, income statements, and cash flow reports across all entities.
• Prepares supporting schedules and workpapers required for financial statement close and external audit.
• Assists in preparation of financial reports in HUD-required format as directed.
• Supports the Controller in responding to auditor inquiries and preparing audit schedules during the annual Single Audit and entity-level audits.
• Assists with preparation of 990, 5500, and other regulatory filings as needed.

Construction-in-Progress (CIP) Accounting*

• Maintains and reconciles CIP schedules for active capital projects, including the Colony I & II rebuild project and any other ongoing construction activity.
• Tracks project costs by contract, change order, and cost category; ensures proper capitalization versus expense treatment in accordance with GAAP.
• Coordinates with project management and the Controller to ensure draw requests, retainages, and contractor payments are accurately recorded.
• Prepares CIP-to-fixed-asset transfer entries upon project completion and updates depreciation schedules accordingly.
• Maintains supporting documentation for CIP activity in a format suitable for HUD review and external audit.

Month-End & Year-End Close*

• Executes month-end and year-end close procedures in accordance with the Controller’s close calendar, including journal entry preparation, accruals, and reclassifications.
• Maintains fixed asset and depreciation schedules across all entities; records monthly depreciation entries.
• Reviews transaction coding for accuracy and compliance with allocation methodologies and entity-level cost assignments.
• Prepares and maintains clear audit trails for all recurring and adjusting journal entries.

 Payroll Processing & Reporting*

• Processes weekly payroll for all Colony entities in a timely and accurate manner, including data entry, timecard review, deductions, and garnishments.
• Ensures payroll is coded accurately across entities and cost centers; prepares and posts payroll journal entries to the GL.
• Coordinates with payroll software partner for monthly, quarterly and annual filings.
• Assists in year-end W-2 preparation and filing.
• Maintains employee payroll records and ensures timekeeping data is reconciled to payroll registers each cycle.
• Coordinates with Controller on benefit deductions, new hire setup, terminations, and changes to payroll elections.

Property Budget Assistance

• Assists the Controller in the preparation of annual property-level operating budgets, including pulling prior-year actuals, identifying trends, and building supporting schedules.
• Monitors budget-to-actual performance on an ongoing basis and prepares variance analyses for Controller review.
• Assists in preparation of HUD rent increase requests, renewals, and Reserve for Replacement (R&R) submissions as directed.
• Supports the Controller in developing capital expenditure projections and related reporting for the Board and Executive Director.

General & Other Duties

• Maintains confidentiality of all financial, payroll, and personnel data at all times.
• Stays current on changes to GAAP, HUD regulations, Uniform Guidance, and payroll tax requirements as they pertain to the organization.
• Proactively identifies process inefficiencies or control gaps and brings recommendations to the Controller.
• Other duties as assigned by the Controller.

Work Conditions/Physical Demands –

• Position may be salaried or hourly depending on compensation and FLSA classification; occasional overtime required during close, audit, and payroll tax filing periods. Estimated 37.5 hours a week.
• Work is primarily performed in an office setting; standard business hours with flexibility as operational needs demand.
• Largely sedentary; requires prolonged periods of computer use, concentration, and attention to detail.
• Requires the ability to operate standard office equipment (computer, copier, scanner, etc.).
• Occasional lifting of office materials up to 20 pounds.
• Must be able to maintain focus and accuracy in a shared office environment with periodic interruptions.
• Must interact professionally and tactfully with internal staff, auditors, HUD representatives, and external vendors.

*As required by the ADA, reasonable accommodations can be made to the position to enable a person with disabilities to perform some of the essential functions.

It has been shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. We are dedicated to building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace so if you are excited about this position, but don't meet all the qualifications, we encourage you to apply anyway as you may have transferable skills.Additionally, while our positions may not require fluency in other languages or familiarity with other cultures, we will consider these skills a plus due to the diversity of residents living at our site