Senior Accountant

Finance | Buffalo Office

Neighborhood Legal Services, Inc. (NLS) provides free civil legal services to low-income individuals, people with disabilities, and others facing barriers to justice throughout the counties it serves. NLS’s work includes legal advice, representation, and education across practice areas such as housing, public benefits, family, disability, and related civil legal matters. With more than $15 million in grant funding and a staff of more than 120 employees, NLS relies on strong financial stewardship to support high-quality advocacy, compliance, and community impact. The Senior Accountant will support the accounting and grants management teams through accurate grant reporting, budget monitoring, reconciliations, funder invoicing, and related accounting functions.

Summary of Responsibilities:

The Senior Accountant is responsible for assisting with pre-award and post-award budget development, monthly grant account reconciliations, budget forecasting and modifications, funder invoicing, responses to funder inquiries, and accounts payable functions as needed. This role requires strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to prioritize responsibilities while meeting multiple concurrent deadlines.

Essential Functions:

1. Using proprietary and funder templates, collate monthly, quarterly, and annual invoices for timely submission to funders and maintain backup documentation to support invoices based on funder and organizational requirements.
2. Review subrecipient invoices to ensure compliance with contract requirements for all grants.
3. Oversee accounts receivable activities, including invoices, grant reporting, and payments
4. Follow up with funders regarding payment discrepancies or unpaid invoices.
5. Prepare funder-requested billings, transactions, contract documents, and other reporting using online platforms and funder-specific forms.
6. Monitor and create grant budgets and modifications, develop budget projections for effective spend down of grant funds, and collaborate continuously with the accounting and grants management teams.
7. Verify that expenditures are consistently aligned with grant and program budgets throughout the funding period.
8. Perform month-end and quarter-end financial close responsibilities, including account reconciliations and analysis, ad hoc support and reporting, and assistance with drafting financial statements.
9. Maintain general ledger accounts, including preparation of monthly journal entries.
10. Prepare documentation for the annual audit, including work papers and responses to funder audit requests.
11. Take on additional accounting duties or ad hoc projects, including accounts payable responsibilities, as needed.

Core Competencies

• Superior organizational skills with the ability to prioritize responsibilities and meet concurrent deadlines.

• Strong analytical thinking and attention to detail when reviewing financial data, reconciliations, invoices, and reports.

• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with accounting, grants management, program staff, funders, and subrecipients.

• Clear written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to respond professionally to funder inquiries.

• Sound judgment, confidentiality, and accountability in managing financial information and organizational records.

Compensation and Benefits

Compensation

 Salary range is $70,000 to $75,000, commensurate with years of relevant experience.

Benefits

NLS offers a comprehensive benefits package, including health, dental, and vision insurance; generous paid time off; paid holidays; reduced summer hours; sick and personal leave; eligibility for Public Service Loan Forgiveness; life insurance; pension plan; HRA and Flexible Spending Accounts; paid memberships; and professional development opportunities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting required.
• Three or more years of accounting experience required.
• Knowledge of nonprofit tax-exempt accounting procedures and generally accepted accounting principles required.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and advanced Excel skills required.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and project management skills, with outstanding attention to detail.
• Good written and verbal interpersonal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and manage responsibilities with minimal supervision.

Working Conditions and Physical Requirements:

• Work on-site in an office environment, including working at a workstation and attending meetings and trainings.

• Use a computer and other office equipment such as telephones, photocopiers, and related business technology.

• Communicate regularly with internal staff, funders, auditors, and external partners by phone, email, virtual platforms, and in-person meetings.

• Occasional local travel may be required for meetings, trainings, or other business needs.

Disclaimer

This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities. Duties may change at any time with or without notice.

Acknowledgment

Employee __________________________________________ Date _______________

Equal Employment Opportunity

Neighborhood Legal Services provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.