Senior Accountant

We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced Senior Accountant to join our team!

If you are a dedicated and passionate professional seeking a rewarding career, we encourage you to apply for this exciting opportunity!

The Senior Accountant is a key member of the Valley Christian Schools accounting team, supporting all financial operations of the School. This position partners with the Financial Controller to manage the full accounting cycle, including accounts payable and receivable, budgeting, banking, monthly close, reconciliations, audits, financial reporting, and special projects. The Senior Accountant helps ensure compliance with GAAP, internal policies, and internal controls while preparing financial reports and reconciliations used for forecasting, cash flow management, compliance, and organizational decision-making. This role also supports efficient finance office operations and provides excellent service to parents, students, employees, school leadership, and the community.

Role and Responsibilities:

• Coordinates general ledger and accounting functions and systems, ensuring compliance with appropriate GAAP standards and regulatory requirements, while maintaining accurate financial accounts.
• Supports the Financial Controller as they prepare, analyze, and submit monthly, quarterly, and annual financial reports to the CEO, COO, Board of Directors, and others, as needed. This includes the balance sheet, income statement, cash flow statement, department reports, etc. 
• Helps coordinate the month-end closing process and ensures all balance sheet & other accounts are reconciled monthly in a timely manner.
• Regularly monitors actual spending vs. budgetary allotments, reporting on and analyzing both positive and negative variances to HOS, COO, and Financial Controller. 
• Suggests and implements internal controls to reduce the risk of errors, omissions, and fraud. 
• Assists with student tuition accounts, including verifying account data for billing accuracy, etc.
• Performs monthly bank reconciliations to the general ledger of all cash accounts. Researches any discrepancies and prepares necessary journal entries to correct the accounts.
• Reconciles the School’s fixed asset records (quarterly, annually, or as-needed) and prepares any year-end entries.
• Responsible for any task related to campus accounts payable, including organizing vendor invoices, PO’s, approvals, processing A/P payment runs & check approvals, supporting related banking processes. They will also respond to employees’ questions regarding credit card use and input, review, and pay invoices under the directive and approval of the Financial Controller, COO, & CEO/HOS. 
• Works with the Financial Controller & COO to produce the annual budget; works with all departments to inform the annual budgets and forecasts. 
• Conducts year-end closing process with the Financial Controller, including the annual external audit and 990 preparations, ensuring full compliance with all reporting requirements.
• Supports the School’s banking relationships and suggests needed strategies for improvement.
• Performs internal audits as directed by the Financial Controller or COO. 
• Produces ad hoc reports required by management for decision-making. 
• Coordinates the day-to-day activities of the accounting office under the direction of the Financial Controller, to ensure an orderly workflow, banking & cash deposit duties, and effective use of time, money, and staff resources.
• Consistently reports on and maintains adherence to the School’s financial KPIs.
• Supports Long-Term Financial Sustainability efforts as part of the School’s strategic plan. 
• Attends staff, departmental, and other meetings, as required.
• Adhere to Valley Christian policies, procedures/processes, and codes.
• Provides back-up coverage to the Financial Controller & Student Accounts Manager, as needed.
• Supports cross-training & documentation of SOP’s of all functions of the Finance office. 
• Performs other related duties and ad hoc projects, as assigned. 

Qualifications and Skills:

• Demonstrates a personal relationship with Jesus Christ that is a consistent testimony to others
• Agree to uphold Valley Christian’s Mission & Beliefs, which can be found at http://valleychristianaz.org/about/philosophy 
• Faithfully attend and financially support a local church whose beliefs are in agreement with our school’s Mission & Beliefs.
• Must have and maintain a valid Level One IVP fingerprint card
• Must have excellent interpersonal and customer service skills
• Ability to communicate effectively, both written and verbally
• Ability to exercise initiative and sound judgement, and to react with discretion under varying conditions
• Ability to multitask within the organization, without direct supervision when appropriate
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines with a customer-service mindset
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite or related software, with emphasis on Excel/spreadsheets. 

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in finance, accounting, or a related field. 
• 1+ year of job or internship experience in Finance/Accounting/Operations, with P&L experience
• Knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). 

Preferred Skills and Knowledge:

• Prior experience in an accounting or financial operations office. 
• Certified Public Accountant (CPA). 
• Experience in accounting software. 

Physical Requirements:

• Use a computer (visual and keyboarding) for long periods of time
• Able to remain in a stationary position (sitting or standing) 50% of the time 
• Occasionally lift up to 25 pounds
• At times requires stooping, bending, turning, pushing, pulling, reaching, and climbing stairs (2-story) 
• Use of hands, fingers, and arms to reach, grip, and maneuver objects
• Must be able to respond quickly to sounds (fire/security alarms)
• Work in a noisy and crowded school environment 
• Able to work a flexible schedule, including weekends and evenings, to support school events (only as needed)
• Frequent walking throughout the campus
• Must be able to travel in-state between campuses, to vendors, and to related events

Background Check Statement:

VCS conducts pre-employment screening for all positions, which includes a criminal background check, verification of work history, academic credentials, licenses, and certifications.

About Valley Christian Schools:

Valley Christian Schools offers students in Kindergarten through 12th Grade, big school opportunities in a small school environment. Established in 1982, VCS provides 1100+ students a distinctly Christian education with excellent academics, championship athletics, award-winning fine arts, and a supporting community that encourages spiritual growth and the success of our students in and out of the classroom across our two East Valley campuses. VCS has been consistently recognized as one of the top Christian high schools in the nation and one of the best K-12 Christian schools in the state, in large part due to our outstanding and committed faculty and staff. Through annual surveys, our team members have named VCS as a Top Workplace in Arizona in 2023 and 2024. 

PLEASE NOTE: Subject to the Constitution of the United States and all applicable state and federal laws, Valley Christian Schools does not discriminate against applicants or students based on race, color, or national or ethnic origin in its admissions or in the administration of its education policies, programs, or activities. In addition, subject to the Constitution of the United States and all applicable state and federal laws, Valley Christian Schools does not discriminate in its employment practices. Valley Christian Schools is a Christian education institution and, in compliance with Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, reserves the right to give preference in employment based upon religion. We desire to build an employee community of individuals who are currently living out their Christian faith and who agree with our Statement of Faith, beliefs, philosophy, and qualifications.