Senior Staff Accountant

About Proteus Fund

Proteus Fund connects philanthropy to the frontlines of social justice to advance, racial, gender, queer, and disability justice, and an inclusive, fully representative democracy. Our work identifies opportunities, gaps, and challenges facing movement organizations, especially at the state and local levels, and then mobilizes donor support and a range of non-grant tools to support these efforts. Our donor collaboratives are best-in-class models for bridging responsive philanthropy with cutting-edge social justice movements to create deep and long-lasting impact. Through fiscal sponsorship, Proteus Fund partners with emerging initiatives and innovative movement leaders — enabling them to focus on growing their substantive work and impact with the support of a trusted operational partner.

To date, Proteus Fund, and its affiliated 501c4 organization, Proteus Action League, have distributed over $300 million in grants and provided other essential tools to support activists, advocates, networks, coalitions, and issue-specific campaigns at the local, state, and national level. Proteus Fund has offices in New York City and the metro Boston area. Our staff is based across the entire United States.

Job Summary

The Staff Accountant, reporting to the Controller, is responsible for recording all aspects of accounts receivable, semi-monthly payroll and 401k plan activity.  This role is also responsible for recording and reporting donor advised fund (DAF) activity and supporting the Finance team in maintaining accurate and timely financial records and reporting.

Essential Functions

Payroll and 401k Transactions

• Perform monthly reconciliations of payroll items to the general ledger and prepare payroll related journal entries and work papers for the monthly and annual close, annual 401k plan audit, annual financial audit, and preparation of IRS Form 990
• Reconcile and record payroll related accounting activity, including 401(k) semi-monthly invoices, monthly pension accruals based on organization’s employee benefits, and salary and benefits accounts in the general ledger to ensure accuracy of financial reporting
• Partner with the People & Culture team to resolve payroll discrepancies and 401k plan discrepancies
• Prepare and maintain accurate records and reports of payroll transactions  
• Perform internal audits on both payroll and 401k plan, as needed
• Support the 401k plan audit process, including direct communication with auditors, coordinating documentation with Third-Party providers, People & Culture, the Controller, the CFO, and gathering payroll-related audit materials
• Prepare Finance reports for People & Culture and/or management for reimbursements related to specific employee earnings and benefits

General Accounting

• Record accounts receivable and cash receipts in the accounting system and partner with Donor Services to accurately track and allocate revenue. Identify and create adjusting journal entries, as needed
• Generate and analyze financial reports, such as monthly and quarterly DAF reports, and act as backup to generate program reports and funder reports, as needed
• Assist with monthly and annual closings, including the creation and analysis of expense allocations, journal entries, and reconciliations of trial balance accounts
• Support the annual audit, tax, and budget processes
• Conduct and collaborate on analyses and special projects, as needed
• Maintain compliance with all applicable regulations and Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)
• Manage Account Receivable email activity, requests, and inquiries

Finance Systems Management

• Support the maintenance and administration of finance systems, including SAP Concur, the accounting system, and related integrations

Competencies

Content Knowledge Expertise in Areas of Functional Oversight: Fluency in key areas of oversight; Ability to ask relevant lines of questioning to functional experts when personal content knowledge areas of expertise are not directly aligned

Data Integrity, Accuracy, and Attention to Detail: Maintains a high degree of accuracy and detail orientation when working with data/ keeping data clean and up-to-date, data/ knowledge management, record keeping, etc

Personal Operations: Organization, Task Management, and Prioritization: Strategic management of daily tasks and related deliverables within a portfolio of work. Prioritizes support to actively mitigate risk and minimize bottlenecks when possible, keeping in mind the needs of other collaborators

Philosophical Alignment: Demonstrates strong commitment to the mission and values of Proteus Fund as a progressive, social justice organization, including a deep investment in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB)

Problem Solving: Analyzes challenges, engages stakeholders, and develops practical, goal aligned solutions using sound judgment and a solution-oriented approach

Systems and Process Administration: Ability to learn, navigate, and support multiple operational systems and platforms across finance functions. Supports system maintenance, troubleshooting, workflow updates, and process improvements with adaptability and consistency

Written, Verbal, and Interpersonal Communication: Communicates with clarity, cultural fluency, and integrity across sensitive or complex topics. Balances transparency, care, and discretion in all people-facing work

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience with 5 to 7 years of general accounting experience
• Solid understanding of accounting fundamentals, payroll practices, and nonprofit accounting principles, including GAAP
• Experience with accounting and payroll systems; CheckWriters experience preferred
• Experience supporting nonprofit financial reporting, compliance, and day-to-day accounting operations
• Proficiency with accounting and finance software systems, with intermediate to advanced Excel skills, including VLOOKUPs, pivot tables, and related functions
• Ability to work and adapt in a fast-paced environment and work efficiently in a virtual setting
• Ability to work collaboratively with individuals and teams that are diverse through building inclusion and belonging

 Position Type & Schedule/Hours:

This is a full-time position requiring a minimum of 40 hours per week. Business hours are Monday through Friday between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm in the time zone where the candidate is located. Additional hours are occasionally required.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

This position has no supervisory responsibilities.

Travel:

This position requires 2-3 overnight trips per year for internal meetings and retreats as well as conferences and other events.

Work Environment:

REMOTE: This position works indoors and routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers and phones. Most of the work will be performed remotely, which requires a dedicated work space.

Physical Requirements:

This position is largely sedentary, with prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer; however, some movement may be required depending on the specific job duties. This position requires the ability to: operate a computer daily, as well as other home- or in-office devices such as a copier or printer as needed; communicate effectively with coworkers and external parties, including - for example - via email, phone, and/or video conferencing; and, occasionally, lift up to 25 lbs. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.

Other Duties:

This 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.

Equity at Proteus: Proteus Fund believes that one of the greatest strengths of an organization is the rich diversity of its staff and board and is committed to providing equal employment and promotional opportunities based upon individual capabilities and qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, sexual orientation/affectional preference, age, national origin, ethnicity, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status or any other protected characteristic as established under the law. Proteus Fund’s policies and practices are to reflect Proteus Fund’s commitment to nondiscrimination in all areas of employment. 

Accessibility: Proteus Fund is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, Proteus will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact Human Resources at jobs@proteusfund.org.