Arabella Advisors
Chicago, IL
Senior Accountant, Managed Organizations
Looking for some excitement in your work? Join us and help one of the fastest growing nonprofit organizations with its accounting operations and financial controls. We are looking for an organized self-starter to support the full-cycle accounting procedures for several nonprofit projects that the firm manages. The work is rewarding and requires a strong understanding of nonprofit accounting practices. You will work closely with our clients, or the external individuals that run the fiscally sponsored projects, to provide accurate accounting and reporting. The right candidate has strong client service skills and is able to work well in a fast-paced environment.
About Arabella Advisors
Arabella Advisors helps foundations, philanthropists, and investors who are serious about impact achieve the greatest good with their resources. We help our clients imagine what’s possible, design the best strategies, learn what works best, and do the work necessary to realize their visions.
Our staff is a team of passionate problem-solvers—mission-driven and action-oriented—with a unique combination of experience in philanthropy, business, nonprofits, government, finance, law, and other fields. We combine creative, strategic thinking with knowledge and networks developed through decades of hands-on experience.
The fastest-growing philanthropic advisory firm in the nation, Arabella is also a certified B Corporation. Our leadership team, advisors, colleagues, and staff are fundamentally concerned with social change. We share a desire to make a difference and apply an outcomes-focused approach. Our internal culture supports employee passions, enables continuous learning, and fosters innovation, risk taking, and fun—even as it emphasizes excellence.
About the Managed Nonprofit Organizations
This position supports the work of our Managed Organizations team.
Arabella Advisors provides operations and management support to multiple public charities, including the New Venture Fund, the Windward Fund, and the Hopewell Fund—all 501(c)(3) public charities—and the Sixteen Thirty Fund, a 501(c)(4).These managed organizations house new and innovative public interest projects and nonprofits, as well as coordinate collaborative initiatives between donors and administer grants programs. This type of structure is commonly referred to as fiscal sponsorship, and candidates are highly encouraged to research fiscal sponsorship prior to a first interview. The managed organizations provide support to a diverse range of projects, including many focused on conservation and global health. The organizations have also provided fiscal sponsorship to projects focused on voter registration, public policy, education, disaster recovery, and music and the arts.
Essential Responsibilities
Reporting
- Produce monthly managed nonprofit entity specific financial reports for the leadership team
- Perform or oversee routine GL account reconciliations as part of monthly closing procedures for all assigned managed organization programs and projects
- Provide analysis and client facing support to account team on complex reporting or technical accounting issues.
- Produce relevant team metrics on a regular basis; examine trends and identify accounts that deserve attention to enhance quality control
- Work closely with client services team to ensure client service standards are met
General Accounting
- Review and approve for payment all supporting documentation as part of the accounts payable cycle
- Review and approve accounting transactions and journal entries prepared by the accounting associates and staff accountants
- Oversee the work of accounting associates and staff accountants to ensure compliance with established processes and controls
- Support the accounting manager in timely, accurate monthly closing of the books and records
- Prepare relevant schedules to support financial audits and preparation of Form 990 and other tax/regulatory returns
- Work with the team to be highly responsive to internal and external client needs.
- Provide recommendations to utilize technology to gain operational efficiencies
- As part of a project management team, support review of processes to drive efficiency and quality control
Team Learning, Performance Management, and Communications
- Encourage and lead team learning activities, and proactively participate in learning activities
- Focus development on technical skills necessary to provide high quality service to a diverse portfolio of clients
- Provide technical accounting assistance to the team
- Manages parts or whole team objectives
- Influence and motivate others to reach their project goals
- Supports the development and mentorship of junior staff
- Analyze, synthesize, and communicate information to various audiences
- Authors various communications for stakeholders
- Presents financial data directly to stakeholders
Essential Knowledge, Skills and Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in accounting
- Four or more years of relevant professional experience maintaining books with non-profit organizations
- Proficiency with accounting software, report design, and Excel Experience with full-cycle GL, AP & AR accounting processes
- Strong attention to detail and accuracy
- Solid analytical and problem-solving skills
- Ability to manage and meet deadlines for multiple projects simultaneously
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex financial matters to non-financial personnel
- Ability to work within multi-functional teams
Other Highly Preferred Skills and Experience
- Experience in philanthropy, nonprofit management or consulting
- Certified Public Accountancy (CPA)
- Experience with Microsoft Dynamics
- Experience managing federal grants/contracts
- Experience with lobbying rules and regulations
- Experience supervising staff
A Career with Arabella Advisors
We are committed to having a passion-driven, inclusive, fun, transparent, collaborative, and healthy culture. We invite you to visit our careers website to learn more about our people, culture, and work. However, we thought you should know that Arabella is committed to providing excellent benefits to our employees. For you and your eligible dependents, we provide a competitive package that includes health, vision, dental, and prescription insurance. We also provide you disability coverage; life insurance; personal and volunteer leave time; a 401K match that you are eligible to receive when you start; funds for professional development; and a fitness benefit.
We also are committed to building a firm that is diverse and inclusive. We invite our clients and employees to be fully themselves. By integrating diversity, equity, and inclusion into our work, we benefit from increased knowledge, creativity, flexibility, and organizational and individual growth. We expect all Arabella staff to share this commitment.
Directions
Candidates must submit a resume and one-page cover letter to be considered for the position. The cover letter must address your experience in nonprofit accounting. We will disregard candidates that do not submit the appropriate materials.
While Arabella is open to individuals from various locations applying to join our team, please note that we generally are unable to pay for relocation expenses.
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