Staff Accountant

Company Description

Uncommon Schools is a nonprofit network of high-performing, public charter schools providing an outstanding K-12 education in historically under-resourced communities. We have proudly built schools that reflect our student population, with more than 60% of our teachers and staff across our network identifying as a person of color. Uncommon currently manages 53 schools serving more than 20,000 students in five cities: Boston, Camden, New York City, Newark and Rochester. We are proud that Uncommon graduates persist in and graduate from college at five times the rate of their peers nationally. We achieve this by offering strong academic, co-curricular, and social-emotional learning that prepares students for success in college and beyond.

Job Description

The Staff Accountant position will support the Accounting Manager on all aspects of accounting functions including, but not limited to month end ledger close and reporting, supporting the accounts payable/receivable functions of schools or Home Office, preparing materials for the annual audit process and working closely with the Finance team. The Staff Accountant will work closely with the members of the team to ensure accurate recording of the financial operations of the organization and assist with team initiatives and projects as needed. Regular communication with school-based staff handling multiple school locations (for Home Office-communicate with HO departments).

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Manage accounting functions for the multiple schools within the Uncommon Schools organization
• Maintain financial record keeping and reporting systems
• Oversee receivables, payables, cash receipts, and cash disbursements transactions
• Ensure accurate recording of transactions in the general ledger and make adjusting entries as needed
• Produce accrual based accurate and timely monthly financial statements including balance sheets, profit/loss statements, and transaction reports
• Review donations and grants received and record applying non-profit accounting rules as needed
• Prepare and post journal entries including monthly and yearly closing entries
• Prepare monthly bank reconciliations and follow up on unusual items
• Perform monthly ledger closing and reconcile ledger accounts
• Prepare information and provide support to outside accountants for 990 filing
• Prepare accounting records and workpapers for annual audit
• Maintain fixed asset and associated depreciation schedules
• Maintain monthly rent and lease schedules and updated on an annual basis or as needed per contracted terms
• Maintain and enforce Uncommon’s fiscal policies and procedures and other internal guidelines
• Conduct research required for strategic team initiatives, special projects, and other special requests
• Perform various accounting, administrative and other related duties as assigned and required by the role

Qualifications

Required Skills & Abilities:

• In-depth understanding of accounting principles
• Strong ability to read, understand, and identify issues in financial statements
• Experience with accounting systems. (Work Day preferred)
• Experience working in a multi-site organization preferred
• Skilled in use of MS Excel
• Proficient in MS Office Suite
• Strong communication skills; written and verbal
• Focused, keen attention to detail and follow-through
• Strong organization, time management and work prioritization skills
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Ability to work well on a team and participate in team initiatives and projects
• Ability to work autonomously, as well as take direction as needed

Education Requirements:

• Undergraduate Degree in Accounting or related area

Experience Requirements:

• Minimum 2-3 years of accounting experience (non-profit organization a plus)
• Knowledge of non-profit accounting rules applicable to donations and grants received (a plus)
• Experience in K-12 public education preferred.

Additional information

Our people are what make us uncommon. It’s important to us that our compensation practices align with our values and enhance our ability to attract and retain talent. Our compensation philosophy is focused on equity and fairness, retaining our talented staff and valuing their expertise, and transparency and clarity.

Compensation for this position: The starting compensation for this role based in NYC is between $64,000 to $75,300 and generally, we expect that qualified candidates in this location will be made an offer between $64,000 and $67,800. The starting pay will depend on a variety of factors that may include but are not limited to experience, education, training, certification, and location. Because we value staff staying in their roles over time, we do not currently cap salary ranges.

Uncommon believes in the importance of being a diverse, equitable and inclusive organization that enables our students and staff to thrive. We are committed to building a talented team that reflects the diverse backgrounds and experiences of our students. At the same time, we work to ensure an inclusive community through creating a space for meaningful dialogue about issues of race and identity for our staff and students. As an equal opportunity employer, we hire without consideration to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status or disability.