Senior Staff Accountant

JOB TITLE: Senior Staff Accountant

DIVISION: Administration

REPORTS TO: Director of Finance

FLSA STATUS: Exempt

WORK HOURS: Varies

NATURE OF WORK: The Senior Staff Accountant performs advanced professional accounting work by applying accounting theory and principles to record, classify, examine, and analyze the underlying data and records of Valley's financial transactions, including complex program and grant accounting.

This position exercises a high degree of independent judgment and technical expertise, plays a lead role in the monthly close process, and provides oversight of the Accounting and Finance department's Staff Accountants and Accounting Assistants.

The Senior Staff Accountant plays a key role in allocating personnel and other costs across Valley's programs and funding sources, monitoring grant budgets, and maintaining the integrity of financial data used for funder reporting, audits, and compliance.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

• Provides day-to-day oversight of all Staff Accountants and Accounting Assistants, including assigning and reviewing work product, serving as the first point of escalation for accounting and grant compliance questions, and coordinating training and onboarding.
• Leads and reviews components of the monthly close process, including journal entries, account reconciliations, and supporting schedules prepared by other accounting staff.
• Prepares reconciliations of asset and liability accounts, including complex or higher-risk accounts, on a monthly basis to ensure validity and completeness.
• Prepares and obtains approval of monthly general ledger entries; prepares and posts standard, recurring, and non-standard entries, including accruals, adjustments, and closing entries.
• Maintains the agency's fixed asset schedule and prepares entries to reflect the addition, retirement, transfer, or sale of property or equipment.
• Maintains the agency's prepaid expense schedule and amortization schedules, and records necessary adjustments for all agency notes payable and other long-term obligations.
• Reviews and analyzes revenue and expense accounts on a monthly basis, identifying and preparing necessary allocations, reclassifications, or adjustments.
• Prepares and maintains personnel cost allocation schedules, allocating salaries, wages, and fringe benefits across programs, grants, and funding sources in accordance with Valley's cost allocation plan, approved indirect cost rate, and applicable funder time-and-effort documentation requirements.
• Prepares monthly and periodic grant reconciliations, comparing grant revenue and expenditures recorded in the general ledger to award budgets, grant agreements, and funder reporting requirements; researches and resolves discrepancies.
• Assists in the development, monitoring, and revision of grant and program budgets; tracks actual spending against approved budgets and communicates variances, projected over- or under-spending, and budget modification needs to the Director of Finance and program leadership.
• Prepares grant billings, drawdowns, and reimbursement requests to federal, state, local, and private funders, ensuring compliance with grant agreement terms and submission deadlines.
• Assists with preparation for and completion of the annual financial statement audit, single audit (Uniform Guidance), and program-specific or funder-required audits and monitoring reviews, including preparing schedules and responding to auditor and funder inquiries.
• Assists with preparation of internal and external financial reports, including funder-required financial reports, board reports, and program-level financial statements.
• Performs monthly cash application and records daily cash receipts for use in the bank reconciliation process.
• Prepares and uploads check runs to the banking online portal.
• Maintains accounts for clients for whom Valley serves as representative payee.
• Assists with audits and special requests and performs other reconciliations and account analyses as requested.
• Other duties as assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field, AND a minimum of four (4) years of progressively responsible accounting experience OR High School diploma or equivalent AND seven (7) years of applicable accounting experience.
• Working knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and internal controls over financial reporting.
• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Excel and accounting/ERP software.
• Ability to read, write, understand, and speak the English language.
• Ability to communicate effectively, verbally and in writing, with individuals across the organization and with departments of state and federal government and outside funders.
• Must demonstrate integrity and respect for confidentiality.
• Must possess outstanding organizational, critical thinking, and analytical skills, with the ability to prioritize and manage multiple concurrent deadlines.
• Ability to work independently with limited direct supervision, exercising sound professional judgment, while also providing guidance to other accounting staff.
• Current CPR certification or the ability to be trained.
• Ability to comply with Client's Rights.
• Ability to comply with Valley's and division/departmental safety procedures.