Senior Accountant

Job Description

Job Description

Description:

K&L Wine Merchants is hiring an experienced Senior Accountant to play a key role in our finance organization.

This is not a purely transactional accounting role. The Senior Accountant will own meaningful areas of the general ledger, support the month-end and year-end close, manage core AP processes, strengthen controls, and help improve the quality, accuracy, and scalability of our accounting operations.
This role works closely with the Controller and senior finance leadership. The right candidate brings strong GAAP fundamentals, excellent reconciliation discipline, experience across multiple entities, and the judgment to identify issues, propose solutions, and drive them to resolution.

Key Responsibilities

General Ledger & Close

• Support the month-end and year-end close process across multiple entities.
• Prepare, review, and post journal entries, including accruals, prepaid amortization, intercompany transactions, and expense allocations.
• Perform and review balance sheet reconciliations with strong attention to accuracy and documentation.
• Help maintain the integrity of the general ledger, chart of accounts, and supporting schedules.
• Support monthly financial statements and management reporting for senior leadership.

Accounts Payable

• Own the AP cycle from invoice processing through payment execution.
• Manage vendor communication, statement reconciliations, credit applications, and related documentation.
• Review and execute payments across check, ACH, wire, and automated payment platforms.
• Ensure accurate GL coding, proper approvals, and audit-ready documentation.
• Support location and department coding, expense allocations, and budget variance analysis.
• Oversee monthly credit card reconciliations and expense report reviews.
• Manage annual 1099 preparation, filing, and vendor compliance.

Controls, Compliance & Reporting

• Identify process and control gaps and help implement practical improvements.
• Ensure compliance with GAAP and internal accounting policies.
• Maintain audit-ready workpapers and support requests from external auditors and tax advisors.
• Assist in the development and enforcement of accounting policies and procedures.

Systems & Process Improvement

• Serve as a power user of QuickBooks Desktop and AP automation tools such as Tipalti, Bill.com, Expensify, or similar platforms.
• Build and maintain Excel-based tools to improve reconciliations, reporting, and workflow efficiency.
• Support systems evaluation and implementation projects as the finance function scales.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with the Controller and finance leadership on budgeting, forecasting, and special projects.
• Serve as a resource and informal mentor to junior accounting staff.
• Work with operations, procurement, and other departments to resolve accounting issues and improve financial capture.

What We’re Looking For
The right person does not just close the books. They own them.
You have the experience to work independently on complex accounting matters, the communication skills to keep leadership informed, and the instincts to spot issues before they become errors. You take pride in clean financials, strong documentation, and practical process improvement.
This is a high-visibility role with direct exposure to finance leadership and a real opportunity to help shape the accounting function as the company continues to grow.

Preferred

• Experience in beverage alcohol, retail, distribution, or another inventory-heavy business.
• Familiarity with foreign currency accounting, including multi-currency invoicing, exchange rate application, and FX gain/loss recording.
• Experience supporting external audits and working directly with auditors or tax advisors.
• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
• CPA preferred but not required.

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary range: $110,000–$135,000, commensurate with experience.
• Performance-based bonus eligibility.
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• 401(k) plan.
• Paid time off.
• Hybrid schedule based in Northern California, with both in-office and remote work.

About K&L Wine Merchants
K&L Wine Merchants is a leading wine and spirits retailer with a long-standing reputation for deep product expertise, strong customer relationships, and operational excellence. We operate across retail, e-commerce, auctions, private client services, and storage, with a growing multi-channel business and a finance function that is scaling with it.

Requirements:

Qualifications Required

• 5–8 years of progressive accounting experience, including meaningful time in a senior or lead role.
• Strong QuickBooks Desktop experience, including general ledger management, multi-entity reporting, and advanced transaction workflows.
• Advanced Excel skills, including pivot tables, VLOOKUPs, INDEX/MATCH, and reconciliation tools.
• Strong understanding of GAAP, including accrual accounting, revenue recognition principles, and balance sheet management.
• Experience supporting or managing month-end close processes with limited oversight.
• Experience with AP automation platforms such as Tipalti, Bill.com, Expensify, or similar tools.
• Strong judgment and the ability to identify, escalate, and resolve issues independently.
• High attention to detail and the ability to manage recurring workflows alongside special projects.