Accountant I

About the California Academy of Sciences

Founded in 1853, the California Academy of Sciences is a globally renowned, AZA-accredited non-profit scientific and cultural institution located in the heart of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. Home to a world-class planetarium, aquarium, rainforest, research institute, and natural history museum—all under one living roof—our mission is to regenerate the natural world through science, learning, and collaboration.

Our living collection reflects Earth’s vast biodiversity, consisting of nearly 60,000 animals representing over 800 species. Our research collections are the largest west of the Mississippi, spanning nearly 46 million plants, animals, fossils, and cultural artifacts from across the globe and throughout history. Our diverse team includes leading biodiversity scientists, educators, storytellers, designers, and communicators who are passionate about advancing knowledge and catalyzing action through science and storytelling.

Whether you're conducting research behind the scenes or engaging the public on the museum floor, your work will help connect people to the natural world and empower them to protect it.

About the Opportunity

The Associate Accountant is a key member of the Accounting team. This position participates in various areas of the accounting process in accordance with U.S. GAAP, including cash management, fixed assets, prepaid expenses, expense accruals, month-end close, account reconciliations, and financial statement reporting. The Associate Accountant also develops working relationships and serves as the first point of contact for business partners, collaborating closely with other teams, such as Advancement, Sales, FP&A, Financial and Operational Accounting, and our external auditors and tax team.

Organizational Culture

When you join the California Academy of Sciences, you become part of a mission-driven community that values curiosity, collaboration, and innovation, and celebrates its accomplishments together. Staff share a commitment to executing a new strategic plan that will strengthen the organization's financial foundations, cultivate a vibrant internal culture, and foster smart growth to secure the Academy’s future.

We hope you are inspired by what we do and are motivated to contribute to our mission. The Academy is looking for candidates who do great work, and we know they may come from a number of different backgrounds and experiences. We encourage you to apply even if you do not believe you meet every qualification for the position.

This position is based in San Francisco, California. The specific onsite/hybrid schedule for this position is listed below.

This position is part of a bargaining unit represented by Cal Academy Workers United, and will be subject to the terms and conditions of that contract.

Key Responsibilities

• Record cash activity and reconcile bank accounts to the general ledger, including researching timing differences, resolving discrepancies, and maintaining audit-ready support for cash balances and reconciling items.
• Support fixed asset accounting activities, including asset additions, cost adjustments, depreciation review, CIP tracking, and capitalization support.
• Assist with project accounting activities, including reviewing project costs, project-related financial activity, and supporting documentation for capital and reimbursable projects.
• Contribute to process improvement efforts by documenting current-state workflows, identifying control gaps, and recommending improvements to accounting procedures and system processes.
• Participate in period-end close procedures, by preparing routine to moderately complex general ledger journal entries, supporting workpapers, and thorough audit-ready documentation.
• Prepare account reconciliations to validate ending balances and account activity, ensuring reconciling items are identified and resolved in a timely manner.
• Review period-end financial results and prepare variance analysis for assigned financial statement line items, including comparisons to budget, prior year, prior quarter, and year-end balances. Prepare schedules and reports for the annual financial statement audit and tax Form 990. All schedules must be thoroughly documented and audit ready.
• Develop working relationships with accounting team members, finance colleagues, and business partners. Serve as the first point of contact for business partners regarding accounting questions, account activity, supporting documentation, and related follow-up.
• Participate in documenting internal control process narratives using the COSO-13 framework as the basis for design and evaluation.
• Support accounting, financial analysis, special projects, and ad-hoc research as needed.
• Perform other job-related duties as assigned.

Qualifications: A successful candidate will have the following:

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
• 0-2 years of relevant accounting experience and/or coursework in public accounting/auditing, corporate accounting, non-profit accounting, or a combination thereof.
• Working toward CPA eligibility or interest in obtaining certification is a plus.
• Basic knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).
• Proficiency with Google Workspace and Microsoft Excel, including maintaining spreadsheets and using intermediate to advanced formulas.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to accuracy in all work.
• Effective time management skills, with the ability to proactively manage workload and meet deadlines.
• Solid organizational skills, including the ability to track, prioritize, and follow through on multiple tasks.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills, , including the ability to ask thoughtful questions, explain issues, and share information effectively.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a team environment.
• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills, including the ability to use available resources to determine the best course of action for non-standard transactions.
• Ability to adapt quickly to new systems, processes, and technology.
• Demonstrated initiative, curiosity, and willingness to learn.

Physical Environment: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential job duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.

Compensation and Benefits: The hourly range for this position is $35.78- $37.23. Actual compensation will be commensurate with the final candidate's qualifications and experience, including skills, knowledge, relevant education, certifications and aligned with the internal peer group. We believe in fair and equitable compensation practices and are committed to providing competitive salaries within the industry and market standards. The Academy offers a total compensation package that emphasizes both base salary and comprehensive benefits based on the hours per week worked. Further details regarding compensation and benefits will be discussed during the interview process.

Schedule : Full-Time/Hybrid Wednesday & Thursday onsite, 40 hours per week

How to Apply: Interested candidates should submit a resume and application through our Careers Page portal.

The California Academy of Sciences will give full consideration for employment to all qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance (SF Police Code, Article 49).