Senior Accountant

JOB TITLE : Senior Accountant

EMPLOYER: Shelter Youth & Family Services

DEPARTMENT : Finance

REPORTS TO : Chief Financial Officer

ABOUT SHELTER YOUTH & FAMILY SERVICES

Shelter Youth & Family Services provides emergency housing, community-based services, and support for youth and families in crisis. Founded in 1975, we've grown into a leading voice for child welfare, human trafficking response, foster care innovation, and trauma-informed care in Illinois. With a current budget of $10M and ambitious plans to grow to $15M, our mission is to end the cycle of abuse and neglect by providing safe, healthy, and stable lives for children and families.

Shelter Youth & Family Services is committed to providing safe, inclusive, and supportive resources for youth and families from all backgrounds and identities. We actively strive to create an environment that supports all employees, placing value in contributions from people from diverse backgrounds, and honoring all experiences, perspectives, and unique identities. Our mission is to protect children, strengthen families, and transform communities. Joining us in this role will give you a chance to help fulfill that mission and help the community. Shelter and its facilities are drug and smoke-free environments.

Learn more at shelter-inc.org.

Shelter Youth and Family Services encourages the application of all bilingual applicants to work with our client community. Applicants who can successfully certify their skill level in reading, speaking, and writing in two languages with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services may receive an additional salary stipend. Certification testing is set by DCFS.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Senior Accountant is a key member of the Finance team responsible for accurate, timely day-to-day accounting operations and disciplined transaction processing across accounts payable, accounts receivable, foster-care payments, cash activity, and general ledger support. This role helps ensure core accounting workflows are completed consistently, documentation standards are followed, and financial information is reliable for internal and external reporting.

Working closely with the CFO and broader finance team, this position supports the month-end close calendar, journal entry standards, reconciliation review, billing and collections cadence, payment processing, and internal controls over high-volume financial activities. The Senior Accountant also contributes to 13-week cash forecasting, personnel allocation controls, Single Audit readiness, and budgeting and reforecasting processes in a multi-program nonprofit environment.

The ideal candidate is a strong accountant with nonprofit experience, sound judgment, attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple recurring workflows while maintaining strong internal controls. This person brings a proactive, service-oriented approach, communicates clearly across departments, and helps strengthen accounting discipline, compliance, and financial visibility in support of Shelter Youth & Family Services' mission.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Manage core accounts payable and accounts receivable operations, including AP/AR processing and foster-care payments administration, with timely and accurate transaction execution.
• Execute weekly workflows and transaction processing activities, ensuring completeness, accuracy, and adherence to established timelines and documentation standards.
• Support the month-end close calendar by preparing and posting journal entries in accordance with journal entry standards and maintaining organized supporting documentation.
• Prepare and review reconciliations for assigned balance sheet accounts, including bank and credit card reconciliations across four bank accounts and related cards, and resolve reconciling items promptly.
• Administer accounts payable workflows in BILL, including invoice coding, routing approvals, payment run preparation, and related recordkeeping.
• Execute accounts receivable and billing processes, monitor collections cadence, and prepare aging reports to support follow-up and cash collection efforts.
• Provide input to the 13-week cash forecast and support variance tracking by supplying timely cash activity data, trend observations, and follow-up on key variances.
• Process and monitor foster-care payment controls, including eligibility and support review, approval verification, exception log maintenance, and timely escalation of issues.
• Support Single Audit readiness by assisting with the PBC list, SEFA support, policy documentation, control walkthroughs, and audit request follow-up.
• Support personnel allocation controls through review of timesheets, distribution reports, and approvals to help ensure allocations align with funding and program requirements.
• Contribute to budgeting and reforecasting activities by preparing supporting schedules, maintaining underlying data, and assisting with variance analysis and updates.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, or a related field required; CPA or CPA-track preferred.
• 5+ years of progressive accounting experience required, preferably in a nonprofit, social service, healthcare, or multi-program environment.
• Strong experience with accounts payable, accounts receivable, billing, collections, journal entries, and month-end close support.
• Demonstrated experience preparing reconciliations, including bank and credit card accounts, and researching and resolving variances.
• Experience with accounting systems and AP workflow tools such as BILL, along with strong Excel skills and comfort managing recurring weekly and monthly workflows.
• Working knowledge of internal controls, audit support, and documentation standards; familiarity with Single Audit requirements and SEFA support preferred.
• Experience supporting cash forecasting, personnel allocation processes, budgeting, and reforecasting preferred.
• Excellent organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to manage multiple deadlines with accuracy and follow-through.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across finance, program, and leadership teams.
• High degree of integrity, discretion, and accountability in handling confidential financial and personnel-related information.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORKING CONDITIONS The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit; talk or hear; stand; walk; and use hands to handle or operate objects. The employee is occasionally required to climb or balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, lift, and reach with hands or arms. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision and the ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT Shelter is committed to providing safe, inclusive, and supportive resources for youth and families from all backgrounds and identities. We actively strive to create an environment that supports all employees, placing value in contributions from people from diverse backgrounds, and honoring all experiences, perspectives, and unique identities.

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Work is performed primarily in the agency facilities, and occasionally in vehicles, meeting rooms both in the facility and at other agency sites.

CLASSIFICATION STATUS This is a part-time, non exempt accounting position.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

Compensation: $50-$60 per hour

Schedule: Part time flexible and based on organizational needs and key close, reporting, and audit deadlines: 20 hours a week.

Shelter is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds and experiences, including individuals from historically underrepresented communities. We are committed to building a safe and inclusive workplace for all.