Staff Accountant

JOB TITLE: Staff Accountant

EMPLOYER: Shelter Youth & Family Services

DEPARTMENT: Finance

REPORTS TO: Fractional Controller/Fiscal Manager

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 & 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 Staff Accountant is a full-time member of the Finance team responsible for accurate, timely transaction processing across accounts payable, accounts receivable, foster-care payments, cash activity, and general ledger support. This is a hands-on processing role in a high-volume environment: the position enters and codes transactions, prepares reconciliations and supporting schedules for review, and produces recurring reports, while transaction approvals and payment release remain with senior finance staff and the CFO.

Working closely with the Fractional Controller/Fiscal Manager, the Director of Financial Operations, and the CFO, this position supports the month-end close calendar, accounts payable entry and coding in BILL, accounts receivable aging reporting and cash application, bank and credit card reconciliation preparation, and foster-care batch processing. The Staff Accountant has no payment-release rights; the role prepares work that senior staff review, approve, and release, maintaining clear separation of duties over high-volume financial activity.

The ideal candidate is a detail-oriented accountant who thrives on recurring high-volume workflows, cares about our mission, follows documentation standards closely, and communicates proactively across departments. This person brings a service-oriented, "no surprises" approach, meets close-calendar deadlines reliably, and helps strengthen accounting discipline, compliance, and financial visibility in support of Shelter Youth & Family Services' mission.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Enter and code accounts payable in BILL and QuickBooks, including high volumes of vendor bills and card/Divvy expense items (roughly 365 AP items per month), and route items for approval; the role does not release payments.
• Prepare the weekly foster-care payment batch from the program-approved register (child/placement ID, service period, rate, funding source, approver), maintain supporting documentation and the exception log, and submit the batch for two-step approval and release by authorized staff.
• Execute accounts receivable and billing support, apply cash receipts, and prepare the weekly A/R aging report (0-30 / 31-60 / 61-90 / 90+) to support collections follow-up and escalation.
• Prepare bank and credit card reconciliations for approximately seven to eight accounts (operating and restricted bank accounts, investment/money-market accounts, Divvy, gift cards, and the organization's credit card) for Controller review, and research and resolve reconciling items promptly.
• Support the month-end close calendar by preparing and posting routine and recurring journal entries in accordance with journal entry standards and assembling organized monthly support folders.
• Prepare the monthly foster-care reconciliation tying the payment register to AP detail and general ledger expense by funding source/program, and document variances for review.
• Provide timely cash activity data and inputs to the 13-week cash forecast and assist with variance follow-up.
• Support Single Audit readiness by assembling PBC documentation, maintaining SEFA support, and following up on audit requests under the direction of the Controller.
• Assist with personnel allocation controls by collecting timesheets, distribution reports, and approvals to help ensure allocations align with funding and program requirements.
• Cross-train on both the close/compliance and operations/cash workflows so routine processing is never single-threaded, and adhere to close-calendar deadlines, response-time standards, and the escalation ("no surprises") rule.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Associate's or Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, or a related field; equivalent bookkeeping/accounting experience considered in place of a degree.
• 3+ years of accounting or bookkeeping experience, including accounts payable and accounts receivable processing; nonprofit accounting experience required (multi-program environment preferred).
• Hands-on experience with QuickBooks and BILL required, including entering and coding transactions and managing AP workflow approvals, along with strong Excel skills and comfort managing recurring weekly and monthly workflows.
• Experience preparing bank and credit card reconciliations and researching reconciling items.
• Working understanding of internal controls and separation of duties, including the distinction between preparing transactions and approving or releasing payments.
• High degree of accuracy and attention to detail, with the ability to manage high transaction volume and multiple deadlines with consistent follow-through.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills and the ability to collaborate effectively with finance, program, and leadership teams.
• High degree of integrity, discretion, and accountability in handling confidential financial and personnel-related information.
• Familiarity with nonprofit fund accounting, Single Audit/SEFA support, or foster-care/grant-funded payment processing preferred.

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.

This position is primarily remote, with required onsite work at the agency facilities at least once per month and as needed for close, reporting, and audit deadlines or team meetings. Onsite work may also occasionally occur in vehicles and meeting rooms at agency facilities and other agency sites.

CLASSIFICATION STATUS

This is a full-time, exempt (salaried) accounting position.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

Compensation: $52,000-$58,000 per year, commensurate with experience.

Schedule: Full-time, 40 hours per week, with flexibility based on organizational needs and key close, reporting, and audit deadlines.

Onsite presence is required at least twice a week.

Benefits: Medical/dental/vision, retirement plan, PTO & paid holidays, EAP, and professional development

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.