Senior Accountant (Washington)

Position Summary

The Senior Accountant supports the firm's day-to-day accounting operations and month-end close, with responsibility for general ledger activity, reconciliations, and financial reporting. This role works closely with the Controller and billing team and requires strong attention to detail in a deadline-driven professional services environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the month-end and year-end close, including journal entries, accruals, and account analysis
• Prepare and reconcile general ledger accounts; research and resolve variances
• Reconcile operating, trust/IOLTA, and escrow accounts in compliance with bar association requirements
• Prepare monthly financial statements and management reporting packages
• Support the billing cycle: WIP and unbilled time review, client cost postings, A/R analysis, and collections reporting
• Track and record firm expenses, prepaids, fixed assets, and depreciation
• Assist with cash management, daily cash positioning, and bank activity review
• Support partner compensation, distributions, and capital account schedules
• Prepare workpapers and schedules for external auditors and tax preparers
• Assist with budgeting, forecasting, and variance analysis
• Identify and implement process improvements in accounting workflows and controls

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance
• 3+ years of progressive accounting experience
• Preferred background: law firm, professional services, or financial services industry
• Working knowledge of trust accounting rules and cash- vs. accrual-basis reporting
• Experience with law firm or professional services systems (Elite 3E, Aderant, ProLaw, Juris, Centerbase, or similar) strongly preferred
• Advanced Excel skills (pivot tables, lookups, large data sets)
• CPA or CPA candidate a plus
• Strong communication skills and the ability to interact professionally with attorneys and firm leadership
• Discretion in handling confidential financial and client information