Staff Accountant

Our Firm

Companies and investment firms built today are scaling faster than at any time in history, but the founders and investors building the defining businesses of our era face a paradox: the more value they create, the faster the demands and complexity of their own financial lives compound. Santa Barbara Management was founded by a small group of accomplished business builders and investors who lived this problem first-hand and decided to solve it. To make this vision a reality, we have reimagined the family office experience from first principles, relentlessly questioning industry norms.

At Santa Barbara Management, we engineer wealth for exceptional builders and their families. Our innovative model has been painstakingly designed to deliver a fully-integrated, client-aligned solution that combines investments, tax, trusts and estates, financial operations, and strategic finance under one roof, within one team.

Today, we serve some of the most accomplished founders and investors of our time — and we're just getting started.

The Role

At Santa Barbara Management, the Staff Accountant is a core member of the client delivery team, responsible for the accounting and reporting functions that sit at the foundation of everything we deliver to our clients. This is a hands-on role that spans financial statement preparation, general ledger maintenance, journal entries, cash flow reporting, and month-end and year-end close across a portfolio of complex entities: operating businesses, trusts and estates, partnerships, private foundations, and individuals with extraordinary financial profiles. Tracking every dollar that goes in and out of our clients’ financial landscape is foundational to our Wealth Engineering model. The Staff Accountant owns this function.

This role is based in our Chicago office and reports directly into a Family CFO, working as part of a small pod that serves a select group of ultra-high-net-worth families. For the right person, it is an opportunity to work closely with sophisticated clients and advisors, collaborate across a talented team, and grow into broader responsibilities as the firm scales.

What You'll Do

Own the Books Across a Complex Client Portfolio

- Prepare and review monthly and year-end financial statements across multiple entity types: operating businesses, trusts and estates, partnerships, private foundations, and individuals

- Manage GL reconciliations, record financial transactions, and maintain general ledger accounts and consolidations across a multi-entity client portfolio

- Timely and accurate processing of month-end and year-end closing and reporting

Deliver for Clients and Advisors

- Prepare workpapers and supporting documentation for client review and tax purposes

- Assist with variance analysis in quarterly and annual reporting

- Foster and maintain strong relationships with clients and their outside advisors, addressing questions and resolving discrepancies with ownership and care

Build and Improve Our Operations

- Develop, implement, and document recordkeeping and accounting systems

- Assist with administrative functions related to the maintenance of accounting records

- Proactively research, track, and resolve accounting problems and discrepancies before they become client issues

Who You Are

You have built a strong foundation in accounting and are ready to put it to work in a more demanding, more rewarding environment. You are precise, reliable, and take real pride in work that is accurate and delivered on time. You are comfortable across complex entity structures and energized by the sophistication of the clients and work involved.

You are proactive and self-directed. You surface problems before they surface themselves, hold yourself to a high standard, and don't need to be pushed to do your best work. You understand that the families we serve have earned the right to expect something genuinely different and you show up every day ready to deliver it.

What We Look For

Accounting Foundation: 2+ years of experience in a finance, investment, or wealth management setting with a bachelor's degree in accounting or finance. Solid working knowledge of U.S. GAAP and familiarity with complex broker and PE statements.

Operational Precision: A demonstrated ability to manage multiple entities and deadlines without sacrificing accuracy. You hold yourself to a high standard on every close, every reconciliation, every workpaper.

Communication and Presence: Clear written and verbal communication skills with the ability to engage directly with sophisticated clients and outside advisors. You bring solutions, not just observations, and build trust through the quality of your work and follow-through.

What We Offer

Opportunity to Build Differently: We are reimagining a significant, under-innovated category of financial services. The people who join us now will help shape how we serve our clients and what this firm becomes.

Exceptional Colleagues: Join an ambitious and exceptionally talented team led by people who have built category-leading businesses before. The bar is high, and that's the point.

Meaningful Scope, Real Impact: SBM is growing quickly. There are no small roles, there's no entrenched hierarchy, and the opportunities for professional growth are significant.

A Culture That Takes Care of Its People: Competitive compensation, comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, a 401(k), paid parental leave for all parents, unlimited paid vacation, and flexible hours.

The Conditions to Do Your Best Work: This role is based in our Chicago office. We work together in person 4 days a week because the best ideas and the strongest cultures are built in the same room.

Compensation at SBM reflects the unique background and experience each person brings to the role. The expected base salary range for this position is $75,000-$90,000. Beyond base salary, you will be eligible for a discretionary annual bonus.

Santa Barbara Management is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or any other legally protected status. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any of the above characteristics. Santa Barbara Management is enrolled in E-Verify to confirm the identity and employment eligibility of all new employees.

We are not accepting candidate submissions from external recruiting firms or agencies for this role at this time.