Accounting Associate

Accounting Associate

APA! BACKGROUND: Austin Pets Alive! (APA!) is one of Austin's most dynamic and best-loved nonprofits. The organization is the leader in the no-kill movement nationally and is considered a national thought leader in animal welfare. APA! locally rescues, treats, and adopts out 10,000 homeless dogs and cats each year, providing the safety net for Austin's most at-risk shelter pets, which helps Austin to be a no-kill city, while also assisting other communities in saving homeless animals. The organization is distinguished by the scrappiness of its grassroots, non-traditional community-based animal rescue work.

The organization continues to innovate best practices to save lives and teaches its renowned lifesaving model through American Pets Alive!, APA!'s national division. In 2020, AmPA! began the Human Animal Support Services (HASS) project, a collaborative movement of more than 10,000 animal welfare professionals working in nearly 1,900 organizations. HASS is the first-of-its-kind collective of shelters and animal welfare professionals coming together to build community-focused animal services that better meet the needs of people and pets by keeping human-animal families together and keeping pets unnecessarily out of shelters.

SUMMARY
The Accounting Associate is a key member of APA!'s Finance team, with primary responsibility for accurate and timely receivables-focused accounting. This role records, reconciles, and supports revenue activity across APA!'s diverse revenue streams, including donations, grants, pledges, adoptions, clinic activity, thrift and retail, ecommerce, and other income.
The Accounting Associate works closely with the Accounting Manager, Finance team, Philanthropy/Development, and other departments to ensure that financial activity is accurately
reflected in APA!'s accounting records, with supporting documentation, and in financial reports. The role requires cross-departmental and cross-program coordination and collaboration.
This position requires strong attention to detail and accuracy, comfort working with high-volume transaction data with significant recurring journal entry work, the ability to investigate
discrepancies, and clear communication across teams. While the primary focus of this role is Receivables, the Accounting Associate will also cross-train in Accounts Payable and provide backup support when needed to help ensure continuity of Finance operations.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Essential duties and functions may include the following. Other related duties may be assigned.

• Record and reconcile receivables activity across APA!'s revenue streams, including donations, grants, pledges, adoption and clinic revenue, thrift and retail revenue, ecommerce revenue, contract revenue, cash, checks, ACH deposits, and third-party payment processors.
• Prepare recurring journal entries and maintain organized supporting documentation for revenue and receivables activity.
• Reconcile activity between accounting systems, donor-tracking systems, bank activity, payment platforms, and reports.
• Research and resolve discrepancies related to payouts, refunds, chargebacks, fees, credits, coding, timing differences, and unusual or irregular transactions.
• Work closely with Philanthropy/Development to support accurate donor tracking, contribution coding, donation reporting, pledge/grant recording, and reconciliation between accounting and CRM records.
• Coordinate with departments, including Thrift, Placement, Clinic, and other teams, to clarify revenue activity and resolve transaction questions.
• Record and reconcile thrift, retail, and ecommerce revenue from platforms such as Square, eBay, and The RealReal.
• Record and reconcile adoption, clinic, and animal-related revenue activity, including Shelterluv transactions, related reports, payout discrepancies, and support documentation.
• Track, record, and verify donation activity from multiple platforms and payment sources, including checks, ACH deposits, online giving platforms, third-party payment processors, and donor/CRM records.
• Collect, count, log, and deposit cash and checks received; follow all cash handling procedures; and ensure deposits are entered accurately into current systems.
• Track and reconcile revenue-related liability balances, which may include gift cards, refundable deposits, surgery/animal deposits, and other similar items.
• Support grant, pledge, contribution receivable, and contract revenue documentation, including invoicing support when needed.
• Ensure that transactions and supplemental documentation comply with Finance policies, procedures, and internal controls.
• Maintain information and review financial transactions by creating, organizing, and monitoring electronic files, accounting records, and supporting documentation.
• Use Excel and other approved tools to clean, analyze, reconcile, and troubleshoot financial data.
• Support audit work papers for the annual audit by accumulating data for assigned areas in a timely and accurate manner.
• Cross-train in Accounts Payable processes and provide backup support for vendor invoice processing, payment workflows, documentation, and related accounting tasks as needed.
• Help maintain clear procedures, templates, and process documentation to support accuracy, continuity, process improvement, and cross-training within the Finance team.
• Run various errands for APA! as needed, such as collecting checks, delivering deposits to the bank, or supporting other Finance-related needs.
• Job duties may include some or all of the above and other duties as assigned by manager.

OTHER FUNCTIONS

• Attend and participate in all required training sessions and meetings
• Maintain open and consistent communication with direct manager, Finance team, and other colleagues
• Be consistently dependable and accountable with good judgment skills
• Work well independently and manage high-volume, fast-paced workflow
• Prioritize workload to juggle multiple tasks with strict deadlines
• Navigate high-stress environment with calm, professionalism, and good judgment
• React to changes productively and perform other duties as assigned

CULTURE, MISSION & EXPECTATIONS

• Love of animals and commitment to Austin Pets Alive!'s lifesaving mission• Commitment to the No Kill movement
• Committed to embodying APA!'s Core Values: Innovation, Respect, Drive, Resourcefulness, and Inclusion and cultural values: Humble, Hungry, Smart
• Passion for working well with staff, volunteers, and customers by helping all individuals feel appreciated and connected to APA!'s mission
• Strong commitment to volunteer engagement and support
• Resilient, adaptable, and steady in a high-demand, mission-driven environment

ORGANIZATION-WIDE VOLUNTEER CULTURE EXPECTATIONS
APA! is a volunteer-powered organization, and all staff members help support a culture where volunteers feel welcomed, appreciated, and connected to the mission. While this Accounting Associate role is not primarily responsible for managing a volunteer program, the expectations below are included across APA! job descriptions and will apply to this position in ways that are appropriate to Finance operations, confidentiality, workflow, and department needs.

• Partner with Volunteer Managers to learn about the volunteer programs and manage volunteers interested in your department on an ongoing basis
• Foster and model a volunteer-powered culture across the team by ensuring that every staff member is partnered with volunteers on every shift, with the goal of empowering volunteers to lead and grow within the program.
• Serve as a facilitator and coach to staff and volunteers, ensuring the work is shared, not siloed, and that volunteers are supported in completing daily tasks.
• Ensure active recruitment, onboarding, and engagement of volunteers using volunteer engagement tools and resources
• Support retention by matching volunteers to appropriate tasks, offering guidance, and providing regular check-ins and staff mentorship.
• Identify strong volunteers for deeper roles and seek out customer to volunteer conversion opportunities.
• Recognize volunteer contributions through consistent appreciation and shoutouts.
• Provide clear expectations, hands-on training, and in-the-moment coaching to set volunteers up for success.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree
• At least 1 year of professional experience in an office or accounting department setting
• Basic understanding of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and accounting operations
• Self-starter with strong time management; able to work independently and collaboratively
• High attention to detail, high standards for quality, and superb organizational skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Intermediate to strong Excel skills
• Comfort working with high-volume transaction data, data cleanup, reconciliations, and basic troubleshooting
• Able to investigate discrepancies, identify patterns, ask clarifying questions, and follow issues through to resolution
• Excellent interpersonal skills; able to maintain a professional presence in all situations
• Able to work in fast-paced, dynamic situations
• Able to navigate complex circumstances and crises
• Able to prioritize workload to manage multiple tasks with strict deadlines
• Able to work well with colleagues in a team environment
• Adaptable to change and able to perform additional related duties as needed

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience with nonprofit revenue, donor restrictions, grants, pledges, and contributions
• Experience with nonprofit accounting, donor/CRM, payment processing, retail, ecommerce, and financial reporting systems
• Audit support experience

PHYSICAL JOB REQUIREMENTS

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer
• Must be able to work around animals (including diseased, injured, and/or potentially aggressive animals), loud noises, chlorine or other chemicals, and inclement weather
• Must be able to focus in a loud and busy environment despite distractions
• Must be able to walk around shelter as needed - uneven ground, keeping a safe distance from dogs and handlers
• If reasonable accommodations are requested, reasonable accommodations will be made to enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions of their job, absent undue hardship to the organization.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Employee provides own transportation to travel between locations
• Work performed at some APA! locations may include exposure to environmental conditions that include working near animals, unpleasant odors, and hazards including animal waste, disinfectants, and high levels of noise

WORKING RELATIONSHIPS: This position reports directly to the Accounting Manager. There are no supervisory responsibilities.

TIME COMMITMENT

• This is a full-time, exempt position with an average of 40 hours per week
• Occasional after-hours or weekend work may be required to support Finance and program needs

LOCATIONS

• APA! Tarrytown Administrative Offices (primary office location for the Finance team)
  • 2414 Exposition Blvd, Suite B-100, Austin, TX 78703
• APA! Main - Town Lake Animal Center
  • 1156 West Cesar Chavez, Austin, TX 78703
• APA! Medical Triage and Wellness Clinic
  • 4942 W US Highway 290, Austin, TX 78735
• Multiple APA! Thrift Store locations
• Hybrid (work from home) schedule available
• May travel to other APA! locations or offsite as needed

SALARY: $40,000 - $45,000

BENEFITS
Austin Pets Alive! is proud to offer a competitive benefits package for full-time employees, including subsidized employer-sponsored medical coverage, subsidized and voluntary life insurance, voluntary dental, vision and short-term disability options, all effective the first day of employment. We also offer voluntary wellness and emergency sick plans, up to 2% match on 401(K) retirement plan, supplemental benefits, flexible spending accounts and additional life coverage. Full-time employees receive 10 paid holidays and accrue 10 days paid time off during the first year of employment, with an additional 5 days of PTO accrual upon completion of 12 months of employment. Employees will also receive professional development opportunities through APA!'s ongoing mission to advance our animal welfare professionals in our life-saving work.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND ACCOMMODATIONS
Austin Pets Alive! is an equal employment opportunity employer and we value having staff who come from communities that are most impacted by the issues we engage on. We especially encourage people of color, LGBTQ people, women, transgender and gender non-conforming people, and people with disabilities to apply.


Austin Pets Alive! does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Austin Pets Alive! is committed to creating a dynamic work environment that values diversity and inclusion, respect and integrity, community focus, and innovation.

APA! is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in the employment application process. To request an accommodation, please contact Talent Acquisition at View email address on click.appcast.io at least one week in advance of your interview.

Pay Range: $40,000 - $45,000 per year