Staff Accountant II

Staff Accountant II

The Westside Justice Center is growing and expanding its finance and accounting services team! Unleash your accounting skills and make a difference with the Westside Justice Center. Join our mission-driven team and play a critical role in advancing access to justice in our communities.

Founded in 2015, the Westside Justice Center (WJC) is not just a workplace—it is a community-centered Legal Aid clinic committed to eradicating barriers to justice and uplifting authentic community leadership.

As a Staff Accountant II, you will be responsible for supporting the day-to-day financial operations of a small not-for-profit organization by maintaining accurate financial records, processing accounting transactions, and assisting with accounts payable, accounts receivable, reconciliations, and general bookkeeping activities.

This role will support grant tracking, compliance, and payment activities with primary responsibility for major grant tracking, reporting, and compliance as directed by the CFO.

Responsibilities

• Support accurate, complete, and well-organized accounting records for day-to-day financial activity, ensuring grant transactions are recorded timely and in accordance with established procedures
• Support accounts receivable functions by preparing monthly grant invoices, recording payments, monitoring outstanding balances, following up on the status of payments with funders
• Prepare and post recurring and routine journal entries, review transaction detail for accuracy, and support maintenance of the general ledger
• Perform timely reconciliations of grant management system to the general ledger
• Assist with month-end and year-end close by preparing schedules, reconciling assigned accounts, gathering supporting documentation, and identifying items requiring review or adjustment
• Maintain organized accounting files, audit support, and historical financial records in accordance with internal procedures, documentation standards, and retention requirements, including all grants
• Prepare routine financial reports, account summaries, schedules, and transaction detail by collecting, reviewing, and organizing financial information for management review
• Support grant-related payment tracking, restricted fund activity, and funder documentation as directed by the CFO
• Maintain documentation for restricted funds, grant payments, allocations, and related transactions to support accurate records and compliance with funder requirements
• Apply established internal controls, accounting policies, approval procedures, and not-for-profit financial practices consistently, escalating unusual items or exceptions when appropriate
• Communicate professionally with staff, vendors, customers, funders, and other stakeholders to obtain information, resolve accounting questions, and support timely processing of financial activity
• Perform other accounting, reporting, documentation, and administrative duties as assigned to support the finance function

Successful Candidates will Possess:

• A minimum of an associate's degree in accounting, finance, business, or a related field is required; bachelor's degree preferred
• Five or more years of accounting or finance experience in a not-for-profit, community-based, government-funded, or mission-driven organization
• Demonstrated hands-on experience applying accounting principles, bookkeeping practices, and financial recordkeeping in a professional setting
• Hands-on experience with grant accounting, restricted fund tracking, funder payment documentation, allocation support, and compliance-related recordkeeping
• Working experience with accounts payable, accounts receivable, bank and account reconciliations, journal entries, and general ledger activity
• Experience supporting month-end and year-end close, audit preparation, financial reporting packages, and documentation requests from external funders or auditors
• Intermediate to advanced Excel or Google Sheets skills, including formulas, filters, pivot tables, reconciliations, schedules, and financial data review; ability to organize data, review details, and prepare basic schedules or reconciliations
• Strong working knowledge of QuickBooks or similar accounting software, including transaction entry, reconciliations, reporting, vendor records, and chart of accounts maintenance
• Strong attention to detail and ability to complete work accurately and efficiently
• Ability to organize, prioritize, and follow through on accounting tasks in a small-office environment
• Ability to communicate clearly and professionally, both in writing and verbally
• Ability to apply established accounting procedures and internal controls with sound judgment, accuracy, and appropriate follow-through
• Excellent interpersonal, organizational, and problem-solving skills
• Reliability, discretion, and professionalism in handling financial information
• Experience working in a small finance team where the role requires initiative, sound judgment, confidentiality, and the ability to manage multiple recurring accounting deadlines
• Strong follow-through and the ability to manage recurring deadlines
• Comfort working in a fast-paced, mission-focused environment with evolving priorities
• A collaborative approach and ability to support colleagues across departments

Benefits

• Community Impact
• Health Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Paid Time Off
• 401(k) retirement plan

Work Environment

The work environment described here is representative of that an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation(s) may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• This job operates in a professional office environment. The role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers and phones
• Ability to communicate verbally
• Ability to spend extended time working on a computer
• Occasional need for local travel for work-related reasons

Compensation

Actual compensation will be determined based on a wide array of relevant factors, including market considerations, organizational needs, and an individual's skills, experience, and qualifications. Target salary hiring range is $70,000 - $80,000.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The Westside Justice Center is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and is committed to maintaining an inclusive environment free from discrimination and harassment.

We prohibit discrimination in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, transgender status, and sexual orientation), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, parental status, military service or discharge status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Consistent with our mission to advance justice and equity, people of color, women, LGBTQI-GNC individuals, immigrants, and formerly incarcerated people are strongly encouraged to apply.