Senior Staff Accountant (Baton Rouge)

What We’re Looking For:

We’re seeking an experienced and detail-oriented Senior Staff Accountant who combines strong technical accounting skills with a commitment to service excellence. The ideal candidate brings deep knowledge of general ledger management, reconciliations, financial reporting, and internal controls and takes pride in producing accurate, timely work that clients can rely on. This role is ideal for someone who values collaboration, enjoys solving complex accounting challenges, and contributes to strengthening systems and practices across the 4SS team while supporting a diverse portfolio of schools and nonprofit clients across multiple states in achieving their missions.

Reports To: Client Manager

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• Responsible for timely monthly, quarterly, and year-end financial close, including all aspects of month end close for multiple clients.
• Ensure accuracy and completeness of the general ledger, flagging and correcting inconsistencies proactively.
• Independently manage journal entries, accruals, and monthly balance sheet reconciliations for all accounts.
• Responsible for preparing month end packages including all financial reports, statements and other needed items and reviewing and confirming accuracy.
• Establish and maintain internal controls to ensure compliance with financial legislation, policies and procedures.
• Work with the accounting team to ensure that payroll, accounts payable and purchasing documents are processed efficiently, accurately and in a timely manner by ensuring the proper documents, receipts, and forms are available.
• Research, prepare and submit the annual budget as well as prepare monthly budgets.
• Prepare cash flow projections.
• Build forecast models to accurately predict the outcome of a potential or proposed transaction.
• Analyze and implement best practices in public financial accounting policies and procedures to improve efficiency and productivity.
• Achieves budget objectives by scheduling expenditures; analyzing variances; initiating corrective actions.
• Conduct financial analysis and prepare detailed financial reports and statements.
• Compile and analyze monthly and annual special financial reports on budgets. Recommend actions to ensure compliance with program requirements, while ensuring maximum impact to support clients.
• Ensure that payroll, accounts payable and purchasing documents are processed efficiently, accurately and in a timely manner.
• Responsible for external audits. Oversees and manages the audit by coordinating and integrating the work of all accounting functional areas for a successful audit conclusion. Respond to auditors’ comments concerning finances and operations and address any deficiencies.
• Ensure that disbursements of funds are within budgetary authorization limits.
• Preparation of budgets and compliance reporting for all required grants.
• Prepare and submit periodic grant drawdown requests, following all applicable federal, state and local requirements, to ensure the receipt of all monies owed to clients.
• Ensure proper coding of all grants.
• Maintain internal controls to ensure compliance with financial legislation, policies and procedures.
• Assist with preparing budgets and forecasts for all clients.
• Assist in maintenance of forecast models and update forecasts as needed.
• Manage accounting and financial systems and maintain full and accurate accounting records.
• Prepare special financial reports as requested by management by collecting, analyzing, and summarizing account information and trends.
• Maximizes return, and limits risk, on cash by minimizing bank balances; making investments.
• Other duties as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• Manage the scheduling, assignments, and daily workflow of assigned staff accountants.

Required Skills/Abilities:

• Extensive knowledge of general financial accounting and cost accounting.
• Understanding of and ability to adhere to generally accepted accounting principles.
• Highly proficient with multiple accounting software programs (e.g., Intacct, QuickBooks, Blackbaud, NetSuite).
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite or similar software.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills.
• Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines.
• Ability to problem-solve and multi-task.
• Strong Analytical ability.

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting or Finance. CPA or MBA preferred.
• Three to five years of progressive accounting experience with demonstrated ownership of general ledger processes and demonstrated knowledge of financial reporting and budgeting, payroll, procurement, and internal controls.
• Nonprofit or government accounting experience strongly preferred.