Senior Foundation Accountant (Stamford, CT)

Job Description

We're partnering with a family of private foundations and corporate community programs affiliated with a well-established global investment firm to hire a Senior Accountant. This is a hands-on role owning day-to-day accounting across multiple foundation entities, covering close, reconciliations, audit, tax support, and cash management. It suits someone with a tax-exempt background who wants a high-visibility seat with a small, mission-driven team and the resources of a large firm behind it.

Location : Stamford, CT (4 days/week onsite)

Compensation : $130,000-$140,000 base

What You'll Do

- Manage day-to-day accounting operations for a portfolio of private foundations and corporate community programs, including financial reporting, audit coordination, tax support, and reconciliations

- Lead month-end and year-end close across multiple foundation entities, including preparing and posting accruals and other journal entries

- Track, record, and reconcile fundraising and donation receivables to ensure completeness and accuracy

- Perform monthly financial reviews to validate reporting integrity and proper coding across entities

- Prepare and review recurring account reconciliations across multiple legal entities

- Support federal and state tax reporting, including Form 990-PF, 990-T, and related state filings, in partnership with external tax preparers

- Coordinate the annual audit: prepare schedules, respond to auditor inquiries, and resolve follow-up items

- Assist with banking relationships and ongoing cash management

What We're Looking For

- Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, or a related field, plus a CPA or a master's degree in accounting

- 4+ years of accounting experience with meaningful exposure to nonprofit, private foundation, or other tax-exempt organizations, either in-house or serving tax-exempt clients in public accounting (audit or tax)

- Solid command of GAAP, accrual accounting, and the month-end close

- Experience supporting external audits and working knowledge of exempt-organization tax filings (990-PF, 990-T, state filings)

- Advanced Excel skills (VLOOKUPs, SUMIFs, pivot tables, complex formulas)

- Strong written and verbal communication skills, comfortable presenting financial information clearly

- Organized and detail-oriented, able to manage deadlines across multiple entities at once

- Hands-on, resourceful approach to problem-solving

- Comfort with AI tools and an interest in applying them to accounting and reporting

- Commitment to the highest ethical standards

Preferred

- Direct experience with private foundations specifically (990-PF, excise tax, distribution requirements)

- Hands-on preparation of 990-series returns

- Experience with Workday Financial Management or a comparable cloud ERP

- Background at a university, hospital system, or other large tax-exempt organization, or in a public accounting practice focused on not-for-profit clients

The Environment

A lean foundation and community-giving finance function backed by the infrastructure of a major investment firm. This role is based in Stamford, CT, four days per week in the office. For New York City-based candidates, a split schedule of three days in New York and one day in Stamford is available.