Accounting Associate

Overview

This remote Accounting Associate role supports day-to-day accounting activities, including accounts payable, employee expenses, corporate credit card expense review, vendor setup, and payment processing. The position reports to the Managing Director of Finance and works closely with staff, fellows, vendors, and the Finance team to maintain accurate, audit-ready financial records and ensure timely, properly documented transactions.

Responsibilities

Accounts Payable & Expense Processing

• Process employee expense reports, corporate credit card transactions, vendor invoices, stipends, and other payment requests accurately and on time.
• Review expense reports, credit card statements, invoices, and reimbursement requests to ensure appropriate supporting documentation and coding.
• Record invoices, obtain required approvals, and prepare weekly payment reports for vendor invoices, stipends, implementation funds, and other organizational expenses.
• Set up new vendors and contractors and maintain accurate vendor information within organizational systems.
• Partner with the Senior Accountant to resolve payment, documentation, coding, and vendor setup issues.
• Support year-end vendor reporting and 1099 processing.

Accounting Systems & Reconciliation

• Maintain accurate transaction records across accounting and expense management platforms, including Sage Intacct, BILL, Tallie, and Ramp.
• Apply routine general ledger, project, and grant coding based on established accounting guidance and the organization’s chart of accounts.
• Identify discrepancies or incomplete transactions and work with staff or vendors to resolve issues.
• Maintain accurate and complete financial records that support monthly close, grant reporting, internal reviews, and annual audits.
• Support the Finance team in maintaining accurate expense coding across organizational budgets, projects, and grants.

Staff, Fellow & Vendor Support

• Monitor the shared Accounting inbox and ensure invoices, payment requests, and inquiries are acknowledged and addressed in a timely manner.
• Respond to staff, fellow, contractor, and vendor questions regarding payments, reimbursements, expense reports, and required documentation.
• Follow up with staff and other stakeholders when additional documentation, approvals, or information is needed.
• Provide internal customer service while maintaining established accounting policies and controls.

Systems & Process Improvement

• Support onboarding and training for staff using expense, payment, and corporate card systems.
• Add and maintain users within systems such as BILL, Tallie, and other Finance platforms.
• Maintain organized and audit-ready accounts payable and expense documentation.
• Identify opportunities to standardize, document, and improve accounting processes and workflows.
• Partner with the Finance team to strengthen systems and processes as organizational needs evolve.

Requirements

• 1–3 years of professional accounting or bookkeeping experience; experience working in a nonprofit, education-focused, or grant-funded organization, preferred.
• Associate or bachelor's degree in accounting or finance; accounting/bookkeeping certificate preferred.
• Experience with accounting software such as Sage Intacct, QuickBooks, Xero, or comparable systems; Sage Intacct experience is a plus.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and comfort working with spreadsheets and financial data.
• Strong attention to detail, organization, and follow-through; ability to maintain accurate documentation and manage multiple deadlines and a high volume of transactions.
• Ability to work independently, identify and resolve routine discrepancies, and recognize when issues should be escalated.
• Clear, professional communication skills and a customer-service mindset.
• Ability to work successfully in a remote, lean, and collaborative team environment while remaining flexible as priorities and processes evolve.

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary: $68,000. Starting salaries are not negotiated; offers are determined based on job-related criteria and alignment with the established salary structure.
• Benefits include:
  • Generous paid time off
  • Shared summer and winter breaks
  • Summer Half-Day Fridays
  • Comprehensive health coverage
  • Retirement contributions with immediate vesting
  • Paid parental leave for all caregivers
  • A four-week paid sabbatical after five years of service

Location, Travel, and Commitment

• Location: Remote position conducted primarily from a home office.
• Collaboration: Works closely with colleagues across multiple time zones and should be comfortable collaborating in a virtual environment.
• Availability: Requires consistent availability during established organizational business hours to support weekly payment processing, staff inquiries, and Finance team deadlines.
• Travel: Occasional travel may be required for organizational meetings or events.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in a nonprofit, education-focused, or grant-funded organization.
• Accounting/bookkeeping certificate.
• Sage Intacct experience.