Staff Accountant

Overview

The organization is seeking its first in-house Accountant to build internal capacity as it scales. Over the next 12–18 months, this role will be critical in helping the organization grow to roughly triple its current size while expanding to new geographies and entities.

Reporting to the Head of Finance, this is a hands-on, full-cycle role well-suited to an experienced accountant who can operate independently, manage multiple concurrent priorities, and support a dynamic environment spanning many accounting and financial operations needs.

Responsibilities

• Own the full accounting cycle
• Lead month-end and year-end close processes, including preparing and reviewing journal entries, accruals, and account reconciliations
• Maintain accurate general ledger records for a U.S. non-profit with international staff & operations, including an entity in Singapore
• Support grant and fund accounting, including tracking restricted and unrestricted funding, preparing grant financial reports, and ensuring compliance with donor requirements
• Assist in preparing monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements and management reports for leadership and the board
• Coordinate with external accountants, auditors, and tax preparers
• Partner with the Head of Finance and the Finance Manager to develop and document accounting policies, internal controls, and financial processes suited to a scaling organization
• Support financial operations of the organization, as needed
• Respond to ad hoc financial analysis and reporting requests from program teams, leadership, and external stakeholders

Requirements (Must-Have Qualifications)

• 5+ years of hands-on accounting experience, with demonstrated ownership of full-cycle accounting responsibilities
• CPA license or active progress toward CPA
• Excellent working proficiency with spreadsheets and financial systems, including Google Sheets, Quickbooks Online, Ramp, Mercury, and Airtable (among others)
• Track record of working independently with minimal oversight
• Ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines in a fast-moving environment
• High attention to detail and accuracy, with a systematic approach to reconciliation and documentation
• Strong communication skills, including the ability to explain financial information clearly to non-finance colleagues

Preferred Qualifications (Nice-to-Have)

• Experience with nonprofit accounting, including fund accounting, grant reporting, and 990 preparation
• Familiarity with multi-entity or multi-currency accounting
• Experience supporting or coordinating external audits
• Experience developing or improving financial controls
• Experience implementing or improving systems
• Experience in a startup-like environment
• Passion for working in an impact-driven organization

Compensation & Benefits

• $125,000–$145,000 per year, depending on experience
• Work-related travel and equipment expenses covered
• Catered lunch and dinner at the office in Berkeley

Location & Logistics

• Full-time employee of a 501(c)(3) research non-profit
• Location: Berkeley, CA (onsite/hybrid) or Remote, based in the US
• Hours: 40 hours/week
• Hiring process: a screen, a task test, in-depth interviews with the team, followed by reference checks