Senior Accountant

Organization Overview: NLS provides free legal services to low-income individuals and people with disabilities in Western New York. Substantive practice areas include housing, public benefits, family, and disability law. An annual budget of over $15 million supports 100+ staff working primarily among four offices in Buffalo, Niagara Falls, Lockport, and Batavia. NLS staff are supported by the Buffalo Office of Legal Service Workers (BOLSW) Union which covers the majority of staff including staff attorneys, staff paralegals, and support staff. Non-union staff include approximately 20 management and administrative personnel. NLS receives Federal, State, local and foundation support in the form of 30+ grants, as well as earned income through attorney’s fees and charitable contributions.

Job Summary: The Senior Accountant will be responsible for working in the accounting team on the management of all grant expenditures and financial reporting. Functions of the role include, but may not be limited to, assisting with pre-award and post-award budget development, monthly grant account reconciliations, budget forecasting and modifications, invoicing funders and responding to funder inquiries, payroll processing and analysis, and accounts payable functions, as needed. The Senior Accountant will be primarily involved in supporting the financial performance of the grants, specifically with reporting submissions and payroll, and will work closely with the grants management team. This role requires superior organizational skills and the ability to prioritize responsibilities to meet various concurrent deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Using proprietary and funder templates, collate monthly, quarterly, and annual invoices, for timely submission to funders and maintain backup documentation to support invoices based on funder/organization requirements.
• Review subrecipient invoices to ensure compliance with contract for all grants.
• Manage grant accounts receivable records, invoices, and payments, to include follow up with funders on any payment discrepancies or unpaid invoices.
• Navigate and submit funder requested billings, transactions, contract documents, or other reporting, in various online platforms.
• Monitor and create grant budgets and modifications and develop budget projections for effective spend down of grant funds, continuously collaborating with accounting and grants management team.
• Verify that expenditures are consistently aligned with grant and program budgets throughout the funding period.
• Participate in month-end and quarter-end closes, including assisting with drafting financial statements, supporting analysis, ad-hoc financial reports and account reconciliations
• Maintain general ledger accounts, including preparation of monthly journal entries
• Responsible for Bi-weekly payroll processing including auditing timecards, hours and earnings reconciliation, review of quarterly and annual reporting, or other adhoc reporting as requested
• Prepare documentation for annual audit, including workpapers, and responses for funder audit requests.
• Take on additional accounting duties, or other ad-hoc projects, such as accounts payable responsibilities, as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelors’ degree in Accounting or related field
• Three to five years of experience in an accounting related field.
• Experience in non-profit preferred.