Our client, based in Menlo Park, California, is seeking a Senior Accountant for the Finance Department.
About the Client
They invest in creative thinkers and problem solvers working to ensure that people, communities, and the planet can flourish. Together with our partners, we are harnessing society’s collective capacity to solve our toughest problems — from the existential threat of climate change to persistent and pervasive inequities, to attacks on democracy itself. A nonpartisan philanthropy, our client has made grants in the U.S. and globally for nearly six decades based on an approach that emphasizes long-term support, collaboration, and trust.
Globally, we make grants to address both longstanding and emerging challenges like our efforts to advance gender equity and governance, reimagine the economy and society, and reduce the growing threat of climate change. Our U.S. efforts prioritize strengthening democracy, advancing education for all, and supporting community-led conservation. In the San Francisco Bay Area we call home, we make grants to support meaningful artistic experiences in local communities and support regional foundations working on critical issues such as housing. All of our grantmaking also invests in advancing racial justice and in strengthening the effectiveness of our grantees, and of philanthropy itself. Our assets are approximately $13.9 billion with annual awards of grants totaling more than $630 million.
The foundation has approximately 130 employees, in programmatic, operational, and investment roles, located in the San Francisco Bay Area. Across the organization, our employees are challenged with meaningful work, have the resources for ongoing professional development and learning, and contribute to a collegial and engaging environment where they can thrive. We are committed to fostering a culture of inclusion as part of our guiding principles and encourage individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences to apply.
About the Finance Department
The Finance Department serves the foundation's charitable work by providing financial and business planning support to enable the organization to focus on its philanthropic goals. This financial leadership is offered through sound financial planning and reporting, quality operational processes, and business controls that meet the needs of the foundation and its outside constituents, including regulators and auditors. Finance is the agile and reliable thought partner and empowers the foundation's mission through expertise, collaboration, and foresight.
About the Position
The Senior Accountant is a key member of the Finance team, bringing strong accounting skills, audit experience, and systems fluency to support the department's day-to-day operations and long-term effectiveness. Reporting to the Controller, the Senior Accountant gains broad exposure across accounting operations, and visibility with cross-functional teams. This position combines hands-on accounting execution with a service-oriented mindset and a proactive approach to process improvement.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Accounting Operations
- Leads assigned month-end close activities, including preparation of journal entries and reconciliation of general ledger and sub-ledger accounts of varying complexity; exercises professional judgment to resolve discrepancies and determine treatment for non-routine transactions
- Leads preparation of assigned audit areas, determine appropriate treatment for complex or non-routine transactions; escalates high risk issues to the Controller or Accounting Manager
- Maintains clear, accurate, and audit-ready documentation to support management review and financial reporting
- Owns the cash disbursement and release process to ensure payment compliance with the Foundation's policies and guidelines
- Maintains in-depth knowledge of online banking platforms for independent research and exception resolution; serves as one of the primary contacts with banking and treasury partners
- Supports the credit card program by monitoring card usage and general ledger reconciliations, and liaises between cardholders and service providers to resolve disputes or discrepancies
- Supports the Foundation's tax and information reporting, including annual information returns (Forms 1099, 1096, 1042, and 1042-S) and property tax filings
- Builds deep institutional knowledge of finance processes and systems, translating it into well-documented procedures and system-based practices that keep operations consistent and resilient
- Owns day-to-day administration of finance systems—including Concur travel & expense and invoice routing—serving as a control point for user access and configuration, and coordinating troubleshooting and vendor relationships
- Leverages accounting and finance applications (Sage Intacct, Concur, AP workflow) to streamline transaction processing, reduce manual effort, and improve data accuracy
- Independently identifies internal control risks within assigned processes and recommends remediation plans, partnering with the Accounting Manager on implementation
- Provides responsive, service-oriented support to internal clients across the Foundation
- Oversees the design and delivery of Finance orientation sessions; leads orientation for Finance policies and procedures, serving as a go-to resource for policy applications
- Partners with the Accounting Manager, Finance colleagues, and cross-functional teams to support broader initiatives and projects
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance; CPA preferred
- Minimum 5 years of relevant accounting experience, additional years preferred, with demonstrated working knowledge of GAAP and audit
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills, with the ability to identify issues and recommend practical solutions.
- Exceptional attention to detail, accuracy, dependability, and organization, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines.
- Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across all levels of the organization and work successfully in a team environment.
- Systems-savvy with strong aptitude for learning and optimizing financial systems and technology; proficiency in Microsoft Office, and experience with Sage Intacct or other accounting/ERP systems
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