Senior Staff Accountant, Operations - Democracy Fund

ABOUT US

Democracy Fund is an independent and nonpartisan, private foundation that confronts deep-rooted challenges in American democracy while defending against new threats. Since 2014, we have made grants of more than $275 million in support of those working to strengthen our democracy through the pursuit of a vibrant and diverse public square, fee and fair elections, effective and accountable government, and a just and inclusive society. In addition to grantmaking, Democracy Fund advocates for better solutions and works with partners to grow philanthropic support for our democracy.

Democracy Fund champions leaders and organizations who defend democracy and challenge our political system to be more open, just, resilient, and trustworthy. We believe experimentation, learning, and adaptation are key to the health and resilience of any system, whether it is our organization or the American political system. As grantmakers, we focus on listening and being of service to our grantees, who are visionaries and our collaborators, and on ways we can more deeply embed diversity, equity, and inclusion as our values central to the success of our work and mission. To learn more, visit www.democracyfund.org and www.democracyfundvoice.org.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Finance team ensures that Democracy Fund staff and partners have the financial tools and resources they need to advance our mission of a more inclusive, multiracial democracy. From leading our budgeting and forecasting processes, to sending timely payments to partners, to continually innovating our financial infrastructure, the Finance team plays a critical role in delivering decision-ready financial information and analysis to staff across the organization.

Democracy Fund is seeking a highly-organized and tech-savvy Senior Staff Accountant, Operations to support our accounting, payroll, and payable processes, ensuring that staff, grantees, and vendors have the resources to help our democracy work better every day.
The Senior Staff Accountant will be primarily responsible for general ledger accounting, monthly reconciliations, payroll, and accounts payable oversight. The ideal candidate will be an experienced accountant familiar with end-to-end accounting processes and delivering timely, accurate financial data to inform organizational decision-making. This is a high-touch role that works across the organization, so the ideal candidate must bring a passion for customer service, while bringing patience and empathy to their interactions with their colleagues, as well as our grantees and vendors. 

The Senior Staff Accountant, Operations will join an established Finance team, playing a critical role in optimizing systems and processes that make our finance functions more efficient, nimble, and responsive to the evolving needs of a growing organization. The Senior Staff Accountant, Operations will also provide finance support to Democracy Fund Voice, a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization, and will report to the Controller.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

DAY-TO-DAY SYSTEMS AND MONTH-END CLOSE

• Maintain the general ledger in Intacct.
• Prepare routine journal entries. 
• Conduct monthly bank and other account reconciliations.
• Calculate quarterly cost sharing costs between the 501©(3) and the 501©(4).  
• Deliver high level of customer service, including, but not limited to, researching and answering financial questions raised by staff.
• Serve as primary administrator for the sub-systems: BILL and Expensify.
• Ensure that all transactions in the finance systems adhere to organizational policies.

• Verify timekeeping records.
• Record and verify payroll data on JustWorks, our Professional Employer Organization (PEO) platform.
• Maintain compliant policies and procedures for processing bi-weekly payroll.
• Serve as primary contact with various state payroll agencies.
• Manage bi-weekly 401k contributions.

• Review vendor invoices and expense reports for payment.
• Review executed contracts and grants and approve consultant and grantee payments.
• Review annual Form 1099 reporting to ensure accuracy and compliance.
• Reconcile monthly corporate card reports.
• Coordinate with outsourced A/P function.

• Prepare year-end schedules and closing entries.
• Prepare year-end workpapers as assigned by the Controller or requested by the external auditors.
• Support the annual 990 filings for Democracy Fund and Democracy Fund Voice.

• Conduct Finance Department Orientation trainings to onboard new staff.
• Co-Lead Finance trainings to keep staff apprised of our systems, processes, and best practices.
• Proactively seek opportunities to partner with colleagues within and across departments to improve our systems and processes.
• Cultivate a collaborative, supportive, and productive organizational culture that invites and enables participation from all stakeholders.
• Regularly attend professional trainings and conferences to remain knowledgeable about trends and changes affecting the accounting function.
• Complete other special projects and duties, as requested by the Controller, Senior Director of Finance, Deputy COO, or Director of People.

• Passion for strengthening American democracy.
• Deep commitment to racial equity and justice.
• Minimum of five years of participating in day-to-day accounting functions, plus a minimum of three years of professional experience working with or in non-profit organizations; prior experience working with private foundations and/or 501(c)(4) social welfare organizations preferred.  
• Bachelor’s degree in accounting/finance required.
• Experience processing payroll and knowledge of regulatory requirements highly desired.
• Intermediate to advanced knowledge of Microsoft Excel, including experience using pivot tables and vlook-up.
• Prior experience with cloud-based accounting systems and a high level of comfort working in a paperless environment.
• Skilled in proactively handling multiple projects simultaneously and prioritizing tasks and deadlines with an attention to detail to deliver high quality results and customer service.
• Flexible and responsive to changing priorities in a fast-paced environment, including the ability to adjust work schedule to meet varying accounting deadlines.
• Discretion and maturity in handling sensitive financial data, including payroll.
• Experience with a Professional Employer Organization a plus.
• Experience with Microsoft Office suite in a Mac environment preferred.
• Experience with Intacct, Fluxx, and/or Expensify a plus.
• Democracy Fund follows a hybrid-remote and in-the-office model, which enables flexibility and meets collaboration needs. New staff are expected to reside in the D.C. Metro area, and all employees are expected in the office several days a month.

SALARY

Salary range begins at $116,064 per year.

HOW TO APPLY

Interested candidates should submit a cover letter and resume to our Jobs page. Applications submitted without a cover letter or lacking the desired years of experience will not be considered. Take this opportunity to tell us about yourself and why you're interested in joining our team. No calls, please.

Democracy Fund is committed to a diverse workplace, seeking voices and expertise from people from across the political spectrum. Our board, staff, advisors, and grantees include republicans, democrats, and independents. Democracy Fund is an Equal Opportunity Employer, where we encourage candidates of all ages, color, ethnic background, country of origin, religion, disability status, gender, sexual orientation, and gender identity to apply.

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