Senior Staff Accountant at SAFER FOUNDATION – Chicago, Illinois

The Safer Foundation is a social service provider to individuals with arrest and conviction records. Through a full range of services, including case management, educational instruction and advocacy, we focus on preparing individuals for the world of work by helping them find and keep productive and meaningful employment.

General Summary:

The Senior Staff Accountant-Social Enterprises is responsible for maintaining financial reports, records and general ledgers, billing contracts and performing general bookkeeping. The Staff Accountant-Social Enterprises is also responsible for executing general office duties, and payments of goods and services necessary for the basic operation of the Accounting Function Safer’s social enterprise overall performance. The Staff Accountant-Social Enterprises is responsible for providing oversite and securing day to day operations of Reconstruction Technology Partners by monitoring and approving financial processing both monthly and annually, managerial reporting. This role also advises the VP of Social Enterprises regarding current budgetary/performance information and provides support to each Social Enterprise to create a fiscal strategy that aligns with the goals of the organization, as well as other financial and operation support.

Performance Results Description

The Position is properly performed when all essential duties and responsibilities are executed by following the Safer Values.

Exceeding Expectations, Communication and Collaboration, Integrity and Evidence Based Innovation.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Stakeholder Interface and Service

• Lead a larger part of the day to day operations of Social Enterprises.
• Assist in making key business decisions by providing special analysis
• Provide auditors with information needed in a timely fashion.
• Protects organization's value by keeping information confidential, which, if disclosed, might have significant internal/external effect to the organization.
• Manage multiple projects effectively and efficiently.
• Provide financial analysis as requested in a timely manner, conforming to Safer standards as assigned.
• Copy and distribute Safer Financials matched against final BVA in a timely and prompt manner.
• Perform bank and general ledger account reconciliations accurately and in a timely manner.
• Serve as backup to other members of the Finance Department team as needed.
• Assist Accounting Supervisor and coordinate funder/annual audits.

Stakeholder Outreach and Recruitment

• Consult with operational managers throughout the organization to resolve financial and logistical questions.
• Ensure that customer relationships are being maintained to a satisfactory standard.

Tracking, Document, and Reporting

• Meets operational standards by contributing financial information to strategic plans and reviews; implementing production, productivity, quality, and customer-service standards; resolving problems; identifying system improvements.
• Maintains cash flow by monitoring bank balances and cash requirements; advise upper management to invest excess funds.
• Complete all month-end closing ensure all journal entries are input into the computerized accounting system accurately, in a timely manner.
• Accurately allocate, utilizing the cost allocation plan, all Safer expenditures in order to bill out contract revenue on a monthly and quarterly basis.
• Assemble monthly review of agency cost centers to analyze actual expenditures against budgets with accounting manager.
• Complete journal entries of prepaid expenses and monthly adjustments in the designated time frame.
• All information and data is not only timely and accurate, it is also accessible and useful. Recipients are trained to effectively utilize the information provided to them.
• Auditors find no substantial problems during the annual audit. The audit is completed on time.
• Regular management reports are produced on time. Among these are daily and monthly reports that allow social enterprises staff to track their performance versus budget. Finance also monitors performance and alerts line management to issues arising out of reports.

Fiscal Reporting and Accountability

• Meets financial standards by preparing and providing annual budget information to accounting department; monitoring expenditures; identifying variances; implementing corrective actions.
• Responsible for preparation and quality of the monthly, quarterly, and annual reports that will be used for upper management analyzation.
• The VP of Social Enterprises receive the information, including narrative analysis, necessary and useful in order to be able to report to others, including the President and Board.

Supervision of People

• Oversee accounting aspects of the Social Enterprises finance function.
• Reconstruction Technology Partners function as a team. Staff members are assigned in a way that builds on the strengths of each individual.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Graduate of four-year accounting degree program or in related discipline
• Two years or more of experience preferred in generalist accounting or finance.
• Proven ability to develop and train people on how to use financial spreadsheets
• Highly proficient with relational database accounting software, MIPS, and other popular accounting programs
• Highly proficient with Microsoft Excel package
• Strong team player with ability to interact with all levels of staff in the organization
• Strong ability to create systems for operational efficiency.
• Must show strong Management skills.
• Ability to communicate effectively both in written format and oral presentation.
• Must possess analytical skills.
• Ability to work independently, multi-task, and establish priorities.
• Must be able to effectively handle multiple projects.
• Must have strong interpersonal skills.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Finance/Accounting or in related field or appropriate combination of education/experience preferred.
• 5+ years of experience in all facets of the Accounting cycle
• Experience in annual audits and audit requirements
• Knowledge of financial systems and computerized accounting software packages.

Benefits:

• Medical Insurance – Care for you and eligible family members
  • Choice of two (2) Medical Plan options from BlueCross BlueShield
  • Preferred Provider Organization (PPO)
  • Health Maintenance Organization (HMO)
• Dental Insurance – Offered by BCBS
  • Individual coverage 100% paid by Safer!
    • Eligible family coverage available
• Vision – “See” how Safer cares for your eye health
  • Low-cost co-pays for in-network exam, frames & contacts

• Life Insurance – Protection for you & your family
  • Basic Life (equal to 1.5 times your salary.)
  • 100% paid by Safer!

• 403b Retirement Plan – Helping you save for retirement
  • Generous Company match to help you save more!

• Vacation & Holidays – Refresh, rewind, & enjoy at Safer!
  • Vacation days (non-manager)
  • Company Holidays (2025); more than industry standard
  • Paid Leave Days
    
    
• Other Benefits & Perks -adding value to You!
  • Employee Assistance Plan (EAP)
  • Benefits such as Pet Insurance, Critical Illness, & Travel

Safer Foundation is a drug-free workplace.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action/Minorities/Females/Veterans

www.saferfoundation.org

No Phone Calls Please