Staff Accountant - P/T in Chicago, Illinois at Atreum

About Atreum

Atreum is a boutique firm based in Washington, DC that provides operational and strategic infrastructure to nonprofits, foundations, and mission-driven organizations. We work fluidly across 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), and for-profit structures, with deep expertise in hybrid capital, grant-funded program work, and the financial mechanics of social impact. Our clients are scaling nonprofits and philanthropic vehicles that need a back office that can keep up with their ambition.

We are an early-stage, rapidly growing firm. The team you'd be joining is small, senior, and building Atreum's infrastructure from the ground up. This role is a chance to be part of that build — to shape how the firm's accounting function runs, set the standards we'll scale on, and grow with us. We are still under the radar, so feel free to ask questions at careers@atreumhq.com if you want to learn more.

The Role

We're hiring a Staff Accountant (part-time, scaling to full-time) to own day-to-day bookkeeping and technical accounting work across a portfolio of 6-10 nonprofit clients. The role reports to Atreum's Director of Financial Services.

The work is primarily back-office: you'll work inside Atreum's team to keep client books accurate, audit-ready, and compliant with nonprofit accounting standards. Atreum's partners and senior advisors will typically handle client-facing communication, though you may work directly with clients from time to time to support specific operational needs — answering targeted questions, walking through journal entries, or coordinating on payments and reconciliations.

If you've spent 2-3 years in Big 4 audit (especially nonprofit audit) and you're ready to move into a role where you can apply your technical depth without the travel, the hours, or the busy-season grind, this role is built for you. You'll work with mission-driven clients across a range of structures and complexities, and you'll see your work reflected directly in client decision-making.

Position Structure

This role starts at 0.5 FTE (approximately 20 hours per week) with the explicit intent to scale to full-time in the next 4-6 months as our client portfolio grows. At the transition to full-time, you'll move onto Atreum's full benefits program, which we are building out in parallel with this hire.

This structure is honest about where we are: we are a young firm growing quickly. We want to bring in the right person now, give them real ownership from day one, and grow the role as the firm grows. The right candidate is someone who is energized by being early at a firm that's scaling — not someone looking for an established corporate setup.

What You'll Own

Client books and monthly close (primary):

• Manage day-to-day bookkeeping for 6-10 nonprofit clients across QuickBooks Online and Xero
• Execute monthly close: bank and credit card reconciliations, journal entries, accruals, revenue recognition, expense allocations
• Maintain accurate fund accounting and tracking of restricted vs. unrestricted net assets, grant-funded program expenses, and donor-imposed restrictions
• Generate monthly financial statements and reporting packages for Atreum's senior team
• Manage A/P, A/R, payroll posting, and 1099 processes across client books
• Support client payment workflows via Ramp, including transaction coding, approval routing, and reconciliation back to the GL

Audit prep and external auditor coordination:

• Prepare schedules, workpapers, and supporting documentation for client annual audits and reviews
• Act as Atreum's point of contact with external audit teams during fieldwork — answering inquiries, providing documentation, addressing audit adjustments
• Maintain audit-ready books year-round so audits are smooth, fast, and inexpensive for clients

Grant financial reporting and restricted fund tracking:

• Organize clients’ chart of accounts and programs to enable tracking across grants and functional categories.
• Prepare grant financial reports for funders, including federal grants where applicable
• Reconcile grant revenue recognition timing with cash receipts and reporting requirements

Internal controls and policies:

• Help design and document internal financial controls and accounting policies for Atreum's clients
• Identify control weaknesses across client books and recommend remediation
• Maintain Atreum's accounting SOPs and contribute to building scalable, repeatable processes across the client portfolio

Technical accounting research:

• Interpret and apply U.S. GAAP, including ASU and FASB pronouncements relevant to not-for-profit entities (ASC 958 and related guidance)
• Monitor changes in nonprofit accounting standards and translate implications for Atreum's clients
• Serve as Atreum's internal technical accounting resource — when partners or advisors have a question about accounting treatment, you're the person they ask

Client support (occasional):

• Most client communication runs through Atreum's partners and senior advisors, but you may occasionally support clients directly on bookkeeping questions, payment workflows, and reconciliation issues
• Maintain a professional, clear, and responsive communication style when you do interact with clientsDescribe the specific responsibilities and job functions of the role

Who We're Looking For

Required:

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting or related field
• 2-3 years of audit experience at a Big 4 or strong regional public accounting firm
• Strong working knowledge of U.S. GAAP, with the technical depth to interpret and apply new accounting standards as they're issued
• Comfort with QuickBooks Online and Xero (or strong aptitude to come up to speed quickly on Xero if you've only used QuickBooks)
• Precise, detail-oriented work product. This role is responsible for the integrity of multiple clients' books; accuracy matters.
• Self-directed; comfortable working remotely with minimal day-to-day oversight
• Energized by an early-stage, rapidly growing firm — comfortable with the ambiguity that comes with building something new

Strongly preferred:

• Nonprofit audit experience at a Big 4 or regional firm (Deloitte, PwC, EY, KPMG; or CLA, BDO, Aronson, Marcum, Tate & Tryon, etc.)
• Familiarity with ASC 958 (Not-for-Profit Entities), Uniform Guidance, and Single Audit requirements
• Exposure to fund accounting and restricted net asset tracking
• Experience with Form 990 preparation or coordination with tax preparers
• Familiarity with Ramp, Bill.com, Expensify, Gusto, or similar tech stack tools

Nice to have:

• Understanding of 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) compliance issues, including public support testing, lobbying limitations, and related entity considerations
• Exposure to organizations operating across multiple entity structures (c3/c4 affiliations, related LLCs)
• Experience moving books between accounting platforms (e.g., QuickBooks ↔ Xero migrations)

What You'll Get

• Fully remote work. We're based in DC with team members in multiple cities; we operate as a remote-first firm though we may have options for a DC office in the future.
• A reasonable workload with seasonal peaks around client audits and year-end
• Occasional travel for team-building sessions.
• Range and variety. Six to ten clients across different structures (c3, c4, LLC, hybrid capital), not the same handful of clients every year.
• Real ownership from day one. You will own the books, not review someone else's work. Your output goes directly into client decision-making.
• A clear path to growth. The role starts at 0.5 FTE with the explicit intent to scale to full-time in 4-6 months. As the firm grows, this role can evolve into a Senior Accountant or Accounting Manager position.
• Competitive compensation. Hourly rate during the part-time period; full salary, performance bonus, health/dental/vision benefits, 401(k), and PTO once the role transitions to full-time.
• CPA/CPE professional development support.
• A seat at the table at a firm that's actively scaling. You'll help shape how Atreum's accounting function runs.

Compensation

Salary range: $40-$48 / hour equivalent to approximately $42,000-$50,000 annualized at 0.5 FTE. This range reflects what Atreum believes in good faith it would pay for this role at the time of posting; actual compensation depends on experience, qualifications, and scope. This position is not eligible for health benefits. If position transitions to full-time, base salary range is $80,000-$95,000 plus benefits and bonus eligibility. Final offer based on experience and credentials. Atreum does not request or screen candidates based on salary history.

How to Apply

Attach a resume and complete the short questionnaire explaining what draws you to this role. No formal cover letter required. We'll move quickly on strong candidates.