Staff Accountant in Detroit, Michigan at Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan

The Staff Accountant is an integral member of the Finance team, responsible for supporting the accuracy, integrity, and timeliness of the Community Foundation’s financial operations. Reporting to the Accounting Manager, the Staff Accountant is responsible for a broad range of monthly accounting activities, including fund level accounting, account reconciliations, financial reporting, and accounts payable activities. 

 This position works with a degree of independence on a defined portfolio of accounting responsibilities, while collaborating closely with colleagues across the Finance team and with other departments. The Staff Accountant is expected to bring strong technical skills, sound judgment, and a commitment to accuracy to every aspect of their work.  

About the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan (CFSEM):
The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan was established in 1984 to ensure residents in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Monroe, Washtenaw, Livingston and St. Clair counties can thrive. As a permanent community endowment built by gifts from thousands of individuals and organizations, the Community Foundation supports a variety of activities benefiting economic opportunity, health equity, youth and education, arts and culture, and the environment and public spaces. Since its inception, the Community Foundation has grown to be among the top 35 community foundations in the country and has distributed more than $1.4 billion through roughly 91,000 grants to nonprofit organizations. The Community Foundation’s mission is to make southeast Michigan a desirable place to live, work and play for all residents, today and tomorrow. For more information, please visit www.cfsem.org.

Responsibilities:

General Ledger & Monthly Close 

• Prepare and enter journal entries, both manually and by import, ensuring accurate and timely recording of financial transactions in accordance with GAAP. 
• Support the monthly and year-end close processes, including preparation of account reconciliations and supporting schedules assigned by the Director of Financial Operations or Accounting Manager. 
• Assist in the preparation of monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements and supporting schedules, including actual vs. budget reporting and account analyses. 

Accounts Payable and Expenses 

• Route, code, and process vendor invoices accurately and on time, coordinating with department staff to ensure proper approval and budget alignment prior to entry into the financial system. 
• Allocate org-wide expenses, including employee benefits, to departments and initiatives. 
• Track and reconcile corporate credit card activity monthly, ensuring all cardholder receipts are collected, transactions are properly documented, and charges are coded and recorded in the accounting system. 
• Support and collaborate with the Director of Financial Planning & Analysis on the annual budget, department reporting and preparing and entering journal entries. 

Audit, Tax & Compliance 

• Support the annual audit process by preparing workpapers, schedules, and supporting documentation for assigned areas. 
• Assist in the preparation of Forms 990 and 990-T and other regulatory filings, including relevant schedules. 
• Prepare annual Forms 1099-MISC and 1099-R. 
• Adhere to and help maintain the Foundation’s internal financial controls and accounting procedures. 

Systems & General Support 

• Support the Finance team’s transition to a new ERP system, including assistance with data migration, validation, and testing. 
• Assist with the maintenance and documentation of accounting procedures and records retention, including electronic conversion of records. 
• Respond to internal requests for financial information in a timely and professional manner. 
• Perform other duties as assigned in support of the Finance team and the Foundation’s mission. 

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a closely related field required. 
• Minimum of 3 years of professional accounting experience; nonprofit or foundation accounting experience preferred. 
• Experience with full-cycle accounting including general ledger, journal entries, account reconciliations, and month-end close. 
• Prior experience supporting an external audit and/or preparing Form 990 schedules is a plus. 

Technical Skills 

• Proficiency in accounting and ERP systems; experience with nonprofit financial management platforms is a plus. 
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including pivot tables, lookups, and data analysis tools. 
• Familiarity with grants management or CRM systems (e.g., Blackbaud, Salesforce) is a plus. 
• Working knowledge of GAAP as applied to nonprofit organizations, including ASC 958. 

Competencies & Attributes 

• Exceptional attention to detail and commitment to accuracy and data integrity. 
• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills, with the ability to research and resolve discrepancies independently. 
• Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a dynamic environment. 
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.  
• Collaborative, team-oriented approach with a willingness to support colleagues across the Finance department. 
• Discretion and integrity in handling sensitive financial and donor information. 

Core Competencies

• Customer Focus: Prioritizes understanding and addressing the needs and expectations of our community and stakeholders. Demonstrates active listening, empathy, and responsiveness, with a consistent commitment to delivering exceptional service.
• Plans and Aligns: Invests time in planning, discovery, and reflection. Engages in active mindfulness to identify and adjust mental shortcuts and assumptions. Seeks out diverse perspectives and experiences to test thinking, proactively anticipates reactions and multiple outcomes, and plans for potential issues and industry trends.
• Collaborative: Works effectively with others—within the team and cross-functionally — to achieve individual, departmental, and organizational goals. Values diverse input, shared accountability, and partnership as essential to producing strong outcomes.
• Decision Making & Problem Solving: Simplifies complex challenges using critical thinking and sound judgment. Gathers and evaluates relevant information, incorporates multiple perspectives, identifies root causes, and determines practical, effective solutions. Applies an audience-centric approach by considering the needs of stakeholders when making decisions and implementing solutions.

Benefits & Salary:

The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan offers a robust total compensation package The targeted salary for those entering this role is $64,000 - $80,000. In addition to a competitive base salary, benefits include but aren’t limited to 20 days of vacation accrued monthly, 5 personal days, 11 holidays, 9 sick days accrued monthly, paid parental leave, and employer paid short/long - term disability.

The Community Foundation also offers a pension retirement program after 1 year of service which contributes 10% of salary.

Application Instructions:

This position is being recruited on an expedited timeline. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and early submission is strongly encouraged. To apply, visit www.cfsem.org/careers and look for "Current Opportunities". Please submit your application, including your cover letter through the online portal.

To provide equal employment opportunities to all individuals, employment decisions will be based on merit, qualifications and abilities without regard to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, height, weight, political or union affiliation, disability or any factor prohibited by law or any factor prohibited by law.