Accounting Manager

NACBA; California (MO); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Statewide California Electronic Library Consortium (SCELC) is seeking an experienced accounting leader to optimize financial health and efficiency across its nonprofit operations. You will manage complex accounting processes, coordinate audits, and partner with senior leadership to improve workflows and reporting.

The role requires strong communication, organizational skills, and hands-on experience with nonprofit finance systems in a hybrid work setting with in-person duties as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting or MBA preferred for leadership roles.
• 5–10 years of experience in financial auditing and accounting practice development.
• Proficiency with MS Office and Excel.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills for diverse stakeholders.
• Strong organizational skills and leadership abilities.
• Experience supervising staff and attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Maintain all financial transactions and records across systems to ensure accuracy.
• Monitor accounts payable and receivable to sustain positive cash flow.
• Prepare consortial financial statements and reports as requested.
• Coordinate data exchange between internal systems and external tools (ConsortiaManager, BILL, QuickBooks).
• Assist auditors and leadership in audits and identifying financial risks.
• Develop and implement improvements to accounting practices and policies.
• Oversee annual 990 tax form preparation and review with the Board Finance team.
• Ensure timely communication of accounting policies to libraries and vendors.

Skills

Accounting

Nonprofit finance

Budgeting

Auditing

MS Office

Excel

Education

Bachelor’s degree in accounting

MBA or ALA-accredited master’s with business experience

Tools

ConsortiaManager

BILL

QuickBooks Online

Job description

Designs and recommends solutions to ongoing and unexpected challenges to SCELC’s accounting practices to improve financial health and increase efficiencies.

About Statewide California Electronic Library Consortium

SCELC represents a diverse community of 110+ Member and 230+ Affiliate institutions and organizations across multiple states, and is one of the top five consortia in licensing volume in all of North America. SCELC is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt corporation established in 1986. Originally focused on academic institutions in Southern California, SCELC now represents a diverse array of libraries, including many small and medium-sized institutions, across the United States. SCELC’s portfolio of consortial licensing, programming, and services is enabled by our commitment to building relationships and nurturing networks between our libraries and our vendor and publisher partners. Our mission is to empower librarians to collaborate on access and effective use of library resources and services.

Description

Reporting to: Senior Leadership

Location

Location: This is a hybrid position with a weekly split between telecommuting and required in-person work attendance at the discretion of the employer.

Responsibilities

1. Keeps the Executive Director apprised of SCELC operations, particularly in matters of finance, business progress and processes, workflows, and staffing. Assists the Executive Director and the Finance Committee in creating and tracking SCELC budgets.
2. Provides administrative support to the SCELC Executive Committee and the SCELC Board, including but not limited to financial reports and frequent attendance at meetings. Supports the board’s Treasurer and Finance Committee as needed.
3. Manages all financial transactions and recordkeeping and maintains all accounts across systems (subscription, accounting, and banking). Monitors accounts payable and receivable to maintain positive cash flow and adherence to budgets and ensure that auditing and accounting policies are followed. Produces consortial financial statements and reports regularly and as requested.
   1. Manages data exchange between the SCELC internal operations database (ConsortiaManager), BILL (billpay system), and QuickBooks Online.
   2. Supervises sending of statements to libraries and resolves billing issues, including addressing collections on past due invoices.
   3. Responds to complex vendor invoice complications.
   4. Records operating expenses, including personnel and benefits expenses.
4. Works with consulting auditors, COO, and Executive Director to meet audit needs
   1. Interprets and analyzes audit findings to identify areas of financial risk and inefficiency.
   2. Develop methods to identify financial risks in working with potential and existing customers.
   3. Provides suggestions to ensure compliance and helps implement improvements to existing accounting practices.
5. Works with accountants to complete annual 990 tax forms
   1. Creates reports and gathers information for the annual 990 tax form
   2. Reviews 990 draft
   3. Relays final 990 filing to Board Treasurer, Finance Committee, and Board of Directors
6. Coordinating with the COO and bookkeepers, ensures transactional accuracy and timeliness of accounts receivable and payable.
   1. Troubleshoots issues in accounting and bill pay systems and resolves accounting inconsistencies
   2. Processes statements from vendors to SCELC
      1. Resolution of issues with vendors, in CM, and in BILL
      2. Processing credits
      3. Communication with vendors as needed
   3. Enhances efficiencies and effectiveness in accounts receivable and accounts payable procedures
7. Ensures SCELC accounting practices are communicated with libraries and vendors in a timely manner and changes to policies and procedures are coordinated to limit misinterpretations.
8. Fosters an organizational culture that promotes ethical practices, stakeholder focus and service, and encourages individual integrity.
9. Participates in professional development as it relates to the operations of SCELC, including but not limited to attending conferences and maintaining membership in professional organizations.
10. Coordinating with Business Services and License Services, performs prioritized projects. Projects may be assisted from the list below.

Business Services Projects

• Invoices libraries and subscription agents from ConsortiaManager.
• Supplements Business Services staff in accomplishing urgent tasks during peak workloads as assigned.
• Subscription list price project
• Historic renewal increase calculation project
  • By vendor
  • By institution

Qualifications and Specifications

1. Bachelor’s degree in accounting, an MBA, or an ALA-accredited master’s degree with business experience
2. 5-10 years of experience in financial auditing and accounting practice development, preferably within a nonprofit environment
3. Facility with Contact Management Systems, Microsoft Office Suite, and Excel.
4. Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, especially the ability to convey complex financial information to diverse stakeholders.
5. Good organizational skills and proven leadership abilities.
6. Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills.
7. Demonstrated ability to supervise staff.
8. Extreme attention to detail.