Investment Accountant

The Helmsley Charitable Trust; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 98,000 - 103,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work schedule

23+ paid vacation and sick days

13+ paid holidays

End of year office closure

Summer Fridays

Professional development opportunities

Job summary

The Helmsley Charitable Trust is seeking an Investment Accountant to support accounting for its endowment investments around $7.6 billion. The role partners with internal teams and external parties, reporting to the Tax and Investment Accounting Manager, and focuses on accurate investment accounting and financial controls.

The position emphasizes collaboration, compliance, and timely financial reporting, with a hybrid work schedule and a competitive starting salary in the NYC area.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting or related experience.
• CPA preferred.
• Minimum 3 years of experience applying accounting principles to investment accounting.

Responsibilities

• Ensure investment accounting policies and procedures are maintained and enhanced.
• Process and record investment transactions, including settlement, reconciliations, accruals, and capital activity.
• Manage cash flow forecasting and liquidity analyses for grantmaking and operations.
• Prepare accounting and tax journal entries and audit workpapers.
• Coordinate with Investments Department and Master Custodian Bank for smooth operations.

Skills

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Time management

Team player

Confidentiality

Independent worker

Education

Bachelor's degree in accounting

CPA preferred

Tools

Microsoft Office

Master Custodian Banks

Job description

The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust (“Helmsley”) is a global philanthropy driven by a vision of building better futures for people by increasing access to healthcare, advancing new research and ideas, and improving the quality of everyday life. Helmsley strives to make a meaningful impact in its focus areas, matching its significant financial assets with a rigorous and results-oriented approach. Helmsley is committed to close and productive partnerships with its grantees, as well as with other funders and impact players in government, academia, and the private sector who share its interests and goals. Above all, Helmsley endeavors to be forward-thinking in every aspect of its work and will take risks that others cannot or will not take when the risk/reward trade-off warrants.

Since 2008, when Helmsley began its active grantmaking, it has committed more than $4.5 billion. For more information on Helmsley, please visit https://helmsleytrust.org/.

Position Summary

The Investment Accountant is an integral part of the Finance team and assists in accounting for the investments of Helmsley’s endowment of approximately $7.6 billion. This role requires a partnership philosophy with Helmsley’s internal and external parties. The Investment Accountant reports to the Tax and Investment Accounting Manager.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Investment Accounting and Investment Administration

• Ensure that Helmsley’s financial controls, investment accounting policies and procedures are maintained and enhanced.
• Ensure accurate and timely processing and accounting of investment transactions, including:
• Settlement of trades
• Monitoring movement of securities
• Cash and position reconciliations, accruals, etc.,
• Execution of capital calls, receipt of distributions, and other capital activities
• Monthly/quarterly management fee analysis and payment
• Preparation of accounting and tax journal entries
• Other shadow accounting activities as appropriate
• Stay current with evolving accounting, technology, and reporting considerations of investment products.
• Manage cash flow forecasting and analyses to ensure sufficient liquidity to meet grantmaking, operational and strategic funding requirements.
• Manage dynamic interaction and cooperation with Investments Department.
• Perform as primary contact for relationship and collaboration of investment administration with Master Custodian Bank to ensure smooth operations and timely resolution of issues.
• Prepare annual financial audit workpapers and act as liaison with outside auditors on investment accounting matters.

Tax Matters

• Prepare tax workpapers.

Desired Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting or related experience. CPA preferred.
• Minimum 3 years of experience applying accounting principles to investment accounting for all types of securities and alternative investments at an investment firm or endowment.
• Flexibility and adaptability commensurate with working in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience with Microsoft Office Suite, corporate enterprise-wide accounting software and ability to adapt to new systems.
• Prior experience with master custodial banks.
• Strong planning, organization, and time management skills, and ability to meet deadlines.
• Meticulous attention to detail.
• Must be able to maintain confidentiality of financial information.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including the ability to convey relevant financial information in a clear, concise manner to a non-technical audience.
• Must thrive in a team-setting but work well independently and self-sufficiently.
• Positive attitude under pressure.

Salary, Health, Well-being, and Living Our Mission

Helmsley is dedicated to creating stronger, healthier futures for communities in the U.S. and around the world. Helmsley colleagues are intelligent, creative, forward thinking, and strongly committed to working productively with each other and with our grantee partners. Each was drawn to Helmsley by the same opportunity: to help build this young organization into a leading global charitable institution that will drive meaningful and measurable positive change in lives throughout the U.S. and around the world for years to come.

Helmsley is committed to offering competitive and equitable compensation commensurate with experience. The targeted starting salary range for this position is $98,000 - $102,800.

Comprehensive benefits currently offered to employees (subject to change) include:

• Employer-paid medical, dental, and vision for employees and their families
• Hybrid work schedule (up to two remote days a week)
• 23+ paid vacation and sick days
• 13+ paid holidays
• End of year office closure
• Summer Fridays
• Personal and team professional development opportunities

Application Information

To apply for this position, please submit a cover letter and resume (in Word or PDF format) to the posting listed on the Helmsley Career Page. If a reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application process, please contact [e-mail].

The position is based at Helmsley’s main office in New York City. Only those selected for an interview will be contacted. In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification document form upon hire.

All persons hired must be authorized to work in the U.S. without the need for employment-based visa sponsorship now or in the future. Helmsley will not sponsor applicants for U.S. work visa status for this opportunity (no sponsorship is available for H-1B, L-1, TN, O-1, E-3, H-1B1, F-1, J-1, OPT, CPT or any other employment-based visa).

Except when working remotely as permitted by Helmsley’s temporary hybrid work policy, the ability to work and collaborate in person with colleagues at Helmsley’s office is an essential function of this job.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by the incumbent(s) of this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and activities required for the position. Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.

Helmsley provides equal employment and promotional opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment based upon individual capabilities and qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, pregnancy, sexual orientation, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic as established under law.

Equal Opportunity Employer:

This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.