Senior Accountant

Suffolk University; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 68,000 - 113,000; Full time

Job summary

Suffolk University, located in Boston, seeks a Senior Accountant to manage endowment and investment accounting and to ensure GAAP-compliant reporting. The role entails recording investment transactions, reconciling accounts in Workday, and preparing footnotes for annual statements.

CPA and nonprofit experience are highly valued. The Senior Accountant collaborates with the Controller’s Office to support month-end closes, assist with external audits, and provide detailed analyses of endowment

Qualifications

• 5-7 years’ experience in financial operations; nonprofit/higher education environment or a foundation is preferred; endowment accounting experience a plus.
• Bachelor’s degree in accounting or finance.
• CPA certification as well as knowledge of investments and not-for-profit endowment management a plus.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills with high attention to detail and deadlines.
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal.
• High level interpersonal skills, with ability to work and collaborate with diverse staff at all levels of the organization.
• Ability to evaluate and document business processes and internal controls and identify areas of potential improvement.
• Experience with financial accounting software and reporting tools; Workday Financials preferred.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite applications, especially Excel

Responsibilities

• Enter investment statements to record accounting in Workday and prepare monthly reconciliations.
• Prepare endowment and investment reconciliations and footnotes for financial statements.
• Assist with preparing reports and meeting documents for the Investment Subcommittee.
• Record endowment spend and manage gift restrictions and allocations.
• Create and post monthly recurring journal entries and assist with audits.

Skills

Analytical skills

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Interpersonal skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in accounting or finance

Tools

Workday Financials

Microsoft Excel

Job description

The Senior Accountant is a key member of the Controller’s Office within the Finance and Administration Division of Suffolk University. The position has overall responsibility for the accurate and timely accounting of endowment funds, including recording transactions reconciling investment accounts, as well as other general accounting reconciliations. This role requires strong analytical skills, proficiency in accounting software and Excel, and a deep understanding of GAAP and knowledge of UPMIFA. The Senior Accountant also supports and attends meetings of the Investment Subcommittee.

Primary Responsibilities

Investment Accounting and Administration: Enters Investment statements to record accounting in Workday. Prepares monthly reconciliations, including Investments to Endowment. Compiles investment footnotes for annual financial statements. Prepares the University’s response to the investment portion of surveys. Works with Advancement to administer planned giving activity, including CRUTs and charitable gift annuities.Assists with preparing reports, data and/or meeting documents for the Investment Subcommittee of the Board of Trustees.

Spendable Gift and Endowment Accounting and Administration

Works with the Assistant Controller to calculate annual endowment appropriation in alignment with the University’s Statement of Investment Objectives, Goals and Policy Guidelines. Records release from restrictions and monitors gift budgets to actual to ensure they are not overspent. Prepares spring awards gift budgets and work with university personnel to monitor spend. Onboards new stewards of gifts to properly understand restrictions, Workday reporting and recording of offsetting expenditures. Resolves issues with administration of restricted funds as required and on a timely basis. Records Advancement contributions and pledge transactions and prepares related reconciliations. Processes the monthly endowment unitization, investment return and spend allocation. Prepares the University’s response to the endowment portion of annual surveys. Prepares monthly reconciliations. Compiles endowment footnotes for annual financial statements. Provides support and assistance to the Controller in preparing schedules for the interim and yearend external audits and provide support for month, quarter and year-end close activities and processes.

Other Duties

Participates in internal and external meetings as required, including the Investment Subcommittee of the Board of Trustees. Takes minutes at the Investment Subcommittee meetings. Supports and partners with the Controller, the University Budget Director, Advancement and other University personnel, as needed. Prepares monthly reconciliations and workpapers (i.e. Miscellaneous receivables, Prepaid expenses and other ledger accounts) to support the external audit. Oversees Student Government accounting transactions and Budgets in Workday. Creates and posts monthly recurring journal entries and runs allocations.

Requirements

• 5-7 years’ experience in financial operations; non-profit/higher education environment or a foundation is preferred; endowment accounting experience a plus.
• Bachelor’s degree in accounting or finance.
• CPA certification as well as knowledge of investments and not-for-profit endowment management a plus.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills with high attention to detail and deadlines.
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal.
• High level interpersonal skills, with ability to work and collaborate with diverse staff at all levels of the organization.
• Ability to evaluate and document business processes and internal controls and identify areas of potential improvement.
• Experience with financial accounting software and reporting tools; Workday Financials preferred.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite applications, especially Exce The salary range for this role is $67,500 - $112,500.

Salary Transparency

Suffolk University provides salary ranges as a good faith estimate of what it reasonably expects to pay for a role at the time the position is posted. The actual salary offered to the selected candidate will depend on various factors, including, but not limited to, the position’s scope and responsibilities, the candidate’s experience, education, training, and applicable legal requirements. The listed pay range reflects base salary only and does not include additional benefits or compensation.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Suffolk University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, national origin, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, military status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We welcome applications from qualified candidates of all backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences. The University strives to recruit, develop and retain faculty and staff committed to educational excellence, the robust exchange of ideas, and engage in membership in a diverse and inclusive community.

Suffolk University is a private, urban university located in the heart of downtown Boston. Our college green is the Boston Common and we are steps from dozens of historic sites including the Old State House, Faneuil Hall, City Hall and the Massachusetts State House. We have no real boundaries to our campus—Boston and Suffolk blend together. Suffolk has been committed to creating an exceptional learning experience since 1906. Our vision is to be recognized as a dynamic institution that fosters engaged learning, rigorous scholarship, innovative thinking, and community collaboration across disciplines. We will ensure that Suffolk graduates are versatile and prepared for modern society and the new world market. We will provide rich curricula, experiential learning opportunities and professional mentoring through increased collaboration with alumni and community partners. We will recruit, mentor, and support a diverse faculty of teacher-scholars who are passionately committed to preparing our students to be leaders in the global community. We will inspire investment in a Suffolk community that is built on ethical, forward-thinking leadership, teamwork, and cooperation. Here is a message from Suffolk University's President, Marisa Kelly.