Senior Accountant

Skookum Educational Programs DBA Tessera; Bremerton (WA); On-site; USD 92,000 - 104,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision

401(k) retirement plan

Flexible Spending Accounts

11 paid federal holidays

Vacation and sick leave

Tuition assistance

Professional development

EAP

Verizon wireless discount

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

Job summary

Tessera is seeking a Senior Accountant in Bremerton, WA. This exempt role involves complex accounting across multiple states, tax setups, and sales/use tax compliance. You will drive scalable processes, ensure strong controls, and deliver timely financial information.

The ideal candidate has 5–8 years of accounting/finance experience, advanced U.S. GAAP knowledge, and ERP/Payroll systems proficiency. Collaboration with Finance, Payroll, HR, and Operations is essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, or related field required.
• 5–8 years of accounting/finance experience required.
• Advanced knowledge of U.S. GAAP, internal controls, reconciliations, and close processes.
• Experience with multi-state registrations and sales/use tax compliance.
• Strong Excel skills and ERP/payroll/HRIS proficiency.

Responsibilities

• Lead monthly, quarterly, and year-end close activities with journal entries and reconciliations.
• Coordinate sales and use tax compliance and tax registrations.
• Analyze GAAP accounting entries, perform variance analysis, and support audits.
• Develop recurring financial analyses for management and execs.
• Collaborate across Finance, Payroll, HR, and Operations to improve processes.

Skills

U.S. GAAP

Payroll costing

Multi-state registrations

Sales & use tax

Excel

ERP systems

Financial close

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting or related field

Tools

ERP systems

Payroll/HRIS

Job description

Join Tessera and make a difference. Tessera is a national leader in creating meaningful employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities and veterans. We are a dynamic and growing organization of social entrepreneurs dedicated to building strong communities and delivering exceptional service. About Tessera: A recognized leader in inclusive employment and workforce development. A mission-driven team of innovative and passionate professionals. Operating self-sustaining businesses across 15 states and the District of Columbia, with a workforce of more than 2,000 employees. Committed to providing outstanding customer experiences across all service lines. Focused on supporting employee growth through robust training, development, and support programs.

Location

Bremerton, Washington

Type

Exempt

Compensation

$92,196.00 - $104,442.00 per year

Work Schedule

Full-time, Monday – Friday 7:30 am – 4:00 pm (flexible start and end times depending on scheduling needs)

As a Senior Accountant, you’ll… The Senior Accountant is a high-level individual contributor and subject-matter resource responsible for complex accounting, multi-state business and tax setups, and sales and use tax compliance. The role partners across Finance, Payroll, Human Resources, Operations, and system teams to establish scalable processes, maintain strong controls, resolve complex issues, and deliver accurate, timely financial information. Lead finance-related setup for operations entering new states, including requirements research, registrations, taxability assessment, system configuration, documentation, and readiness validation.Coordinate state and local account registrations and ongoing maintenance for applicable sales and use tax, payroll withholding, unemployment, and other business tax accounts.Maintain a centralized compliance calendar and state setup matrix documenting registrations, filing frequencies, ownership, deadlines, system status, and supporting records.Research state-specific requirements, document conclusions and assumptions, and elevate matters requiring legal, payroll-tax, or indirect-tax advice.Serve as the Finance lead for costing allocations and their accounting impacts, including company, cost center, program, project, work location, and other costing attributes.Partner with Human Resources and Payroll to review effective-dated transactions for accuracy, completeness, approvals, and alignment with organizational structures; assess downstream impacts to payroll costing, labor distributions, financial reporting, and the general ledger; and lead timely resolution of data, configuration, and reconciliation issues.Perform detailed G&A expense analysis, including budget-to-actual and period-over-period variance reviews, trend analysis, forecasting, accrual validation, and allocation assessments by company, cost center, project, supplier, and account.Identify root causes and emerging risks, partner with budget owners on corrective actions, and verify that results reconcile to payroll, subledgers, and the general ledger.Coordinate sales and use tax compliance, including taxability research, exemption-certificate management, return preparation or review, payment support, and account reconciliations.Monitor filing requirements, tax law and rate changes, business activity in new or existing states, and other operational changes that may create new sales and use tax registration or filing obligations.Reconcile sales tax payable, use tax accruals, returns, payments, and general ledger activity; investigate and resolve variances promptly.Lead assigned monthly, quarterly, and year-end close activities, including complex journal entries, balance-sheet reconciliations, account analysis, and variance explanations.Prepare audit schedules, maintain defensible workpapers, document procedures and internal controls, and respond to auditor requests for assigned areas.Lead cross-functional projects, support system testing and reporting improvements, provide coaching and cross-training, and communicate risks, decisions, dependencies, and deadlines early.Develop and deliver recurring financial analyses and management reporting for G&A departments, translating complex data into clear findings, recommendations, and actionable insights for Finance and executive leaders.Serve as a backup Project Accountant for operational accounting activities as needed, including transaction review, reconciliations, issue resolution, and coordination with Operations to maintain continuity, accuracy, and timely completion of critical processes.All Other Duties as Assigned.

You'd make an excellent Senior Accountant if you: Consider yourself a people person. Love working on collaborative teams. Are dedicated to internal and external customer service. Take pride in your work. Are drawn to serving others and want to challenge yourself through mission-driven work.

Tessera is proud to offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package to our eligible part-time and full-time employees. Medical, Dental, Vision, Life & Short-Term Disability Insurance Elective 401(k) retirement plan with a 3% employer discretionary contribution after 90-days of employment Flexible Spending Accounts for both medical and dependent care 11 paid federal holidays, accrual of 12 paid days of vacation, paid sick leave Potential shared earning bonus Tuition assistance is available after 1 year of employment and potential scholarships for qualified dependents Professional development, certifications, and training opportunities Verizon wireless discount Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and an engaging wellness program Public Service Loan Forgiveness eligibility for full-time employees.

Core Competencies of the Tessera Senior Accountant

• Purpose – Understands and supports Tessera’s mission of creating opportunities for people with disabilities and veterans.
• Demonstrates commitment to inclusion and equitable opportunities for all.
• Values – Inclusion: Treats others with dignity and respect, demonstrates awareness of people of all abilities, and contributes to an inclusive workplace.
• Partnership: Works collaboratively with coworkers, supervisors, and stakeholders to achieve shared goals.
• Integrity: Acts honestly, follows through on commitments, and takes accountability for actions and results.
• Safety Mindset – Follows all safety procedures and takes ownership of personal safety. Speaks up about hazards, concerns, and opportunities to improve safety. Participates in safety initiatives and continuous improvement efforts.
• Operations Excellence – Completes work with quality, reliability, and attention to detail. Takes ownership of responsibilities and contributes to team success through collaboration and consistency.
• Customer Service – Treats customers, coworkers, and stakeholders with professionalism and respect. Communicates clearly and represents Tessera positively in all interactions.

Summary of desired skills and experience for the Tessera Senior Accountant

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, or related field is required.
• 5 – 8 years of previous experience is Accounting or Finance is required.
• Combination of education and previous experience will be considered.
• Must have advanced knowledge of U.S. GAAP, internal controls, account reconciliation, and financial close processes.
• Working expertise in multi-state registrations, sales and use tax compliance, exemption certificates, and audit support is required.
• Must have a strong understanding of payroll costing, effective dating, and cross-company or intercompany accounting impacts.
• Must have advanced Excel skills and strong proficiency with ERP, payroll/HRIS, tax, and reporting systems.
• Ability to research unfamiliar requirements, document conclusions, manage competing deadlines, lead cross-functional work, and independently drive issues to resolution.
• A valid state driver’s license is required with the ability to obtain and maintain coverage by Tessera’s insurance.
• Access to a federal military installation requires a REAL ID-compliant driver's license or an acceptable alternative, such as a U.S. passport or military ID, in accordance with the REAL ID Act. Please visit this website for more information: https://www.dhs.gov/real-id.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain applicable security clearances and installation access.
• A background check and E-Verify will be conducted for this position.

Access to a federal military installation requires a REAL ID-compliant driver's license or an acceptable alternative, such as a U.S. passport or military ID, in accordance with the REAL ID Act. Please visit this website for more information: https://www.dhs.gov/real-id.

Tessera is a national non-profit, government contractor that is dedicated to “Creating Opportunities for People with Disabilities” through hiring and supporting individuals with disabilities and veterans with disabilities.

We take pride in our mission-focused culture, our Core Values, Diversity, Partnership, Commitment, Integrity, and Quality, and our dedication to providing a safe and respectful work environment to our employees.

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Tessera is here to help you with the recruitment process. If you require an accommodation or support, please contact us at [phone] or email [e-mail].

Tessera is an Equal Opportunity Employer - Women/Minority/Veteran/Disabled - Tessera participates in E-Verify

Tessera is an Equal Opportunity Employer - Women/Minority/Veteran/Disabled - Tessera participates in E-Verify