Senior Accountant

Bowdoin College; Maine; On-site; USD 85,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(a) / 403(b) plan

Life and Disability Insurance

Paid Time Off

Parental Leave

Gym access

Perks and benefits

Job summary

Bowdoin College, located in Brunswick, Maine, seeks a Senior Accountant to manage capital and non-capital project accounting, fixed assets, and related reporting. The role involves project setup in Workday, journal entries, and audit support to ensure compliance.

The ideal candidate brings 4–7 years of progressive accounting experience, strong Excel skills, and familiarity with Workday. This is an on-site, full-time position offering comprehensive benefits on campus.

Qualifications

• Capital and project accounting experience with project setup, budget-to-actual tracking, funding management, and reporting.
• Fixed asset accounting proficiency including capitalization review, depreciation, asset ledger maintenance, and audit schedules.
• Experience with multiple funding sources (gifts, reserves, debt) and ensuring funding and compliance.
• ERP/financial systems expertise for configuring project/worktag structures and security; Workday preferred.
• Strong reporting/analytical capability including ad hoc analyses and depreciation forecasts.
• External reporting and survey support experience (IPEDS, NCAA, benefit/tax reporting, etc.).
• Debt/bond accounting exposure and related funding entries; audit-ready documentation mindset.

Responsibilities

• Provide stewardship for capital project accounting including Workday setup and security access.
• Maintain Plant Funding Analysis and prepare monthly journal entries for project costs.
• Oversee fixed asset ledger, depreciation entries, and related audit schedules.
• Oversee non-capital project accounting and budget rule management; reconcile budget availability.
• Prepare internal/external reporting and surveys, including welfare plan statements and reserve funds reports.
• Collaborate with VP for Finance on bond-related activity and funding entries.
• Review and approve partner-submitted journal entries and troubleshoot accounting issues.

Skills

Capital and project accounting

Fixed asset accounting

Audit readiness

Budgeting & journal entries

Advanced Excel

Communication & collaboration

Reporting & analytics

Internal controls

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting

MBA, CPA, or CMA preferred

Tools

Workday Financials

ERP systems

Job description

Senior Accountant

Posting Number: S01598JP

Department: Controllers Office

Job Summary: The Senior Accountant has custodial responsibility for capital and non-capital project accounting, including project setup in the ERP system, security access management, funding allocations, and capitalization determinations. This role oversees key plant and project finance processes such as the monthly Plant Funding Analysis, reserve fund reporting, bond requisitions and related funding entries, and fixed asset accounting (capitalization and depreciation). The Senior Accountant prepares audit-ready schedules and documentation and serves as a primary resource in support of the annual financial statement audit. The position produces and coordinates required internal and external reports, surveys, and filings. In partnership with campus stakeholders, the Senior Accountant reviews and approves journal entries and budget override requests, resolves budget-check issues, and provides guidance on general accounting and compliance questions.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Provide stewardship for capital project accounting, including setting up capital project worktags in Workday and assigning appropriate security access for project managers and financial analysts. Maintain the monthly Plant Funding Analysis tracking each project's budget, expenditures, funding sources, and funding status. Prepare monthly journal entries to fund project costs from gifts, reserves, and bond proceeds.
• Manage the fixed asset ledger, including reviewing eligible expenditures, preparing capitalization and depreciation entries, and producing related audit schedules. Develop ad hoc analyses and reports as needed (e.g., depreciation projections and average age of plant).
• Oversee non-capital project accounting, including establishing new projects and assigning security access for project managers and financial analysts. Build and maintain revenue-based budget rules and monitor/resolve budget override requests. Reconcile budget availability issues between Workday reporting and actual project balances, and resolve budget-check holds impacting overdue expense reports.
• Prepare and coordinate required internal/external reporting and surveys, including the annual Welfare Benefit Plan income statement and related tax return data, Business Interruption worksheets, and institutional survey support. Prepare the monthly Reserve Funds Report.
• Collaborate with the Vice President for Finance on bond-related activity, including reviewing proposed bond funding, compiling bond requisition support, and processing associated funding entries.
• Review and approve journal entries submitted by campus partners, providing guidance on general accounting practices and collaborating to troubleshoot and resolve accounting and compliance issues.

The hiring range for this position is expected to be: $85,000 -95,000 annually.

BENEFITS AND PERKS

• A variety of health insurance plans (Medical, Vision, Dental)
• Generous Retirement Plan - 401(a) and 403(b)
• Life and Disability Insurance
• Paid Time Off: 20 days of vacation per calendar year, 12 days of personal/sick time
• Paid Holidays and Special Days Off: https://www.bowdoin.edu/hr/our-workplace/college-holidays-and-special-days-off.html
• Paid Parental Leave (Available after one year of service)
• Household access to many of the College's facilities including the gym and pool
• Free fitness and wellness classes!
• And more: https://www.bowdoin.edu/hr/benefits-perks/index.html

Education/Skills Requirements: Bachelor's degree in Accounting ; MBA, CPA, or CMA is preferred.

• Capital and project accounting experience, including project setup, budget-to-actual tracking, funding source management, and project-level reporting.
• Fixed asset accounting proficiency, including capitalization review, depreciation entries, asset ledger maintenance, and audit schedules/rollforwards.
• Experience working with multiple funding sources/fund types (e.g., gifts, reserves, debt/bond proceeds) and ensuring appropriate funding and compliance.
• ERP/financial systems expertise with ability to configure and maintain project/worktag structures, troubleshoot budget checks, and support role-based security; Workday Financials strongly preferred.
• Strong reporting and analytical capability, including building repeatable monthly reports and delivering ad hoc analyses (e.g., depreciation forecasts, average age of plant).
• External reporting and survey support experience (e.g., IPEDS, NCAA, benefit plan/tax reporting, insurance/business interruption reporting, or comparable regulatory/third-party reporting).
• Exposure to debt/bond accounting-tracking bond-funded activity, compiling requisition/supporting detail, and processing related funding entries (direct experience preferred).
• Internal controls and audit readiness mindset, with strong documentation practices and comfort operating in a compliance-oriented environment.
• Advanced Excel skills (pivot tables, lookups, structured templates; large dataset management); familiarity with reporting/BI tools is a plus.
• Ability to review and approve partner-submitted transactions, provide clear guidance, and resolve issues with a collaborative, service-oriented approach.
• Strong communication, prioritization, and judgment, including translating accounting requirements for non-finance stakeholders and escalating risks appropriately

The ideal candidate brings 4-7 years of progressive accounting experience, strong analytical and Excel skills, and demonstrated ability to manage complex funding sources and cross-functional relationships; Workday Financials and higher education experience are strongly preferred.

Applicants must meet the minimum qualifications in this posting to be considered for hire.

Standard Work Days and Hours: Standard administrative hours are 8:30am - 5:00pm. This is a full-time position working 40 hours/52 weeks, (1.00 FTE). Exempt positions require the time commitment necessary to complete the essential duties of the position.

Onsite - This is an on-site role, and candidates must be able to work in person on Bowdoin College Campus in Brunswick, Maine.

We regret that Bowdoin College is unable to provide visa sponsorship for staff positions.

Employment at Bowdoin College is contingent upon satisfactory completion of applicable background checks including but not limited to: criminal records, educational verifications, driving records (when job-related), and/or credit history (when job-related).

Bowdoin embraces diversity in all forms, and the College is home to talented students, faculty and staff with a variety of racial, ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds; religious beliefs; and gender identities, among other factors.

We encourage applications from candidates committed to the support of an inclusive campus community and those who will enrich and contribute to the College's multifaceted diversity. We value a community in which individuals of all backgrounds are warmly welcomed and encouraged to succeed.

Founded in 1794, Bowdoin has maintained its commitment to the liberal arts for well over 200 years. Bowdoin's reputation as a preeminent liberal arts college rests on the excellence of its faculty, students, and staff; intimate size; strong sense of community; and connections to the people, history, and natural beauty of Maine.

Bowdoin's campus is situated in a beautiful natural setting. Located in Brunswick, Maine, a town of approximately 20,000, the College is a short drive from the Maine coast, twenty-five miles from Portland and 120 miles from Boston.

Shift:

Employment Category: Full Time Year Round

Benefits Eligible: Yes

Pay Type: Salaried

Background Check Package Requirements: Administrative Staff+ Credit

Is driving a Bowdoin vehicle an essential function of this job?:

Is a pre-placement physical required for this position?: No

Posting Date: 08/20/2026

Applications Accepted Until:

Open Until Filled: No

Special Instructions to Applicants:

EEO Information: Bowdoin College complies with applicable provisions of federal and state laws that prohibit unlawful discrimination in employment, admission, or access to its educational or extracurricular programs, activities, or facilities based on race, color, ethnicity, ancestry and national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, age, marital status, place of birth, genetic predisposition, veteran status, or against qualified individuals with physical or mental disabilities on the basis of disability, or any other legally protected statuses.