Senior Accountant - Endowment & Investments

FHLB Des Moines; Williamstown (MA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Retirement plan contributions

Tuition reimbursement

Professional development opportunities

Paid leave

Gym facilities

Vendor discounts

Job summary

Williams College in Williamstown, MA, seeks a Senior Accountant - Endowment & Investments to steward the College’s $4+ billion long-term investment pool with monthly, quarterly, and annual accounting responsibilities. The role supports endowment distributions, forecasting scenarios, and responds to donor questions while ensuring GAAP/UPMIFA compliance.

You will collaborate with the Investment Office, prepare journal entries, assist with annual financial statements and audits, and oversee the

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required with 5+ years in investment accounting for a large, complex portfolio.
• Advanced knowledge of not-for-profit and endowment accounting, including unitization and restricted funding.
• Strong technical skills in financial planning, accounting systems, and advanced spreadsheets.

Responsibilities

• Perform monthly, quarterly, and annual reconciliation of investment valuation and activity.
• Coordinate with external providers for split interest agreements and trusts.
• Assist in designing reports to support annual audit and financial statement prep.
• Review endowment gift agreements and classify appropriately.
• Prepare and review journal entries and endowment-related reports.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Not-for-profit accounting

Endowment accounting

Spreadsheet proficiency

Collaboration skills

Education

Bachelor's degree

MBA/CPA/CFA preferred

Tools

Workday

Fundriver

Excel

Google Sheets

Databases

Job description

Williams College is seeking a Senior Accountant - Endowment & Investments to join our Finance Department to directly support the mission of the College by stewarding the College’s $4+ billion long-term investment pool through monthly, quarterly, and annual accounting responsibilities. The Senior Accountant will model and execute the annual endowment distribution, assist with forecasting distribution scenarios, respond to internal and external donor and account holder questions, and recommend action on a wide range of legal and accounting issues relating to endowments, split interest agreements, and outside trusts. This position is also responsible for evaluating and recommending appropriate endowment accounting treatment in accordance with GAAP and UPMIFA including but not limited to review of gift agreements, assisting the Investment Office to prepare data for the investment footnotes in the annual financial statements, preparing and reviewing journal entries, preparing reports relating to the annual endowment distribution, and performing or reviewing complex account reconciliations. This position has oversight responsibilities of the Fundriver endowment system.

Responsibilities

• Perform monthly, quarterly, and annual reconciliation processes for investment valuation and activity between the investment office, Workday, and Fundriver.
• Coordinate with outside providers administering split interest agreements and outside trusts to ensure that all activity is properly recorded in Fundriver and Workday on a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis.
• Assist in the design of reports to support the annual audit and financial statement preparation.
• Separately handle exception payouts for funds that do not follow the normal spending policy.
• Assist the Controller and Assistant Controllers to prepare for and draft the annual financial statements, 990, and other required reports.
• Review new endowment gift agreements and planned giving instruments, recommend appropriate classification, establish new gift accounts in Workday and Fundriver.
• Review existing gift agreements to ensure use of expendable funds is in line with donor intent.
• Assist with urgent or deadline-driven special projects in response to compliance requirements or Senior Staff requests. Partners with the accounting & finance teams in their completion.
• Annual review of professorship releases.
• Quarterly reconciliation of class gift designations.
• Work with the Development Office to review undesignated and income to principal gifts.
• Review unspent or underspent gifts and recommend course of action.

Requirements

• A Bachelor's degree and a minimum of 5 years professional experience in investment accounting for a large complex balanced portfolio with many illiquid holdings.
• Strong critical thinking, analytical, and creative problem‑solving skills; attention to detail.
• Advanced knowledge of not‑for‑profit and endowment accounting, including unitization and accounting for the use of restricted funding sources.
• Advanced technical skills including financial planning and accountings systems, complex spreadsheets and Microsoft Office and Google suites; relational database management.
• A collaborative working style and ability to build strong relationships with people at all levels of the organization.
• Capacity to work independently as well as with others in a diverse and decentralized organization.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in higher education, Workday, and endowment unitization tools (e.g., Fundriver); preferably over a period of implementation and stabilization.
• MBA, CFA, CPA, or equivalent experience desired.

Compensation and Benefits

• Pay range is from $90,000-$100,000 commensurate with experience.
• Employment at Williams is contingent on the verification of background information submitted by the applicant, including the completion of a criminal record check, and education when applicable.
• This full-time, year-round position is eligible for Williams College’s robust benefits package designed to support you in your work and overall health and wellness.
• We offer comprehensive health insurance with coverage starting your first day of work, robust retirement plan contributions, tuition reimbursement, professional development opportunities, paid leave, access to gym facilities, discounts with local vendors and more.
• Hybrid on-site/remote work arrangements may be available for up to 2 days of remote work per week for employees based in MA, NY, CT, or VT, following a fully in‑person onboarding period.
• This position requires a majority physical presence on campus with a minimum of 3 days per week of on‑campus, in‑person work.
• Remote work arrangements are subject to review and revision as policy evolves.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Decisions regarding appointments, promotions, and conditions of employment comply with applicable federal or state law prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, ancestry, or military service.

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Beyond meeting fully its legal obligations for non‑discrimination, Williams College is committed to building a diverse and inclusive community where members from all backgrounds can live, learn and thrive.

As part of this commitment, we will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations.

If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process please feel free to contact us via phone at (413) 597‑2681 or email at [e-mail].

Company Culture

The mission of Williams College, "to provide the highest quality liberal arts education," is advanced by the rich variety of backgrounds and experiences that faculty, staff, and students bring to the work that we do together.

The college is committed to building and sustaining a learning and working environment where members from all backgrounds can learn, live, and thrive.

We are deeply committed to our employees, providing tuition assistance, excellent benefits, and a warm and welcoming professional environment.

We are looking for candidates who share our values in prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion, and sustainability.

Located in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts, Williams offers a rich academic environment in a beautiful setting.

Williams - known as a cultural corridor - is a great place to live, work, and play. With natural beauty, rich history, and top‑notch schools, the Berkshires host an array of recreational opportunities from world‑class museums to hiking trails.

The New York Capital Region, Albany International Airport, and Albany‑Rensselaer Amtrak Train Station are just an hour away, and Boston and New York City are within a three‑hour drive.

The college's vibrant 450-acre campus is home to approximately 2,000 students who bring vibrancy to picturesque Williamstown. Many people relocate here for their job at Williams but stay for the community connections that they build.