Staff Accountant

Wesley-Theological-Seminary; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Wesley Theological Seminary is seeking a Staff Accountant to manage billing and collections for student accounts and to serve as the Business Office cashier. The role supports the Controller and CFO in more complex accounting tasks and gains exposure to higher education tuition, financial aid, and development accounting within Wesley’s ERP and student information systems.

The position offers a hybrid schedule: three days on campus and two days remote, with coordination to ensure Business Office

Qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree in accounting is required.
• Experience in nonprofit organizations or higher education is a plus.
• Experience with student accounts and collections is preferred.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and commitment to quality customer service.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Mail Merge, Outlook).
• Experience reconciling bank statements and preparing journal entries is beneficial.

Responsibilities

• Generate student charges for each term with Registrar’s collaboration.
• Mail or email monthly billing statements to students.
• Review and adjust student accounts for accuracy.
• Process online payments, payment plans, and batch reconciliations.
• Serve as the Business Office Cashier and handle deposits.
• Reconcile operating account bank statements and corporate card charges.
• Assist with budget-to-actual analyses and general accounting tasks with CFO/Controller.

Skills

Customer service

Interpersonal skills

Organizational skills

Attention to detail

Multitasking

Communication

Self-motivation

Education

Bachelor's degree in accounting

Tools

Ellucian (Datatel)

ERP systems

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

The Staff Accountant reports directly to the Controller and is primarily responsible for the tasks associated with billing and collection on all student accounts. The Staff Accountant also serves as the cashier for the Business Office.In addition, the Staff Accountant assists the Controller and the Chief Financial Officer with the Seminary’s more complex accounting matters and works closely with the Controller to learn the intricacies of higher education tuition, financial aid, and development accounting, and how these are processed in Wesley’s ERP and student information systems.The Staff Accountant will also be trained in payroll, employee benefits, and the accounting functions that support human resources, broadening both knowledge and opportunities for professional growth. Staff Accountants who demonstrate strong performance may be considered for advancement to Senior Accountant as institutional needs allow.WORK SCHEDULE AND LOCATIONWesley Theological Seminary currently operates in a hybrid modality. This position is expected to work on campus three days per week and may work remotely two days per week. The Staff Accountant will coordinate scheduling with the Controller to ensure consistent Business Office coverage on campus each day of the work week. Certain duties, including cashier responsibilities and deposit processing, must be performed on site.ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIESGenerate student charges for each academic term periodically in collaboration with the Registrar’s Office.Review all student accounts to ensure accuracy.Mail or email monthly billing statements to students.Analyze student charges and make adjustments as necessary.Enter miscellaneous charges, including immersion charges, orientation fees, and late fees.Prepare lists of students for financial hold and lists of students eligible for collections.Prepare pre-collection letters to delinquent students.Process online payments and payment plan reconciliation batches.Process and reconcile daily cash receipt batches and prepare bank deposits.Process remote check deposits daily.Prepare gift batch deposits for the Development department.Serve as the Business Office Cashier.Reconcile the operating account bank statement.Coordinate and process corporate credit card charges for employees holding Seminary credit cards.Assist with enforcing financial policies and procedures across multiple departments and accounting areas.Periodically analyze budget-to-actual variances and determine the reason for errors or discrepancies.Meet with Seminary community members and departments regarding complex accounting issues.Complete tasks and analyses in the accounting areas described above in coordination with the CFO, the Controller, Seminary departments, and other constituents.A bachelor’s degree in accounting is required. The successful applicant will be able to provide evidence of the ability to deliver quality customer service. Knowledge of and experience working in a nonprofit organization or higher education institution is a plus, as is experience working with student accounts and collections.The following knowledge, skills, and abilities are required:Outstanding interpersonal skills and a commitment to quality customer service.Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.Self-starter who works cooperatively with others in a diverse, fast-paced environment and manages multiple priorities and tasks (phone, front counter, email, reconciliations, and similar).Proficiency with the Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, Mail Merge, and Outlook.Experience reconciling bank statements, preparing journal entries, and performing account analysis.Experience with Ellucian (Datatel) or a comparable ERP and student information system is preferred but not required.