Staff Accountant

Wesley Theological Seminary; Washington, Northern (District of Columbia, KY); Hybrid; USD 62,000 - 72,000; Full time

Job summary

Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC is seeking a Staff Accountant to manage student billing and collections and to serve as the cashier for the Business Office. The role includes learning payroll and HR accounting processes, with opportunities for advancement to Senior Accountant.

The position operates in a hybrid schedule, with campus presence required three days per week and remote work possible two days per week. Strong experience in accounting for higher education is preferred.

Qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree in accounting is required.
• Knowledge of and experience working in a nonprofit organization or higher education institution is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Generate student charges for each academic term.
• Review all student accounts for accuracy.
• Mail or email monthly billing statements.
• 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 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.
• Assist with enforcing financial policies across departments.
• Analyze budget-to-actual variances and identify discrepancies.
• Meet with Seminary community and departments on complex accounting issues.
• Complete tasks in coordination with CFO, Controller, and departments.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Customer service

Organization

Multitasking

MS Office

Bank reconciliation

Journal entries

Accounts analysis

ERP systems

Education

Bachelor's degree in accounting

Tools

Ellucian (Datatel) ERP

Job description

Job Details: Job Location: Washington, DC 20016, Salary Range: $62,000.00 - $72,000.00 Salary/year, 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 Location

Wesley 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 Responsibilities

• Generate 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.

Qualifications

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.

Required Knowledge, skills, and abilities

• 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.