Accounting Manager (Internal Title: Senior Accountant)

ERS is a national non-profit that empowers school system leaders to make transformative shifts in resources, structures, and practices so that all students—especially those with the greatest learning needs and those furthest from opportunity—attend a school where they can learn and thrive. At ERS, we embrace teamwork and innovation to influence sustainable, equitable change in some of the country’s largest school districts.

If you want to join a team of talented and committed professionals within a mission-driven and collaborative culture, this is the place for you.

Position Overview

The Finance team at ERS consists of four professionals who leverages partnership, expertise, and service to meet the needs of the organization via sound, accurate processes and attention to detail. Each member of the Finance team utilizes their professional knowledge to lead work related to their area of focus and responsibility, ultimately stewarding the organization’s annual revenue of over $16 million.

The Accounting Manager reports directly to the Controller, who leads the Finance team. As the team’s number two, the Accounting Manager owns the planning and implementation of core accounting functions. Once established in the role, they may also provide functional oversight of select activities of junior team members of the Finance team.

A successful candidate is both a generalist and a specialist in non-profit accounting and finance. With a commitment to continuous improvement, they have a strong track record in refining processes to enhance efficiency and accuracy. They leverage strong project management skills and balance short-term and long-term goals to prioritize (and help the team prioritize) effectively. In addition to this, they are energized by cross-team collaboration to usher department heads through the annual budgeting process via accessible structures. They are a well-rounded, impactful professional who leverages workplanning, technical knowledge, strategic insight, and interpersonal skills to achieve excellence.

To align the responsibilities of this role with the job market, the external title for this role is Accounting Manager. However, to mirror our organizational job title structure, the internal title for this role is Senior Accountant.

The starting salary range for this role is currently$97,000-$110,000. In the spirit of transparency, it is important to note that we typically do not offer salaries at the top of this range to create opportunities for team members to earn raises throughout their tenure in a role. A team member’s actual salary range may be higher or lower, depending on the individual’s experience and the needs of our organization at the time of hire.

This role is based in our Watertown, MA office and requires in-person work at least three days per week with the option to occasionally add more remote days or weeks.

Offer is contingent upon satisfactory completion of a credit check and criminal background check.

Applicants must be authorized to work for an employer in the United States. We are unable to sponsor or takeover sponsorship of an employment visa for new team members at this time.

Responsibilities

• Prepares financial statements and ensures compliance with GAAP and non-profit accounting standards
• Co-directs and project manages the monthly close process by coordinating team collaboration, preparing accruals, executing journal entries, reconciling accounts, accounting for depreciation of fixed assets, and managing journal entries
• With the Controller, leads department heads through the annual budget and quarterly forecasting processes to ensure accurate and timely quarterly updates that align with organizational financial goals and accurately assess operating costs
• Develops reporting structures and routines via Sage Intacct to enhance efficiency and provide timely, accurate updates about cash flow, team member timesheets, project profitability, etc.
• Assists in grant reporting, budgeting, and financial analysis to support program initiatives
• Co-directs the monthly close process by coordinating team collaboration, preparing accruals, executing journal entries, reconciling accounts, accounting for depreciation of fixed assets, and managing journal entries
• Holds full organization accountable to compliance with internal accounting policies and other fiscally responsible corporate policies and controls (e.g., purchasing and travel)
• Prepares external audit materials and assists inthe external audit process
• Monitors cash flow, including accounts payable processing and accounts receivable collections, troubleshooting errors and resolving abnormalities
• Supports strategic and daily operations of the Finance team (in close collaboration with the Controller) to deliver strong outcomes and develop a strong, inclusive, and impactful team

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting required (master’s degree in accounting preferred)
• 5-7 years of related accounting and finance experiencewith a deep understanding of, and ability to apply, GAAP accounting (for nonprofit organizations preferred)
• Demonstrated ability to create complex, accurate, and logical spreadsheets and reports, using Microsoft Excel
• Strong attention to detail
• Ability to organize and prioritize work to achieve organizational priorities in an accurate and timely manner by using highly effective project management skills (individually and for a team)
• Ability to protect confidential information by exercising judgment and discretion
• Strong interpersonal and problemsolving
• skills
• Commitment to ERS’ mission and values, exemplified through their work experience, leadership opportunities, and/or community involvement
• Fluency in and significant experience with ADP and AP automation and expense processing software
• Strongly preferred: Fluency in and significant experience with Sage Intacct (ERS’ main accounting and finance system)

About Education Resource Strategies

Since 2004, ERS has worked hand-in-hand with more than 100 school system leaders and several states on data (analysis and benchmarking), design (strategy, resource trade-offs, and consensus-building), and implementation (planning and monitoring). In all our work, we focus on the larger picture: how resources work together to create high-performing systems.

Our district and state partners view ERS as a national authority on school system strategy and resource use, as well as a trusted advisor and partner. We participate in the transformation struggle, create insights with our district partners, and build consensus to develop individualized, actionable recommendations.

Benefits of Working at ERS

• Opportunity for impact: ERS works with some of the largest, most influential and innovative districts in the country to truly transform their practices. Your work will change the lives of thousands of students.
• Entrepreneurial spirit: We aren’t afraid to lean into challenging conversations to inspire continuous improvement. We encourage innovative ideas, appreciate honest feedback, and invest in our team members’ ongoing learning and development.
• Collaborative work environment: We do most of our work in teams. We bring our collective wisdom and expertise to everything we do, often tapping the expertise and leadership of colleagues across the organization.
• Healthy work/life balance: We support every member of the ERS team in balancing meaningful work and professional growth with a healthy personal life throughout their career.

Commitment to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Belonging

As an organization, we still have so much to learn about the continuing impact of systemicracism and oppression. We also acknowledge that we must look inward to best actualize ERS’ mission. Therefore, we strive to develop an equitable, inclusive, and anti-racist organization rooted in belonging for all team members.

We remain committed to transforming the systems, structures, policies, resource decisions, and cultural messages that are driving inequitable outcomes by:

• Helping our school district and school leader partners understand the patterns of structural racism and oppression that impact the students and families in their community.
• Devoting organizational resources to support the ongoing learning of all ERS team members related to the causes and patterns of structural racism and oppression, how they impact the experiences we bring to our shared environment, and the ways we work with each other.

ERS is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, ancestry, pregnancy, or military service.

We value diverse teams and the unique talents each member brings. In that light, we encourage candidates who have life experiences similar to those of the children, teachers, and leaders in the districts we serve to apply. The value we place on diverse teams is mirrored by our commitments to foster and sustain an inclusive culture. We regularly evaluate our organization's processes and policies through the lens of equity and inclusion, and we provide opportunities for individual and organizational learning about equity, inclusion, and diversity.

We view these commitments as essential to our work with each other and our district partners, as we seek to drive equity and excellence for all students through school system transformation.