Accounting & Finance Specialist

Status: Contract (~11 hours per week)

Compensation: $50/hour

Work Location: Hybrid

About Earshot Jazz

Founded in 1984, Earshot Jazz is a nonprofit celebrating jazz as a vital Black American art form through performances, advocacy, and community engagement. For nearly 40 years, we’ve supported artists, audiences, and educators. As a small nonprofit, we rely on a dedicated team and external financial professionals. The Accounting & Finance Specialist will be key to our financial operations, working with the Operations Manager and an outsourced controller.

About the Position

The Accounting & Finance Specialist oversees daily financial operations, ensuring accurate transactions, nonprofit compliance, and financial reporting. As the primary internal financial staff member, this role works independently while coordinating with the Operations Manager and external financial services. The ideal candidate has nonprofit accounting experience, strong organizational skills, and the ability to collaborate effectively with the Earshot Jazz team.

Key Responsibilities

AP/AR Management

• Receive, record, and deposit checks, maintaining a secure check log.
• Maintain accurate grant and restricted fund tracking records.
• Review and categorize all invoices, ensuring correct coding for Category/Memo/Class.
• Manage accounts payable/receivable, reconciliations, and payroll.
• Forward invoices to outsourced controller for entry into Bill.com and review payment entries before

recommending for approval.

• Process urgent payments directly through QuickBooks Online when required.
• Review and approve expense reports.
• Monitor and track credit card transactions, ensuring proper documentation and approval.
• Assure prompt invoicing and tracking of AP/AR

Financial Reporting & Budgeting

• Prepare monthly financial statements for internal operations management and tracking.
• Work with outsourced controller to ensure accurate and timely submission of quarterly board

financial reports.

• Assist the Executive Director in budget preparation, tracking, and variance analysis.
• Review suspense transactions and ensure all financial data is properly categorized.
• Work with outsourced controller to identify necessary journal entries for accurate financial reporting.

Banking, Reconciliations & Merchant Accounts

• Track and reconcile third-party electronic deposits (e.g., Square, Leap, Washington Gives, Benevity).
• Perform monthly reconciliation of bank statements, credit card statements, and merchant accounts (e.g., Square, Leap) for accuracy.

Tax & Compliance Support

• Collect and maintain W-9 and vendor information for tax reporting purposes.
• Assist controller in preparing the annual Form 990 and other regulatory filings.
• Ensure compliance with grant requirements and documentation for funder audits.
• Maintain organized financial records, including reconciliations, statements, and supporting documentation for financial compliance, ensuring adherence to IRS and nonprofit financial best practices.

Process Improvement & Internal Controls

• Recommend policies & best practices for financial management to improve efficiency.
• Develop and maintain documentation of financial procedures and internal controls.

Required Qualifications

• 3-5 years of nonprofit accounting, bookkeeping, or financial management, preferably in a nonprofit setting.
• Proficiency in QuickBooks Online and Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Outlook).
• Strong understanding of GAAP, especially as they apply to nonprofits.
• Ability to work independently, manage priorities, and meet deadlines.
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy.
• Effective communication skills for collaborating with the Operations Manager and external financial professionals.
• Knowledge of state and federal nonprofit financial regulations.
• Knowledge of nonprofit accounting best practices and standards related to internal financial policies.
• Experience with budget development and forecasting.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field (preferred but not required if experience is strong).
• Experience with fund accounting or nonprofit financial management is a plus.
• Familiarity with grant financial reporting and compliance.