Senior Accountant, Accounts Payable & Grants

Description

As the largest funder of Jewish causes in California, the Jewish Federation Bay Area connects donors, changemakers, and community partners to build a thriving, resilient future. The Federation serves as a trusted partner and advisor for those seeking to make an impact today while shaping a better tomorrow. We invest in education, social services, and security while mobilizing crisis relief worldwide. With over a century of leadership, we empower individuals and families to give strategically, building a thriving and resilient future for generations to come. Whether strengthening Jewish life in the Bay Area, safeguarding communities worldwide, or ensuring a safe and democratic Israel, we empower people to take meaningful action that echoes for generations.

The Federation is seeking a highly motivated and qualified individual with a variety of skill sets who wants to join a team working to build a new model of 21st century and next generation Federation engagement.

ROLE SUMMARY 

Jewish Federation Bay Area is hiring a Senior Accountant to manage full-cycle accounts payable (vendor/grantee payments, reimbursements, credit cards) and perform balance sheet reconciliations (prepaids, accruals, fixed assets). Additionally, this role will lead AP automation, streamline workflows, strengthen internal controls, and integrate systems like Ramp and ERPs. The ideal candidate is detail-oriented, technically skilled, and proactive in building efficient, scalable, and compliant accounting processes.

The Sr. Accountant reports to the Director, Strategic Finance. This is a hybrid role with three in-office days, Tuesday through Thursday.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS 

Accounts Payable & Vendor/Grantee Management

• Manage the full AP cycle, including invoice review, coding, approvals, payment processing, reconciliation, and AP aging.
• Process vendor and grantee payments, employee reimbursements, and corporate card transactions through Ramp, ensuring accurate documentation, coding, and compliance with organizational policies.
• Oversee vendor and grantee onboarding, maintain accurate master records, and serve as primary contact for payment and documentation inquiries.
• Coordinate with program and grant teams to ensure payment requests align with grant agreements, approval requirements, and organizational policies.
• Maintain required tax documentation, including W-9s, and support audit preparation and AP-related reporting.

AP Automation, Systems & Process Improvement

• Lead AP and expense management process improvements to increase efficiency, accuracy, scalability, and internal control effectiveness.
• Optimize Ramp workflows, including approval routing, expense coding, documentation, and exception handling.
• Identify opportunities to automate manual tasks, reduce duplicate work, and improve integrations between AP/expense management platforms and the ERP/accounting system.
• Troubleshoot system and data integration issues and support accounting technology implementations and enhancements.
• Develop and maintain standardized procedures and process documentation, and train internal stakeholders on systems, workflows, and expense policies.

General Accounting & Financial Close

• Prepare monthly balance sheet reconciliations for accounts payable, prepaids, accruals, fixed assets, clearing accounts, and other assigned accounts.
• Prepare journal entries and supporting schedules for AP and related accounting activities.
• Investigate discrepancies, unusual balances, and aged items; ensure expenses are recorded in the appropriate accounting period.
• Support month-end and year-end close, financial reporting, and external audits.

Internal Controls & Compliance

• Ensure payment and accounting activities comply with organizational policies, grant requirements, internal controls, and applicable accounting standards.
• Maintain appropriate approval controls and segregation of duties, and help mitigate risks related to vendor setup, duplicate payments, unauthorized transactions, and incomplete documentation.
• Support audit requests, tax reporting, and other compliance requirements.

Other 

• Other projects & tasks assigned by the Director of Strategic Finance, Controller, and/or the CFO.

Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS, KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES 

Required

• Experience managing the full AP cycle in a complex organization. 
• Experience with vendor management, payment processing, expense reimbursements, corporate cards, and account reconciliations.
• Demonstrated experience optimizing AP automation, approval workflows, and integrations between expense management platforms and ERP/general ledger systems; NetSuite & Ramp experience strongly preferred.
• Strong understanding of general ledger accounting, balance sheet reconciliations, accruals, prepaids, fixed assets, and month-end close.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, organizational, and time-management skills, with exceptional attention to detail.
• Proficiency in Excel and the ability to manage competing deadlines.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills across Finance, IT, program teams, vendors, and grantees.

Preferred

• Experience in a nonprofit, foundation, or grantmaking environment, including grantee payments and nonprofit accounting.
• Familiarity with nonprofit financial reporting, internal controls, and compliance requirements.
• Experience supporting accounting system implementations, integrations, workflow redesign, or finance transformation initiatives.
• Reconciling payroll/benefits to the general ledger is a plus.
• Experience supporting external audits and annual financial reporting.
• Familiarity with Paylocity and Salesforce.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
• 4-6 years of progressive accounting experience, including significant experience managing accounts payable and general accounting activities.
• 1-2 years of experience managing or independently preparing financial reports, internal investigations, and expense management process design and implementation. 

Salary commensurate with experience. Excellent benefits — medical, dental, vision, vacation, sick pay, holidays (including Jewish), and retirement plan.

EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES

The Federation views equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging as the pathway to achieving inclusive excellence and fostering a company culture where everyone can thrive. We strive to create a community that draws upon the widest possible talent pool to unify excellence and diversity while fully embracing individuals from varied backgrounds, cultures, races, identities, life experiences, perspectives, beliefs, and values. The Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund is an equal opportunity employer.