Lead Accountant

The Legal Aid Society, the nation’s largest and oldest public defense and civil legal services provider is dedicated to a simple yet powerful mission: ensuring that no individual is denied the right to equal justice.  For 148 years, we have protected, defended, and advocated for those who have struggled in silence for far too long – working on the front lines and behind the scenes to offer the people we serve the exceptional legal services they deserve. Through our Civil, Criminal Defense, and Juvenile Rights Practices, we offer an unmatched depth and breadth of legal expertise to vulnerable New Yorkers every year in over 200,000 individual legal matters while also impacting millions with effective advocacy, impact litigation and legislative agenda. We are dedicated to blunting the impact of poverty on individuals, families, and communities. 

The Lead Accountant reports to and works closely with the Accounting Manager in overseeing and performing day-to-day accounting functions. The Lead Senior Accountant supports the accounting team comprised of four staff accountants by ensuring adherence to internal control policies and procedures as well as accounting best practices. This position will also work closely with other Finance Department teams including Accounts Payable, Payroll, Grants and Contracts and Financial Planning and Analysis. 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES 

General Ledger Accounting and Related Duties 

• Assist the Accounting Manager in reviewing and analyzing general ledger accounts and proactively resolving inconsistencies under minimal supervision 

• Assist the Accounting Manager in preparing the monthly GAAP financial statements and supporting schedules 

• Responsible for performing a portfolio of monthly balance sheet reconciliations and preparing quarterly balance sheet binder for assigned reconciliations 

• Take part in the month end close and associated tasks 

• Manage accounting for the endowment and investment accounts 

• Participate in preparing monthly, quarterly, and year-end journal entries 

• Participate in preparing 90-day and weekly cash flow analysis 

• Assist in updating task procedures and documentation and in identifying process improvements 

Audit, Form 990 and Ad-Hoc Projects 

• Prepare various schedules and analyses for the annual fiscal audit 

• Prepare various schedules and analyses for the annual completion of the IRS Form 990 

• Assist with individual program audit requests 

Professional Development and Other Duties as Assigned  

• Participate in continuous professional development  

• Continuously learn about forms of bias in the workplace and demonstrate affirmative behaviors that support an inclusive work environment 

• Other duties as assigned 

QUALIFICATIONS 

Required qualifications: 

• BA/BS degree required, with a focus in Finance, Accounting, or related field. 

• 5+ years of related experience   

• Experience with Financial Edge, Vena and/or Oracle NetSuite preferred 

• Strong Excel skills and ability to analyze large volumes of data 

• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite or related software    

• Strong understanding of General Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) 

Preferred qualifications:   

• Master's degree in finance, accounting, business administration or a related field 

• Nonprofit experience preferred 

• Experience with fiscal, compliance and program audits 

• Experience in developing and implementing financial systems, tools, structures, and processes 

• Experience with cross-departmental collaboration and internal communications 

• Demonstrated knowledge of non-profit accounting 

• Knowledge of best practices in grants and contracts strategy and process improvement 

• Experience with cross-departmental collaboration and internal communications 

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES 

Position Based Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:  

• Understand when to escalate critical time sensitive issues 

• Demonstrate a commitment to quality, accuracy, and thoroughness 

• Versatile in handling multiple tasks simultaneously in accordance with highest priority 

• Ability to meet deadlines, which may require a flexible schedule, as extended working hours may be required during month-end and year-end 

• Excellent written and verbal communication, problem-solving and decision-making skills 

• Sense of professionalism, confidentiality, and a strong work ethic 

• Strong analytical skills and strong excel skills (pivot tables etc.) 

• Excellent time management skills 

• Extremely organized and ability to respond to internal and external requests 

• Ability to work well in a team environment 

Organizational Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: 

• Commitment to Legal Aid Society’s mission to secure equal justice before the law for all New Yorkers   

• Interpersonal and communication skills that enable healthy and productive working relationships  

• Ability to perform duties with the highest regard for confidentiality, integrity, and respect  

• Commitment to Legal Aid Society’s mission and values  

Physical, environment, travel, and other duties required:  

• Mostly sedentary, significant time using a computer and monitor; communicating and meeting using video  

* For positions noted as essential, this will require either remote or in-person work during times of closure or otherwise non-typical business hours which may include evenings and weekends and during unforeseen events such as inclement weather or poor air quality conditions.  

SALARY AND BENEFITS  

The salary range represents a good faith estimate of the range we expect to pay for this role. The actual salary offered may vary depending on many factors, including but not limited to job-related knowledge, skills, and experience, as well as collectively bargained salary steps for unionized roles.  

Salary Range: $96,000 - $101,000 

The Legal Aid Society offers a generous benefits package including health insurance, paid vacation, disability, and life insurance, and more. Click here to read more about benefits.  

Higher Education and Loan Forgiveness  

The Legal Aid Society is a qualified employer for the purposes of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness. This position allows an employee to take advantage of PSLF and other State and Federal loan forgiveness programs. Additionally, employees who are New York residents may be eligible for assistance from New York state to assist with loan repayments, depending on years of practice. To learn more, click the links below.   

studentaid.gov  

hesc.ny.gov/loan-forgiveness-programs  

WORK AUTHORIZATION  

All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States for any employer without sponsorship for a work visa or permit. We are currently unable to sponsor employment visas or permits. (However, for citizens of Canada and Mexico, LAS will provide a letter documenting employment status that is needed to obtain a TN visa.)  

HOW TO APPLY  

All applications must be completed online via the career portal. We do not accept emailed applications. Submit the following documents as a combined PDF:  

• Cover Letter  

• Resume   

For technical difficulties or questions regarding this posting, please email [email protected].  

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY  

As an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer, The Legal Aid Society prohibits discriminatory employment actions against and treatment of its employees and applicants for employment based on actual or perceived race or color, size (including bone structure, body size, height, shape, and weight), religion or creed, alienage or citizenship status, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity (one’s internal deeply-held sense of one’s gender which may be the same or different from one’s sex assigned at birth); gender expression (the representation of gender as expressed through, for example, one’s name, choice of pronouns, clothing, haircut, behavior, voice, or body characteristics; gender expression may not conform to traditional gender-based stereotypes assigned to specific gender identities), disability, marital status, relationship and family structure (including domestic partnerships, polyamorous families and individuals, chosen family, platonic co-parents, and multigenerational families), genetic information or predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, domestic violence victim status, arrest or pre-employment conviction record, credit history, unemployment status, caregiver status, salary history, or any other characteristic protected by law.  

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION  

The Legal Aid Society is committed to a work culture of zealous advocacy, respect, diversity and inclusion, client-oriented defense, access to justice and excellent representation. We are dedicated to building a strong professional relationship with each of our clients (people), to understanding their diverse circumstances, and to meeting their needs. Our ability to achieve these goals depends on the efforts of all of us and our ability to build strong relationships with our colleagues. Every member of our community is expected to continuously learn about the dynamic, evolving, and emerging field of knowledge of identity, bias, and systemic forms of oppression and participate in productive efforts to dismantling bias in all forms.

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