Description
Senior Staff Accountant
Direct Report: Controller
Status: Full-time; Exempt, Blue Cross Medical/Dental/Vision, 403(b) retirement plan, Holidays, Paid Time Off, 10 weeks Paid Parental Leave, EAP, Leadership Pipeline
Salary: $68,500
Alternatives Overview
Our mission is to inspire young people to create a just future through practices that heal individuals, restore communities, and transform systems. Since 1971, Alternatives has modeled innovative alternatives to the status quo in Chicago's youth services field. Our school and community-based therapy, prevention and leadership development programs support young people to individually and collectively to address causes of substance abuse, grief and trauma while building social-emotional, career and social change skills. In addition to working directly with young people, we train, coach and advocate for youth-serving institutions like Chicago Public Schools to be restorative and trauma-informed.
Purpose Overview
The Senior Accountant is responsible for maintaining accurate financial records, supporting monthly and annual close processes, preparing financial reports, and ensuring compliance with nonprofit accounting standards and organizational policies. This position works closely with finance leadership and program teams to monitor budgets, grants, restricted funds, and overall financial performance.
Responsibilities:
- Perform the following from a racial, gender, sexuality, and ability equity lens:
- Prepare and review monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements and management reports.
- Perform general ledger accounting, including journal entries, account reconciliations, accruals, and adjusting entries.
- Manage month-end and year-end closing activities and ensure deadlines are met.
- Monitor and reconcile cash, investments, accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll, and other balance sheet accounts.
- Maintain accurate accounting for restricted and unrestricted funds, grants, contributions, and program-related revenue and expenses.
- Assist with grant accounting, including tracking expenditures, preparing financial reports, and ensuring compliance with grant requirements.
- Prepare budget-to-actual reports and investigate significant variances.
- Support the annual budgeting and forecasting process.
- Assist with the preparation of schedules and documentation for the annual financial statement audit and Form 990.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
- 4–7 years of progressive accounting experience, preferably including nonprofit experience.
- Strong knowledge of GAAP and general ledger accounting.
- Experience with nonprofit fund accounting and restricted/unrestricted revenue is strongly preferred.
- Experience with grant accounting and financial reporting is a plus.
- Advanced Excel skills, including pivot tables, lookups, and financial analysis.
- Experience with accounting/ERP systems such as Blackbaud, Sage Intacct, NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics, or similar platforms.
- Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
- Excellent attention to detail and ability to meet deadlines.
- Ability to communicate financial information clearly to both finance and non-finance staff.
- Ability to handle confidential financial information with discretion.
- The COVID vaccine is mandatory for all employees to the full extent permissible under applicable law.
Skills Required
- Proven experience working in not-for-profit accounting.
- Bachelor's degree in accountancy.
- Organized.
- Ability to work well across departments.
- Experience working with government grants.
- Knowledge of GAAP based accounting.
- Experience in SAGE Intacct accounting software.
- 3-5 years of accounting experience.
- Familiarity with Anti-oppression, Positive Youth Development, Trauma-informed, and Restorative Justice frameworks.
- Commitment to community-based, youth-centered work with cultural responsiveness and confidentiality.
- COVID-19 vaccination (mandatory as permissible by law).
What We Do
Alternatives, Inc. is a Chicago-based nonprofit youth and family agency that helps young people and families facing essential-needs gaps and trauma. It provides restorative justice and behavioral health services, including mental-health care, crisis support, leadership development, and social-emotional programming, while also offering professional development and technical assistance. Through school and youth-service partnerships, it seeks to heal individuals, restore communities, and transform systems.
