ERSis a nationalnon-profitthatempowersschoolsystemleaderstomaketransformativeshiftsinresources,structures, andpracticessothatallstudents—especiallythosewiththegreatestlearningneedsandthosefurthestfrom opportunity—attend a schoolwheretheycanlearnandthrive.AtERS,weembraceteamworkandinnovationto influencesustainable,equitablechangeinsome of thecountry’slargestschooldistricts.
Ifyouwanttojoin a teamoftalentedandcommittedprofessionalswithin a mission-drivenandcollaborativeculture, thisistheplaceforyou.
Position Overview The Finance teamatERSconsists of four professionals who leverages partnership, expertise, and servicetomeettheneeds of theorganization via sound, accurate processes and attention to detail. Eachmember of theFinanceteamutilizestheirprofessionalknowledgetoleadworkrelatedto theirarea of focus and responsibility, ultimately stewarding the organization’s annual revenue of over $16 million.
The Senior Accountant reports directly to the Controller, who leads the Finance team. As the team’s number two, the Senior Accountant 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 salaryrange for thisroleiscurrently$97,000-$110,000.Inthespirit of transparency,it isimportanttonotethat we typicallydo notoffersalariesatthetop of thisrangetocreateopportunities for teammemberstoearnraisesthroughout theirtenurein a role. A teammember’sactualsalaryrangemaybehigher or lower,depending on theindividual’s experienceandtheneedsofourorganizationatthetime 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
Assists in grant reporting, budgeting, and financial analysis to support program initiatives
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.
Holds full organization accountable to compliance with internal accounting policies and other fiscally responsible corporate policies and controls (e.g., purchasing and travel)
Prepares externalauditmaterials and assists in theexternalauditprocess
Monitors cash flow, including accounts payable processing and accounts receivable collections, troubleshooting errors and resolvingabnormalities
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’sdegree in accounting required (master’s degree in accounting preferred)
5-7 yearsofrelated accounting and finance experiencewith a deep understanding of, and ability to apply, GAAP accounting (for nonprofit organizations preferred)
Demonstratedabilitytocreatecomplex, accurate, and logicalspreadsheetsandreports, usingMicrosoftExcel
Strong attention to detail
Abilityto 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)
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 experiencewithSage Intacct (ERS’ main accounting and finance system)
About Education Resource Strategies Since2004,ERS has workedhand-in-handwithmorethan100schoolsystemleadersandseveralstates on data(analysisandbenchmarking),design(strategy,resourcetrade-offs,andconsensus-building),andimplementation(planningandmonitoring).Inallourwork, we focus on thelargerpicture:howresourcesworktogethertocreatehigh-performingsystems.
OurdistrictandstatepartnersviewERSas a nationalauthority on schoolsystemstrategyandresourceuse,aswellas a trustedadvisorandpartner.We participateinthetransformationstruggle,createinsightswithourdistrictpartners,and buildconsensustodevelopindividualized,actionablerecommendations.
Benefits of Working at ERS
Opportunity for impact:ERSworkswithsome of thelargest,mostinfluentialandinnovativedistrictsinthecountry totrulytransformtheirpractices.Yourworkwillchangethelives of thousands of students.
Entrepreneurialspirit: We aren’tafraidtoleanintochallengingconversationstoinspirecontinuousimprovement. We encourageinnovativeideas,appreciatehonestfeedback,andinvestinourteammembers’ongoinglearninganddevelopment.
Collaborativeworkenvironment: We domost of our workinteams. We bring our collectivewisdomandexpertisetoeverything we do,oftentappingtheexpertiseandleadership of colleaguesacrosstheorganization.
Healthywork/lifebalance: We supporteverymember of theERSteaminbalancingmeaningfulworkand professionalgrowthwith a healthypersonallifethroughouttheircareer.
Commitment to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Belonging Asanorganization, we stillhaveso much tolearnaboutthecontinuingimpact of systemicracismandoppression.We also acknowledgethat we mustlookinwardtobestactualizeERS’mission.Therefore,westrivetodevelopanequitable, inclusive,andanti-racistorganizationrootedinbelongingforallteammembers.
We remaincommittedtotransformingthesystems,structures,policies,resourcedecisions,andculturalmessagesthat aredrivinginequitableoutcomesby:
Helpingourschooldistrictandschoolleaderpartnersunderstandthepatterns of structuralracismandoppression thatimpactthestudentsandfamiliesintheircommunity.
Devotingorganizationalresourcestosupporttheongoinglearning of allERSteammembersrelatedtothecauses andpatterns of structuralracismandoppression,howtheyimpacttheexperienceswebringtooursharedenvironment,andtheways we workwitheachother.
ERS is anequalopportunityemployeranddoesnotdiscriminateonthebasisofrace,color,religion,gender,sexualorientation,genderidentityorexpression,nationalorigin,age,disability,geneticinformation,ancestry,pregnancy,or militaryservice.
Wevaluediverseteamsandtheuniquetalentseachmemberbrings. In thatlight,weencouragecandidateswhohave lifeexperiencessimilar to thoseofthechildren,teachers,andleaders in thedistricts we serve to apply.Thevaluewe placeondiverseteamsismirroredbyourcommitments to fosterandsustainaninclusiveculture.Weregularly evaluateourorganization'sprocessesandpoliciesthroughthelensofequityandinclusion,and we provide opportunitiesforindividualandorganizationallearningaboutequity,inclusion,anddiversity.
We view thesecommitmentsasessential to ourworkwitheachotherandourdistrictpartners,as we seek to drive equityandexcellenceforallstudentsthroughschoolsystemtransformation.