Accounting Associate Jobs in Ruston, LA (NOW HIRING)

Benefits

• 11 Paid Holidays
• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• AD&D insurance
• Dental insurance
• Disability insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid sick time
• Paid time off
• Paid training
• Referral program
• Vision insurance

Job type

• Full-time.

Location

• This is an in-office opportunity located at 651 Downing Pines Road, West Monroe 71292

Schedule

• Monday to Friday.

Job Summary
The Accounting Clerk I is responsible for managing the full lifecycle of accounts receivable operations for both CAMPUS and DOR/Munis divisions. This role demands a high level of accuracy, organization, and collaboration as it involves posting and reconciling payments, preparing client statements, processing refunds, and ensuring compliance with internal financial policies.
The ideal candidate brings strong analytical skills, a proactive approach to problem-solving, and the ability to navigate complex payment systems and data sets. This position collaborates closely with Client Services, IT, and Compliance teams to support financial integrity and operational efficiency across multiple accounts and systems.
Job Duties and Responsibilities

• Manage the receipt, verification, and posting of payments.
• Accurately process deposits and daily closeouts.
• Ensure all transactions are recorded under the correct Line of Business (LOB).
• Prepare weekly, semi-monthly, and monthly client statements for both CAMPUS and DOR/Munis portfolios.
• Reconcile fee reports against check registers.
• Identify and resolve discrepancies related to errors, direct payments, held payments, or fee variances.
• Post journal entries and record revenue for direct payments, held payments, and net-offset client fees.
• Reconcile QuickBooks with CT Team reports to ensure data integrity at month-end.
• Maintain audit-ready records, verify accuracy and consistency across systems.
• Track overpayments and issue consumer refunds based on established logs.
• Make account-level adjustments to reflect accurate balances, particularly for direct payments and collection adjustments.
• Maintain accurate documentation and clear notations on account histories.
• Serve as a liaison between the Finance department and Client Services/IT teams to troubleshoot account issues and clarify payment applications.
• Support onboarding processes and contract reviews by ensuring accurate initial data integration.
• Respond to inquiries regarding client statements, misapplied payments, and system posting errors.
• Compile documentation and reports in support of internal and external audits.
• Prepare detailed audit files and generate reports from QuickBooks and internal systems as requested by the Compliance team.
• Develop and implement best practices to streamline account receivable workflows and enhance data accuracy.
• Maintain tracking logs for payment types, DOR refunds, and outstanding checks.
• Generate routine reports to monitor current and past due balances and identify aging accounts.

Qualifications
Education

• High school diploma or GED required

Experience

• 2 years of experience in a financial institution, accounting department, or similar field

Knowledge

• Strong proficiency in QuickBooks, Excel (pivot table, VLOOKUP, IF formulas), and banking platforms such as CashPro.
• Excellent attention to detail, organizations skills, and analytical mindset.
• Effective communicator with the ability to collaborate across departments and adapt in a dynamic environment.
• Project management experience, strong organizational skills and attention to detail.

Skills

• Effective professional written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Establish a good working relationship with team members and internal contacts in order to maintain and continuously strive to improve the level of overall service being provided.
• Knowledge of MS Office Applications (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• QuickBooks experience preferable.

Abilities

• Ability to produce quality materials within tight timeframes.
• Ability to analyze financial data.
• Ability to comply with rules, regulations, laws and methods as related to debt collection.
• Ability to handle and resolve recurring problems.

Clearance
As a federal contractor, this position requires U.S. citizenship and security clearance granting access to classified information. The background investigation is conducted by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and is an evaluation of the whole person to determine suitability. The suitability review begins after a conditional offer of employment has been accepted and will include a review of your employment, education, residences, references, criminal history and credit, as an example. Some of the most important factors in an investigation are the individual's honesty, candor, and thoroughness in the completion of their security forms. In rare instances, non-U.S. citizens with highly specialized skills and experience may also be considered for the security clearance process.
Security
Information and Physical Security is the responsibility of every employee. In your position you are required to safeguard the computer systems by following proper username and password management which includes selecting challenging passwords and committing them to memory, they should not be written down or stored where others can freely have access. This also includes securing your desk and workstation when you are not there. This includes locking your session and putting sensitive paperwork away when not physically at your desk. You are not to share your username or password with anyone. The physical security of our offices of are equal importance, never shadow or let someone shadow your entry into a Coast Professional, Inc. facility. If this occurs quickly report this action immediately. You are required to follow all Information Technology policies and procedures regarding the management of your system accounts and equipment. If you witness any security violation you should immediately report it to management.
Working Conditions
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this position, the physical presence in the workplace is essential. The employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, and the ability to adjust focus. The employee frequently is required to use hands or finger, handle, or feel objects, tools or controls. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds.
Disclaimer
This job description reflects management's assignment of essential job functions but is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all activities, duties and responsibilities required by the job incumbent. Nothing in the herein restricts management's right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.
This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than an "at will" relationship.
Coast Professional, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetic information or any other categories protected by applicable law.
Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.
For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.