Contract Accountant Jobs in Ridgefield, WA (NOW HIRING)

Description

ABOUT THE TRUST

The M. J. Murdock Charitable Trust is based in Vancouver, Washington and has been supporting the growth of Pacific Northwest nonprofits since 1975. From day one, our mission has been to serve individuals, families and communities across the Pacific Northwest, including Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington, through grantmaking, programs and convenings that strengthen the region's educational, social, spiritual, and cultural base in ways that are innovative and sustainable.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Accountant will help bring our mission to life by ensuring the accuracy, integrity, and stewardship of the Trust's financial resources. This role reports to the Chief Financial Officer, and is responsible for maintaining the general ledger, preparing financial statements and reports, supporting audit and compliance activities, and administering contracts and grant-related finance activities in partnership with the Grants & Programs team.

This is a hybrid eligible role with the opportunity to work remotely up to two days per week following the successful completion of the onboarding period. This role generally works within the operating hours of the Trust, which are standard business hours, Monday-Friday.

THE DAY TO DAY

The Accountant supports the Trust's financial operations and grant administration processes, with a focus on the following activities:

• General ledger maintenance, journal entries, and account reconciliations
• Monthly financial statement preparation and budget variance analysis
• Tax compliance, audit support, and preparation of compliance returns
• Investment accounting, bank reconciliations, and treasury operations
• Accounts payable processing and expense reimbursement administration
• Contract administration and agreement processing
• Post a grant administration and payment processing in coordination with Grants & Programs
• Annual budget preparation and quarterly reporting

Technology tools used by the Finance team include:

• Microsoft Suite (SharePoint, Teams, PowerPoint, Word, Excel, CoPilot)
• Sage Intacct (General Ledger / ERP)
• Submittable (Grants Management)
• Tipalti Payment Management System
• Nexonia Expense Reporting
• Claude by Anthropic

TOTAL REWARDS

Compensation

The hiring range for this position is $83,000-$100,000 per year, with placement commensurate with experience. This is an exempt role.

Benefits

The Trust offers exceptional benefits including:

Medical, dental, and vision insurance for staff and qualifying dependents with premiums paid 90-100% by the Trust, depending on plan elections.

Retirement contributions of 11% of base salary (up to the IRS maximum) for all full-time staff; additionally, staff contributions are matched up to 4%, all effective on day one.

First year time off accruals include fifteen days of vacation, twelve sick days, and two personal days; the Trust also offers eleven paid holidays.

Trust paid Long-Term Disability, Group Life and Group AD&D Insurance

Other benefits include wellness reimbursements, identity theft insurance, a generous matching gift program and more.

Position Summary

As a member of the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust's ("Trust", "Murdock Trust") Finance department, the Accountant is responsible for maintaining the general ledger, generating financial statements and reports, and administering contracts and grant-related agreements. Working closely with the Finance department and the Grants & Programs department, this role ensures the accuracy and integrity of the Trust's financial records and the timely processing of grant payments - supporting effective stewardship of the Trust's resources.

Essential Functions

General Ledger Maintenance & Financial Reporting

- Maintains the general ledger and prepares monthly journal entries, account reconciliations, and supporting schedules.

- Prepares monthly financial statements and budget variance analysis for review by the Accounting Manager and Chief Financial Officer.

- Supports preparation of the annual administrative budget and produces quarterly budget vs. actual reports for leadership review.

Tax, Compliance & Audit Support

- Assists the Accounting Manager and Chief Financial Officer with preparation of compliance returns and related supporting schedules.

- Supports the annual financial audit and review process, including preparation of required schedules and documentation.

- Prepares the personal property tax report and quarterly use tax filings; prepares and monitors class action filings as applicable.

Investment & Treasury Operations

- Performs limited liquidity accounting and analyses, including tracking and recording capital calls, distributions, valuations, and related cash flows accurately and on schedule.

- Reconciles monthly bank statements and resolves discrepancies in a timely manner.

- Manages communications with the custodian bank regarding limited liquidity investment activity.

Accounts Payable & Expense Management

- Manages accounts payable processing and prepares annual 1099 filings.

- Administers the Trust's expense and travel reimbursement program, including auditing submissions for accuracy and policy compliance.

- Maintains the Trust's inventory of computer equipment, furniture, and fixtures; prepares related asset reports.

Contract Administration

- Prepare, process, and administer agreements, contracts, and related legal documents, including drafting routine agreements, releases, and correspondence, in accordance with established policies and under the direction of applicable department leadership.

- Maintain contract databases and filing systems; distribute executed documents to applicable internal and external parties in a timely manner; and provide administrative support on routine contract matters as needed.

Grant Administration & Payment Processing

- Partner with the Grants & Programs team to administer grant reports and payment requests, serving as the Finance point of contact for grant-related financial activity.

- Process payments for new grant awards and subsequent disbursements, ensuring all awards and post-award reports are properly approved and documented prior to release.

- Confirm report approval from the appropriate Grants & Programs leader prior to releasing post award payments.

- Match grant payments to corresponding purchase orders and ensure accurate recordkeeping in financial systems.

- Forecast monthly, quarterly, and annual grant report and payment schedules in coordination with the Grants & Programs department to support cash flow planning and financial reporting.

Requirements

Core Competencies

- Clarity & Execution: Communicates project status and risks independently and delivers consistent, high-quality work.

- Ownership & Follow-Through: Accountable for individual deliverables; identifies problems early and resolves them without prompting.

- Leveraging & Learning: Pursues learning independently, seeks feedback, and adapts based on new information.

- Contributing to Others: Builds strong working relationships and invests in colleagues' success as a natural part of how they work.

- Mission Stewardship: Aligns own work to organizational priorities and makes decisions that keep the mission in view.

- Integrity & Loyalty: Demonstrates consistent commitment to team and mission and raises difficult issues directly.

Qualifications & Working Conditions

Education

- Bachelor's degree in accounting, Finance, or a closely related discipline required.

- CPA license (or active progress toward CPA) preferred but not required.

Experience & Qualifications

- 3 to 5 years of progressive accounting experience, including general ledger maintenance, financial statement preparation, and account reconciliation; investment accounting experience strongly preferred.

- Experience in a foundation, nonprofit, or similar mission-driven organization is a plus.

- Proficiency across several areas of accounting practice; able to effectively resolve problems and roadblocks as they arise.

- Proficiency in general ledger and accounting software systems; able to navigate and effectively use standard business technology platforms independently.

- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and proficiency in the broader Microsoft 365 environment, including Outlook, Teams, and SharePoint, required.

- Experience working in cloud-based business applications (such as ERP, document management, or financial reporting platforms) in a professional setting. Experience supporting the implementation of cloud-based financial business applications is strongly preferred.

- Able to use data and reporting tools to support decision-making and track outcomes.

- Comfortable with digital collaboration and project management tools in a hybrid or distributed work environment.

- High attention to detail and commitment to accuracy in all financial reporting and recordkeeping.

Faith & Community Context

- This role requires familiarity and comfort in being in a work environment where faith-based organizations and individuals are present and part of the day-to-day programming and operations.

Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this role.