Senior Accountant

Job Description

Position Overview

The Senior Accountant is responsible for a variety of accounting and financial reporting activities within the Finance Office and has the potential to grow within the Accounting/Finance department over the next several years. Reporting to the Assistant Controller, the Senior Accountant also interacts closely with the Controller, CFO, University Budget Manager, and other accounting staff, and must work effectively with a wide range of internal and external University constituencies. This role will require a proactive approach and attention to detail while play a key role in advancing both the departments and Wentworth’s overall mission. This position provides an individual with knowledge and insght of how a university operates financially, and will provide professional development opportunities within the higher education industry.

The Accounting Division staff continues to evolve and change as a result of a Workday Enterprise system implementation. In addition, the team is building a highly skilled unit that will embrace technology and change, with the ultimate goal of closing the books monthly, quarterly, and annually on an aggressive schedule, and along the way, implement efficient processes that enable these objectives. The following duties summarize the responsibilities that we anticipate this position to be assigned in the near term. We anticipate the incumbent to develop proficiencies in the assigned areas, after which we will assess additional responsibilities and opportunities for growth within the department.

Essential Functions

Accounting for the University’s investments and endowment. The duties include:

• Reconciling the University’s investment accounts monthly.
• Unitizing the University’s Endowment on a quarterly basis.
• Working closely with the College’s Investment Managers and Investment Custodian to ensure timely reporting of all investment and endowment activity.
• Assist with developing Endowment reports which will facilitate communication of Endowment balances to interested parties within the University.
• Responding to inquiries related to individual Endowment fund history and current balances available.
• Documenting related processes.
• Providing cross training to other accounting staff.
  
  

Reconciling Workday Payroll, Employee Benefits, and payroll tax withholding accounts to the University’s general ledger:

• Recording ongoing journal entries related to automated transfers of Payroll cash and tax payments between the College’s bank accounts and third-party payroll processor.
• Reconciling ongoing accrued salaries, withholding taxes payable, and a large number of benefits payable accounts.
• Reconciling the University’s payroll expenses to quarterly Form 941 filings.
• Working closely with the College’s Human Resources Department to resolve questions and account reconciliation issues.
• Documenting related processes.
• Providing cross training to other accounting staff.
  
  

General

• Assists with the monthly close process and annual audit by preparing accruals, executing journal entries, reconciling accounts, managing journal entries, and responding to questions and inquiries.
• Prepares external audit materials and assists in the external audit process.
• Assist with Form 990 & Form 990-T tax filings.
• Supports strategic and daily operations of the Finance team (in close collaboration with the Controller and Assistant Controller) to deliver strong outcomes and develop a strong, inclusive, and impactful team.
• Participate in cross-training efforts within the department in order to provide backup and support for other Finance team members.
• Flexibility to take on new assignments as business needs evolve is essential for this position.
  
  

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, Finance or related field.
• At least 3 – 5 years progressive experience with general ledger accounting.
• Advanced accounting and systems skills, with strong attention to detail.
• The candidate should consider themselves experienced, and “highly skilled” at performing complex, high volume account reconciliations. Advanced excel skills will be required to perform this work. (Pivot Tables, VLOOKUP’s, Sum If and other relevant excel functions, and query and other data manipulation techniques as applicable). Experience preparing and uploading complex journal entries for review.
• Strong interpersonal skills.
• Ability to protect confidential information by exercising judgment and discretion.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills with demonstrated ability to communicate professionally and effectively with multiple constituents within the University.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple tasks within tight timelines and simultaneously manage several projects within or in advance of stated deadlines.
• A motivated problem-solver who will take the initiative to identify opportunities for and implementation of business process improvement efforts; this would include the experience or ability to automate processes and create efficiencies with accounting processes.
  
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Workday experience is preferred but not absolutely required. Alternatively, candidates must have experience with other high-end accounting/ERP systems and working with multi- dimensional Chart of Account fields.
• Experience with Workday Enterprise Applications.
• Progressive experience in general accounting in a not-for-profit educational institution.
  
  

Position Details

• This is a full-time, benefits-eligible, exempt position (37.5 hours/week).
• This role is based in Boston and requires in-person work at least three days per week (with an expectation for 4 days in office for the first 3 – 4 months of employment while in training).
  
  

Inclusive Excellence at Wentworth

Inclusive Excellence is one of the four pillars of the Strategic Plan. Actively and intentionally cultivating a diverse and culturally competent institution where each member has the opportunity and support to reach their full potential and make contributions to our campus community and beyond is Inclusive Excellence at Wentworth.

To find out more about the Wentworth’s commitment to Inclusive Excellence, please visit the website https://wit.edu/about/inclusive-excellence.

All applicants have the right to accessibility support and accommodations. To request accessibility support or accommodations, contact the Executive Director of Equity and Compliance, Catlin Wells, at wellsc1@wit.edu.

E-Verify for Employment Eligibility Verification (Form I-9)

Wentworth participates in E-Verify. E-Verify is an internet-based system that compares information from your Form I-9 to records available to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Social Security Administration (SSA) to confirm that you are authorized to work in the United States.