Durham, NC or Washington, DC

Accounting Manager, Revenue, Managed Organizations Finance, Arabella Advisors

The Organization

About Arabella Advisors 

Arabella Advisors helps foundations, philanthropists and investors who are serious about impact achieve the greatest good with their resources. We work on issues ranging from the social and economic advancement of women and girls, and conservation of our climate and planet, to reducing poverty and inequity in the United States and around the world. Our staff members are mission-driven and action-oriented, and have a unique combination of experience in philanthropy, business, nonprofits, government, finance, law, and other fields. We combine creative, strategic thinking with knowledge and networks developed through decades of hands-on experience. The fastest-growing philanthropic advisory firm in the nation, Arabella is also a certified B Corporation.

About Arabella’s Managed Organization’s Finance Team 

Arabella Advisors provides operations and management support to multiple nonprofit organizations, including the New Venture Fund, the Windward Fund, and the Hopewell Fund—all 501(c)(3) public charities—and the Sixteen Thirty Fund, a 501(c)(4). These managed organizations house new and innovative public interest projects and nonprofits, as well as coordinate collaborative initiatives between donors and administer grants programs. This type of structure is commonly referred to as fiscal sponsorship, and candidates are highly encouraged to research fiscal sponsorship prior to a first interview. The managed organizations provide support to a diverse range of projects, including many focused-on conservation, global health and civic engagement.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) 

Advancing DEI within our firm and in our work with partners is critical to our mission. To be effective partners to philanthropists, nonprofits, and communities impacted by philanthropic dollars, we need to have a highly diverse staff, a workplace where individuals are encouraged to retain their uniqueness and can feel a sense of belonging, and a nuanced understanding of the racial, ethnic, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability status, and other disparities that undergird the issues we engage in and the interactions we have with one another. For us, equity means that our staff members, our clients, and the people they serve can experience the same level of success, no matter their starting place. We expect all our employees to share this commitment, and always seek ways to improve how well we live these values. Click here to learn more about DEI at Arabella and read our official DEI statement.

Total Rewards (compensation and benefits)  

This is a full-time position. We offer a competitive and holistic total rewards package that includes salary, bonus, and benefits. Our base salaries are based on a blend of similar sized organizations from different sectors, including nonprofits, foundations, and professional service firms. They are also based on local market rates and differentiated by geography.

All full-time staff are eligible for our generous benefits package on their first day of employment:

  • Health insurance- On average Arabella pays 86% of the medical premium, 80% of the dental premium, and 100% of the vision premium
  • Paid time off- 16 days’ vacation, 10 personal days, 11 company holidays (7 federal and 4 more from a list of inclusive cultural and religious holidays and your birthday), 20 hours’ volunteer leave, 8 weeks’ parental leave
  • 401(k) retirement plan- Arabella will match up to 4% of your contributions. There is no waiting or vesting period; all funds are yours to keep on day 1
  • Reimbursements for your personal cell phone plan and fitness
  • Pre-tax withholding for transportation and parking
  • Bonus incentive opportunities
  • Access to professional development opportunities

Position Overview

An experienced finance professional who will provide leadership and oversight to the accounts receivable functions for Arabella’s multiple managed non-profit clients 

We are looking for an organized self-starter to support the full-cycle accounting procedures for several nonprofit projects that the firm manages. The right candidate must have a strong understanding of nonprofit accounting and tax practices, non-profit revenue standards, internal controls, and must be able to work well in a fast-paced environment.  We need you to be highly organized and have a demonstrated ability to manage several projects simultaneously. Our accounts receivable team processes over 450 cash receipts a month. The work is fast-paced and mission-driven.

Essential Responsibilities 

  • Oversee the revenue and accounts receivable “A/R” functions for Arabella’s managed nonprofits “MNPOs” to ensure activities are recognized in the correct fiscal period; captured timely and accurately
  • Evaluate grants, contributions, consultant contracts and other revenue generating activities for recognition in accordance with non-profit GAAP
  • Manage the reconciliation of A/R accounts on the statement of financial position and compile relevant annual schedules for entity financial reporting
  • Collaborate with Managed Organization Finance “MOFI” revenue teammates and Arabella “Corporate” Finance to apply workflow and technology-based solutions to streamline existing processes and to enhance controls and the quality and accuracy of financial data
  • Support the accounting management in timely, accurate monthly closing of the books and records
  • Work directly with Director and Senior Director of Managed Organizations Finance regarding personnel decision making for revenue business cycle
  • Develop, implement, monitor, and evaluate quality assurance activities, ensuring compliance with standards, laws, regulations and procedures. Recommends new and/or revised policies and procedures as needed
  • Draft technical accounting memos to document existing accounting positions and support/ justify the accounting capture of new or unique activities
  • Account for the receipt of government funds and track qualified spend against award parameters
  • Leads cross departmental and cross organizational teams, financial projects and planning activities as needed

General Accounting  

  • Review and approve accounting transactions and journal entries prepared by the revenue team
  • Assist in annual audits, including the compilation of financial statements
  • Draft technical accounting memos to document accounting positions
  • Support review of processes to drive efficiency and quality

Staff Management and Team Development 

  • Oversee the work of the revenue team to ensure compliance with established processes and controls
  • Establish, guide and review team metrics on a regular basis; examine trends and identify solutions
  • Support the development and mentorship of teammates by influencing and coaching others to reach their individual and project goals
  • Encourage and lead team learning activities, focused on the development of technical skills necessary to provide high quality service to a diverse portfolio of clients

To Be Successful in This Role, You’ll Need: 

  • Bachelor’s degree in accounting
  • 5+ years of relevant professional experience maintaining books with nonprofit organizations
  • Proficiency with accounting software, report design, and Excel
  • Experience with full-cycle GL and AR processes
  • Strong attention to detail and accuracy
  • Solid analytical and problem-solving skills
  • The ability to oversee and advise on multiple complex projects, including encouraging workflow and work plan innovations, and ensuring deliverables are high-quality and meet clients’ needs
  • The ability to provide excellent service, including being able to effectively manage resources, create and implement enhancements across the firm to efficiently achieve service standards, and to coach junior teammates on how to address complex service challenges
  • The ability to coach colleagues in how to understand stakeholders’ perspectives and to handle high-level stakeholder challenges
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex financial matters to non-financial personnel
  • The ability to help teams overcome collaboration challenges and promote compromise, inclusion, and openness; promote and lead activities that support an open, safe, and inclusive organization; understand the context in which we work and build critical cross-team connections; and share useful knowledge firm wide
  • The ability to regularly integrate learnings to improve team operations, to lead learning opportunities that enhance team performance, and to be a mentor to others
  • The ability to empower teammates to solve problems and provide guidance only when necessary; to solve complex challenges without clear owners or solutions by identifying innovative approaches; and to facilitating coordination with others and to coach colleagues in thinking through solutions
  • The ability to work within multi-functional teams

Other Highly Preferred Skills and Experience 

  • Experience in philanthropy, nonprofit management, or consulting
  • Experience with capture and spend of federal funding
  • Experience with Grant accounting and donor reporting
  • Certified Public Accountancy (CPA)
  • Experience with Microsoft Dynamics and SAP Concur
  • Experience with advocacy rules and regulations
  • Experience supervising staff

Working with Us 

While this position must be based in Durham, NC or Washington, DC, please note that due to COVID-19, all Arabella Advisors’ offices are closed, and we continue to temporarily work in a remote environment. We have a strong firm culture rooted in collaboration and in-person interactions between colleagues. Once our offices reopen it is our expectation that all staff will generally work from the office according to a schedule agreed upon with their supervisor. We will make reasonable accommodations under the guidelines of the Americans With Disabilities Act.

We are committed to having a passion-driven, inclusive, transparent, collaborative, healthy, and fun culture. We invite you to visit our careers page to learn more.

How to Apply 

Submit a resume and a one-page cover letter online. The cover letter should address why you’re excited to work at Arabella and why you’re qualified for this specific job.

Arabella Advisors is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to racial equity. If we can make the application process easier through accommodation in the recruitment process, please let us know.

We encourage you to read (or listen to) our DEI statement prior to applying.  We make a particular effort to recruit people of color and members of marginalized groups to apply for open positions. Once you have applied, we welcome your feedback on how you have experienced our values around DEI in the recruitment process.

While Arabella is open to individuals from various locations applying to join our team, please note that we generally are unable to pay for relocation expenses, and, except in rare circumstances considered on a case-by-case basis, all applicants must already be legally eligible to work in the United States at the time of application to be considered for this position.

We will review applications as they are received and look forward to hearing from you.

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