Accounting Manager

Are you looking for more than just a job and want to make difference? If so, then join the National Student Clearinghouse talent community and discover your impact today!We are a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization and the leading provider of educational reporting, data exchange, verification, and research services. Serving the education, workforce and learner communities has been at the heart of our mission for over 30 years. Our work — performed in a trusted, secure, and private environment — provides numerous time- and cost-saving benefits to students, schools, administrators, and requestors. Education leaders rely on the Clearinghouse’s unique national student data resources to better understand student pathways and outcomes in order to help students succeed, and our research better informs practitioners and policymakers about student educational pathways and enables informed decision making.About the Role:The Manager, Accounting is responsible for leading and managing the Accounts Receivable (AR), billing, collections, Grants and General Ledger accounting functions, and Accounts Payable (AP) function. The Manager maintains official accounting records, prepares grant and general ledger (GL) account reconciliation and general ledger entries as required, assists in the preparation of the monthly financial statements, assists in coordinating the annual external audit, 401(k) audit, 990 tax preparation, private or federal grant audits, and other internal and externing reporting as needed. The incumbent is responsible for all Clearinghouse Research Center financial reporting, tracks and calculates costs, monthly expenditures and revenue recognition for all private and Federal grants while ensuring compliance to regulations, guidelines, and accurate financial reporting.Currently, this is a remote-first position, and this position may be required to periodically work on-site at our office and the frequency would depend on the department/division's requirements. Therefore, candidates must either reside within a reasonable distance to commute to our office or be willing to travel to our office in Herndon, when required.How You Contribute:• Demonstrate the Clearinghouse’s competencies, which align with our corporate values. Manager will provide more detail as needed.• Management Competencies: Making Complex Decisions, Being Flexible and Adaptive, Build Collaborative Relationships, Focusing on Performance and Optimizing Diverse Talent.Making Complex Decisions:• Use education and deep understanding of technical accounting and audit standards to research and document proper accounting treatment of financial transactions.• Review Accounting Standards updates for applicability to Clearinghouse business.• Communicate the appropriate accounting treatment for transactions to key stakeholders.• Review potential customer contracts and contract renewals to identify performance obligations, contract timing and price allocation to ensure proper revenue recognition.• Work with stakeholders and business partners to address questions and concerns and provide clear explanations of revenue recognition decisions.• Review and monitoring of federal and state regulations, such as Uniform Guidance to ensure compliance.• Assist Controller in Phase II implementation of the enterprise-wide billing system.Being Flexible and Adaptable:• Demonstrate openness to new perspectives and ideas.• Build trust with internal and external stakeholders by demonstrating consistency between words and actions.• Find creative solutions to address accounting operation inefficiencies or project and initiative challenges.Building Collaborative Relationships:• Apply Agile process tools including continuous planning, flow of information and improvement to the monthly financial statement close.• Assist with annual and interim audit by preparing account reconciliations, financial reports, accounting transaction analysis and responding to auditor requests.• Works closely with Financial Planning team to ensure proper reporting of Grant staffing, expenditures, and revenue. Provide monthly Clearinghouse Research Center bank and deferred revenue reconciliations. Assist with grant cash, revenue, and expenses forecasts.• Assist Controller and HR Payroll team in optimizing payroll reporting.Focusing on Performance:• Prepare all NSCRC and Grant monthly reconciliations, cash analysis and financial statements. Prepare NSCRC Financial reporting for Executive Leadership and Board presentations.• Ensure the highest-level accounting and business control environment by developing, documenting, and implementing business processes and accounting policies to maintain and strengthen internal controls. Update all audit Process Control documents.• Lead and manage customer invoicing and payment processing, ensuring accurate, timely and efficient customer interactions. Set goals for AR collections, monitor collection performance, and provide AR reports and analysis to Executive leadership.• Work with IT Data Warehouse team to streamline the billing and payment process and recommend best practices to enhance billing and payment management on an ongoing basis.• Prepare investment account entries, reporting and analysis monthly. Prepare required investment reporting for annual audit.• Assist Controller with Financial Statement preparation and footnote disclosures for annual audit.Optimizing Diverse Talent:• Develop team goals and ensure they align with corporate, division and department goals.• Provide leadership and oversight to direct reports ensuring they have the necessary direction and support to meet their day-to-day responsibilities and goals.Workforce Management:• Build a team-based environment that aligns with company values, ways of working, and competencies.• Recruit and select the best talent to help optimize skills and experiences and motivate and manage staff to maximize productivity and efficiency.• Develop and manage career development and advancement opportunities at the Clearinghouse through MAPS conversations, developing and reporting on performance and goals, and defining and monitoring training and development plans to ensure job and career satisfaction.• Coach, mentor, and ensure staff is adequately trained and provide guidance, as needed.• Monitor performance including annual reviews, rewards, and compensation structure.• Reward employees using formal and informal methods.Position may be required to perform other duties as required. These essential functions are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the job. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.What You Bring to the Table:• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting. A combination of education and experience, including through military service will be considered.• 8 years of overall work experience, with 5-8 of those in directly related, progressively responsible accounting and finance experience.• Proficiency in a leadership role that exercises independent decision making, typically acquired with 3-5 years of prior leadership and experience managing a team.• Demonstrated knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).• Experience with direct application of revenue recognition in compliance with ASC 606.• Demonstrated knowledge of private grants.• Proven ability to manage and prioritize multiple projects to ensure successful, timely completion and issue resolution.• Demonstrated ability to train direct reports and work effectively and collaboratively on teams.• Proven customer service skills, and excellent attention to detail.• Exceptional analytical, technical Accounting, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.• Talented at the employee competencies:• Communicates Effectively - Excellent verbal, written and interpersonal communication and effective presentation skills and demonstrated ability to communicate effectively and confidently all levels of staff.• Collaborates - Proven track record of developing positive relationships at all levels with internal and external stakeholders.• Customer focus and Be Open and Authentic - Positive and professional attitude with the demonstrated ability to adapt to a dynamic, fast paced industry and environment.• Optimizes Work Processes - Demonstrated proficiency aligning the team/organization on goals and objectives.• Must live within a commutable distance to Herndon, VA or in one of the Clearinghouse's approved States for hiring purposes. Must be willing to travel to the corporate Headquarters, when needed.• Refer to our HR Policies Page, located on our Careers site at https://www.studentclearinghouse.org/careers/human-resource-policies/, for more details.• Must be at least 18 years old.Additional Desired Requirements:• Experience with Sage Intacct, Avalara sales tax reporting software, and Salesforce.• Knowledge of regulations, policies, and procedures applicable to not-for-profit organizations.• CPA or qualified CPA candidate preferred.• Experience with Federal grants preferred.Physical Demands:• Use of a computer for 8 or more hours a day.• Use of a copy machine and telephone.• Frequently required to sit for 7 or more hours per day; when in the office may work in close proximity to others in an open office environment.• Occasionally required to use hands and fingers to operate, handle, and reach.• Vision abilities include close vision and the ability to adjust focus.• Travel via car, train, and/or airplane, as needed.• Must be flexible to work after business hours and on weekends, when necessary.Benefits and Related InformationThe National Student Clearinghouse provides a robust benefit program designed to help meet the needs of each employee and their family, both now and in the future. We offer comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance, as well as life and disability insurance benefits, for employees and their qualified dependents. Health care, dependent care, and limited purpose flexible spending accounts, as well as a health savings account, are options available for employees to set aside pre-taxed dollars for certain qualifying expenses. We offer a very generous 401k matching contribution program with the opportunity to defer pre-tax and Roth contributions, as well as catch-up contributions for those who are eligible! We are proud to offer a competitive paid leave program consisting of vacation, sick, and personal time, as well as paid holidays and up to 3 weeks of paid parental leave during a 12-month period. Vacation time will accrue based on length of service, and new full-time hires can accrue up to 13 days of vacation and up to 10 days of sick time per year. On an annual basis, new employees may use up to 32 hours of accrued sick time as personal time. Additionally, the Clearinghouse observes at least 11 paid holidays per year.Another perk is that employees have the option to get reimbursed for basic wholesale company and roadside assistance memberships (e.g., Costco and AAA) and to request a buy back on portions of unused accrued vacation based on tenure and certain other qualifications. Employees can further their education and professional development by using our Employee Education Assistance Program, which establishes reimbursement for qualified education expenses upon successful completion of the program, and leveraging the enterprise-wide LinkedIn Learning subscription. There are additional employee benefits too, including but not limited to, mental health and wellness benefits. To find out more, please request a copy of our Benefits at a Glance!Additionally, we reasonably believe that the salary range for this position is between $90,000 and $120,000.The requisition will be open for a minimum of three days, and applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities: The National Student Clearinghouse is proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer that does not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived race, creed, color, religion, alienage or national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, disability or handicap, sex, marital status, veteran status (or known to have a spousal, family, business, social or other relationship or association with a protected veteran), sexual orientation, genetic information, arrest record, natural hairstyle, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws. Our management team is dedicated to this policy with respect to recruitment, hiring, placement, promotion, transfer, training, compensation, benefits, employee activities and general treatment during employment.Pay Transparency Notice: The National Student Clearinghouse is a federal contractor that abides by all applicable equal opportunity laws and regulations. Under these laws, companies doing business with the federal government must provide applicants and employees with certain policies, including the following information. The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)