Finance Associate - Finance Department

Description

ABOUT PUBLIC COUNSEL

Public Counsel is the nation’s largest provider of pro bono legal services. Founded in 1970, it is dedicated to advancing equal justice under law and addressing economic, racial, social, and other inequities by delivering free legal and social services to the most vulnerable members of our community. Public Counsel operates eight legal projects: Children’s Rights, Community Development, Consumer Rights & Economic Justice, Homelessness Prevention, Immigrants’ Rights, Veterans’ Rights, the Audrey Irmas Project for Women & Girls’ Rights, and our impact litigation project, Opportunity Under Law. 

Public Counsel has a full-time staff of over 130. We are committed to building a diverse staff and encourage applications from people of color, people with disabilities, and people of all gender identities, gender expressions, and sexualities.

ABOUT FINANCE DEPARTMENT

Public Counsel seeks a mission-driven Staff Accountant with previous nonprofit accounting experience. Reporting to the Controller, the Staff Accountant will join the Finance Team in the day-to-day financial operations of a $16 million budget, including planning, budgeting, accounting and reporting on a diversified funding stream consisting of donations, grants, government contracts, program service fees, and other sources of revenue.

JOB SUMMARY

Reporting to the Controller, the Finance Associate will:

• Provide accounting support to all financial areas;
• Share responsibility for Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable;
• Enter invoices and check requests into the Financial Edge accounting system;
• Code credit card expense transactions and enter into Financial Edge AP module;
• Pay online invoices;
• Process expense reimbursements through the Paylocity payroll system and confirm coding;
• Assist with timesheets for payroll processing;
• Assist with timesheets and journal entries for Program Service Fee invoices;
• Create monthly allocation spreadsheet and journal entries;
• Develop reports and maintain files and folders in NetDocs;
• Assist with journal entries, account reconciliations, and process documentation;
• Assist with the month-end and year-end closings;
• Assist with the annual budget process;
• Assist with audits, audit schedules, statements, and information returns;
• Special projects and additional duties as assigned.

Requirements

 ESSENTIAL JOB SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• High School diploma or equivalent required. Associate’s or Bachelor’s Degree in accounting, finance, business administration, or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience preferred
• Minimum 2-3 years of accounting experience.
• Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivables experience preferred.
• Knowledge of finance, accounting, budgeting, grants, and GAAP.
• Nonprofit experience with an organization having a budget of at least $10 million preferred.
• Excellent computer skills in accounting software and Microsoft Office Suite, especially Excel.
• Financial Edge and Paylocity experience highly preferred.
• Analytical ability to develop and implement improvements and recommendations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal competencies to work well with a diversity of people.
• Self-motivated and self-directed.
• Must have the highest integrity and exceptional ethics.
• Attention to detail, outstanding organizational skills, ability to multitask.
• Commitment to gender/racial/social justice and the mission of Public Counsel.

JOB TYPE AND BENEFITS

• Full-Time, Non-Exempt position working 37.5 hours per week
• Bargaining
• Salary:  $50,000
• Public Counsel offers a competitive benefits package including:
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage with both HMO and PPO options, 
• The option to enroll in a Flexible Spending Account, 
• A 403(b) retirement plan with elective contribution and a discretionary employer contribution after a  year of employment, and 
• Employer-paid life insurance and disability plans.
• Generous paid time off
• Parking and transit benefits

PUBLIC COUNSEL VACCINATION POLICY AND COVID-19 PROTOCOLS

Public Counsel requires vaccination against COVID-19 for all employees, including new hires. Pursuant to federal and state laws, Public Counsel will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified employees with disabilities or sincerely held religious beliefs, unless doing so would pose an undue hardship.

Public Counsel is generally office-based, but remote work has been permitted during the pandemic. As of June 6, 2022, all employees with Public Counsel will be required to work in the office at least one day per week, at the discretion of the head of department. This policy is subject to redesign by leadership. Public Counsel will work in a manner consistent with public health and local and state emergency orders.

PUBLIC COUNSEL EEO POLICY

Public Counsel is an Equal Opportunity Employer that does not discriminate against employees or prospective employees on the basis of union membership or activity, race, religious creed, religious observance, ethnicity, color, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information or predisposition, military service, military and veteran status, pregnancy, child birth and related medical conditions, marital and family status, national origin, ancestry, age, medical conditions as defined by state or federal law, or disability, or any other basis prohibited by law.

All qualified applicants with criminal histories will be considered in a manner consistent with the requirements of the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring.

Our leadership team is dedicated to this policy with respect to recruitment, hiring, placement, promotion, transfer, training, compensation, benefits, employee activities discipline, discharge and general treatment during employment.