Staff Accountant

CRISIS CENTER OF TAMPA BAY

POSITION DESCRIPTION - Staff Accountant

Position Details

Job Status: Full-Time, Exempt

Reports to: Controller

Department: Finance                                         

Position Summary

The Crisis Center of Tampa Bay brings help, hope and healing to people facing serious life challenges or trauma resulting from sexual assault or abuse, domestic violence, financial distress, substance abuse, medical emergency, suicidal thoughts, emotional or situational problems. The primary responsibility of the Staff Accountant is to manage the Agency’s general and payroll ledgers, with a specific focus on payroll processing, fixed assets, prepaid expenses and the execution of monthly allocations. This position ensures financial accuracy by preparing detailed account reconciliations and managing the distribution of expenses across various departments and projects. The Staff Accountant is expected to evaluate accounting processes, identify opportunities for improvement, and collaborate with accounting leadership to implement solutions that strengthen internal controls and operational efficiency. The Staff Accountant reports to the Controller and in his/her absence the CFO.

Strategic/Transformational Duties and Responsibilities

• Payroll & Ledgers: Processes payroll for all employees of the Crisis Center verifying totals and maintains the accuracy of the general and payroll ledgers. The Staff Accountant also provides customer service to appropriate stakeholders responding and resolving issues and problems. Works closely with Human Resources to ensure timely processing surrounding employee changes. 
• Asset Management: Oversee accounting for fixed assets and prepaid expenses.
• Reconciliations: Prepare and review monthly account reconciliations to support timely month-end closes.
• Cost Allocations: Execute complex monthly allocations to ensure expenses are accurately distributed across departments, programs, and funding sources.
• Involves staff and other stakeholders in the performance quality improvement (PQI) process and uses data to improve services and outcomes. 

Duties and Responsibilities

Payroll Functions

• • Ensures supervisors review and sign off on bi-weekly payroll hours for their assigned employees. 
  • Assists in reviewing and enforcing payroll policies and developing procedures to ensure proper internal controls.
  • Research and resolves pay inquiries up to and including issuance of manual checks.
  • Assists during external review and audit for payroll related matters.
  • Coordinates year end reporting and issue annual employee tax documents.
  • Prepares and reports pension liability in ledger by pay cycle; Prepares payroll related journal entries.
  • Works closely with Human Resources to ensure timely processing of new hires, terminations, salary changes, benefits, and other areas where exchange of employee information is required.
  • Be the liaison for troubleshooting problems with HR/Payroll Software. 
  • Analyzes benefit statements and compares payroll information for accuracy.

Accounting Functions

• • Compiles and analyzes financial information to prepare entries to the general ledger accounts.
  • Performs detailed review, analysis, and reconciliation of balance sheet accounts.
  • Assists with the day-to-day operations of the general ledger accounting processes and activities.
  • Identifies, researches, and tracks transactional processing errors.
  • Assists with identifying and resolving GL issues.
  • Proactively seeks ways to continuously improve processes to achieve greater efficiencies and better controls.
  • Works closely with accounting leadership to standardize processes relating to General Ledger Accounting.
  • Implements accounting changes arising from new operations and process improvements.
  • Reconciles bank statements weekly.
  • Assists in maintaining chart of accounts.
  • Ensures all fixed asset additions and retirements are accurately and timely recorded.
  • Assists with monthly/quarterly account transaction closing and cut-off date.
  • Prepares month–end standard journal entries and adjustments, including amortization of all prepaid assets. 
  • Performs Month End Allocations for Agency financials.
  • Maintains unclaimed property records and required annual reporting
  • Provides direct assistance to the Controller and the CFO as required.
  • Serves as backup for other accounting team members as needed to support continuity of financial operations.
  • Assists with year-end financial audits.
  • Demonstrates teamwork on accounting responsibilities, particularly with Accounts Payable staff engaged in coding, reconciliations, etc.
• Performs and assists in such other duties as may be assigned by the Controller.

Required Competencies 

• Cooperation/Teamwork - Works toward win/win solutions. Deals with conflict collaboratively. Discusses root causes underlying the problem. Develops effective working relationships.
• Engaging Communication - Relates to people in an open, honest, sincere manner. Treats people with respect. Is friendly and approachable. Listens attentively to others. Communicates ideas clearly. Communicates appropriately with leadership and coworkers.
• Customer Service (Internal & External) - Recognizes and attends to important details with accuracy and efficiency. Treats customers courteously. Responds to customer requests in a timely manner. Elicits feedback from customers to monitor their satisfaction. Considers both short and long-term interests of the customer in making service decisions. Proactively identifies customer needs. Takes responsibility to resolve customer complaints. Takes business or personal risks to serve customers’ long-term interests. Creates strategies to help the organization serve customers more effectively.
• Adaptability - Adapts readily to changes. Works effectively under stress. Needs minimal supervision. Comfortable working in a fast-paced environment. Is reliable, dependable and results oriented. Maintains productivity and composure under pressure. Effectively prioritizes work and establishes clear goals and plans.
• Problem Solving - Views problems as opportunities to create new solutions.  Anticipates potential problems and analyzes alternative solutions.  
• Judgment - Gathers sufficient input before making decisions. Sees interrelatedness between issues. Considers alternative solutions. Makes appropriate and timely decisions.
• Valuing & Fostering Diversity - Demonstrating respect for individual differences and establishing a climate where all people can be comfortable and productive through sensitivity, empathy, and acceptance of cultural, racial, mental health, and socio-economic diversity.
• Self-Management - Taking of responsibility for one’s behavior and well-being; Working effectively under stress and adapting one’s style to changing situations; Comfortable working in a fast-paced environment and needs minimal supervision; Exhibiting a professional demeanor.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting and five (5) years’ work experience in the accounting field. 
• Ability to prepare monthly and year-end financial statements including all necessary accruals. 
• Ability to prepare annual budgets. 
• Experience with nonprofit accounting, including fund accounting and cost allocations across programs and grants.
• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office suite, including advanced functions of Excel and Word, is required.
• Experience with Sage Intacct or comparable cloud-based ERP systems preferred.
• Experience with Paycom or comparable HRIS/payroll systems preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Possesses in-depth knowledge of and application of generally accepted accounting principles and procedures, including updates and new pronouncements.
• Ability to analyze accounting workflows and identify opportunities to improve efficiency, automation, and internal controls
• Experience developing and maintaining written accounting procedures, documentation, and internal control processes
• Ability to work collaboratively with HR, Operations, Billing, and other departments to support payroll, allocations, and financial reporting requirements
• Knowledge of agency policy regarding expenses and the appropriate account against which they should be charged.
• Ability to collect, analyze and record data.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Utilization of problem-solving tools and techniques.
• Detail and task oriented.
• Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing with employees at all levels of the Agency.
• Must be able to maintain and protect confidentiality of employee salaries and other confidential information.
• This position serves on the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay’s Performance Quality Improvement (PQI) Committee and contributes to reviewing organizational data, identifying opportunities for improvement, and supporting effective communication regarding service outcomes and organizational performance.

Physical Demands/Working Conditions

Physical Requirement: Employee must be able to sit, hear, use hands, and speak. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision and the ability to adjust focus. Minimal physical exertion is required. Ability to sit for long periods of time. 

Working Conditions: Duties are performed primarily in an office setting.  Operates computer and standard office equipment such as telephone and copier/printer. Work is performed mainly indoors. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.  

Travel: Minimal.

Hours: Monday-Friday, 40 hours per week, typically 8:00 am – 5:00 pm. 

This job description is not intended to describe, in detail, the multitude of tasks that may be assigned but rather to give a general sense of the responsibilities and expectations of this position. As the nature of business demands change so, too, may the essential functions of this position.

CCTB is committed to a policy of equal employment opportunity and affirmative action for our applicants and employees. It is our policy to apply recruiting, hiring, training, promotion, compensation, and professional development practices without regard to actual or perceived race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability or certain classifications based on genetic information, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws, regulations or ordinances.