POSITION TITLE: Payables Staff Accountant

LOCATION: Remote/Oakland, CA

STATUS: Exempt

APPLY BY: Open Until Filled

About PolicyLink

PolicyLink is a national research and action institute advancing racial and economic equity by Lifting Up What Works®. Please visit our website at

This position, available immediately, is an exciting opportunity to join the staff at PolicyLink. PolicyLink is a national research and action institute advancing racial and economic equity by Lifting Up What Works®. We are dedicated to improving the lives of the 100 million people in America who live in or near poverty, particularly those facing the barriers of structural racism. We are currently working remotely. Please visit our website at: www.policylink.org.

Position Overview

PolicyLink is seeking a Payables Staff Accountant (PSA) to join our finance team. Reporting to the Controller, the PSA is responsible for supporting PolicyLink’s mission through strengthening our Accounts Payable process, ensuring that internal stakeholders have access to complete, accurate, and timely financial data for payables, credit card expenses, and expense reimbursements and that PolicyLink complies with applicable federal and state tax, withholding, and/or reporting obligations related to business purchases and reimbursements. The PSA will have a daily, ongoing impact on financial transactions, keeping us on track, on time, and on good terms with our valued external partners and internal stakeholders.

Core Responsibilities

Accounts and Grants Payable

• Obtain tax and compliance documents from vendors, review them for completeness, follow-up with the vendor as necessary, determine whether income tax withholding is required, ensure withholding occurs if applicable, and accurately enter vendor tax and compliance information into the accounting system.
• Obtain electronic payment information from vendors, verbally verify that information with the designated finance contact at the vendor, and accurately enter the related information into the accounting system.

• Generate purchase orders for purchases requiring a contract that will have static coding.
• Enter vendor bills into the accounting system ensuring the bill is connected with a contract if a contract is required, is mathematically correct, is coded correctly based on the information available, is posted in the proper accounting period, reflects a bill date that is the later of the date the bill was received or the date the vendor provided everything necessary to process payment, accurately reflects a due date based on the agreed-upon payment terms, accurately reflects sales or use tax that should be accrued, and accurately reflects amounts reportable on IRS Form 1099.
• Ensure that vendors’ bills are approved by PolicyLink staff in a timely manner and paid by their due dates.

• Ensure that all purchase orders for the prior year are closed out at the beginning of each year and that new purchase orders for remaining balances on open purchase orders from the prior year are entered into the accounting system.

• Prepare an accurate and up-to-date schedule of aged accounts and grants payable each month as part of the monthly close process and for the annual financial statement audit.

• Actively monitor data in the accounting system to identify whether vendors are receiving timely payments and develop metrics to help inform improvement of the accounts and grants payable process. 

• Assist with improving efficiency and effectiveness in the accounts and grants payable process.

• Respond to staff and vendor accounts and grants payable inquires in a timely manner.
• Develop and deliver training to PolicyLink staff about the accounts and grants payable process including onboarding new employees.

Credit Card Expense Statements

• Ensure complete credit card expense statements are received from all credit card holders by the due date each month, follow-up with late submitters in a timely manner, and initiate the process for suspending or canceling a credit card for repeated delinquency in accordance with the credit card policy.

• Review credit card expenses to ensure they are supported by appropriate documentation attached to the statement, are coded correctly based on the information available, are posted in the proper accounting period, accurately reflect sales or use tax that should be accrued, and appear to be for business expenses.

• Ensure that credit card expense statement approvers review and approve in a timely manner.

• Export approved credit card expense data from the expense statement system, import that data into the accounting system, and review the imported data to ensure it was posted correctly in the accounting system.

• Reconcile credit card statements each month.

• Assist with improving efficiency and effectiveness in the credit card expense statement process.

• Respond to staff credit card expense statement inquires in a timely manner.

• Develop and deliver training to PolicyLink credit cardholders about the credit card expense statement process including onboarding for new employees.

Expense Reimbursements

• Help ensure that complete expense reimbursement requests are received in a timely manner.

• Review expense reimbursement requests to ensure they are supported by appropriate documentation attached to the request, are coded correctly based on the information available, are posted in the proper accounting period, and appear to be for business expenses.

• Ensure that expense statement approvers review and approve in a timely manner.

• Export approved expense reimbursement request data from the expense statement system, import that data into the accounting system, and review the imported data to ensure it was posted correctly in the accounting system.

• Ensure timely payment of approved expense reimbursements.

• Assist with improving efficiency and effectiveness in the expense reimbursement process.

• Respond to staff expense reimbursement inquires in a timely manner.
• Develop and deliver training to staff about the expense reimbursement process including onboarding for new employees.

Skills, Abilities, and Knowledge Required

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

• Ability and knowledge to use diverse software and other digital tools to perform job responsibilities.

• Ability and drive to identify and act upon opportunities to improve process and a demonstrated ability proactively to troubleshoot problems in order to achieve desired outcomes.

• Ability to complete assignments with a large degree of independence and strong sense of ownership.

• Ability to problem solve and exercise sound judgment based on accurate and timely analysis.
• Fundamental knowledge of generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP).

Education and Experience Qualifications

• 3 – 5 years of demonstrated not-for-profit payables experience.

• Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in accounting a plus.

• Experience with Intacct and Certify a plus.

Work Environment

• This position is remote with the ability to work from our Oakland, CA office.

• Occasional weekend and evening work assignments. 

• This position requires 5% travel to attend in-person meetings, team retreats, and or professional development trainings.

Position Type

• This is a full-time, salaried, exempt position.

Compensation

PolicyLink offers competitive salaries based on the experience and skills of employees. The starting salary range for the position is $90,000 – $100,000, dependent on experience. 

PolicyLink offers competitive salaries based on the experience and skills of employees. Additionally, PolicyLink provides an excellent and comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, 401k match, ancillary benefits, access to Flexible Spending Accounts, and generous leave benefits.

How to Apply

We only accept online applications.

Please note: No phone calls please. Only those selected to participate in our hiring process will be contacted.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYMENT

PolicyLink strongly values equity and believes in a just and fair society where all can participate, prosper, and reach their full potential. We work towards a more inclusive world and as such we are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, skin color, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, marital status, military status, pregnancy, or parenthood. PolicyLink is committed to maintaining a diverse and multicultural working environment.

“Proof of eligibility to work in the United States must be provided if selected for hire.”

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