Description
Position at IDEA Public Schools

About IDEA Public Schools :  

 

At IDEA Public Schools, we believe in college for ALL and we are committed to ensuring that   all   our students graduate from college. IDEA Public Schools has grown from a small school to the fastest-growing network of tuition-free Pre-K-12 public charter schools in the United States sending 100% of our students to college. 50% of our students graduate from college in 6 years - that's 8 times the national rate for students in our communities!  

 
IDEA was founded in 2000 as a single school with 150 students in the Rio Grande Valley. When interest exceeded building capacity, to meet the demands, IDEA's co-founders committed to serving more students in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas and beyond. We now serve  over 65,000  students across Texas and Louisiana. Be on the lookout for IDEA schools opening near you-with continued growth in our current regions an d new launches in  Tampa Bay , FL  (2021) ,  and  Jacksonville, FL (2022) !  

 

When you choose to work at IDEA, you are part of our IDEA Team and Family. You will work alongside team members who set and reach ambitious goals every day, are excited to continue to grow with IDEA, and work relentlessly to make college for all a reality.  

 

To learn more about IDEA, check out this   video .  

Role Mission: The mission of the Federal and State Grants Accounting Clerk is to perform accounting and clerical functions to support the Staff Accountant . The Accounting Clerk reports to the Director of Accounting and be located in Weslaco, TX.

 

Accountabilities

 
Assist Staff Accountant to serve as a consultant to IDEA employees for guidance relating to Federal and State Grants.

• Keep current on new and upcoming accounting principles and federal and state compliance requirements.
• Attend trainings provided by AICPA, TSCPA, TASBO, TEA and Region One. 
• Assist in strategically planning holistic professional development and support plans for grant managers
• Assist in creating a Federal and State Grants Manual, update annually/as needed.
• Support the Advancement Team and Grant Managers in the application for and compliant use of federal and state funds.
• Actively participate in monthly federal and state grant meetings, with respective grant managers, led by the Federal & State Grant Accountant.
• 100% of external grant communications, requested by Advancement, are published on-time and meet 100% of specified requirements that accurately reflect the organizations work.?
• Assist in providing financial data for reporting requirements such as Annual Performance Reports, Quarterly Reports.

 
Assist Staff Accountant in completing the month-end-close by the dates outlined in the month-end-close processing checklist.

• Drive strategies to prepare and post recurring journal entries before the first business day.
• Collaborate with business partners to ensure account coding errors are identified, investigated, and corrected.
• Assist in reconciling accounts related to federal and state grants by the dates outlined in the month-end-close processing checklist.
• Collaborate with other departments (i.e. Advancement) to ensure all information/documentation regarding federal and state grants have been received.
• Assist in review of related Statement of Activity accounts to determine reasonableness of amounts, detect potential errors and analyze significant variances.
• Assist in collaboration with grant managers to establish federal and state grant expenditure projections for the fiscal year.

 
Drive strategies to attest expenses and revenues recorded in public grants are allowable and mitigate the risk of potential findings during the external audit. 

• Assist in preparing federal and state grant meetings with grant managers and the Budget department monthly to norm on grants budget and spending.
• Maintain a list of federal and state grants and relevant balances, to be updated monthly.
  • This document should be shared with relevant stakeholders, such as: Advancement, Budget, Grant Manager, and Business Office management.
• Partner with the Budget department and Finance lead team to strategize on spending as it relates to budget and carrying balances forward.
• Invest stakeholders in their individual roles and responsibilities to execute on the overall management of Public funds.
• Regularly and clearly communicate timelines and provide supportive structures (e.g., template development, in-person drafting meetings) to facilitate completion of deliverables by key stakeholders.
• Assist with external audit preparation related to federal and state grants:
  • gather comprehensive information requested,
  • participate in interviews, and 
  • provide all follow-up documentation requested .
• Submit any reclassifications requiring budget amendments to the Budget department for approval by the Budget & Finance Committee.
• Assist in documenting salary grant compliance requirements (i.e. semi-annual certification, offer letters, certification requirements etc.)

Record journal entry requests (via Zendesk) within two business days. 

• Verify requestor has submitted sufficient backup documentation for the journal entry request.
• Verify is legitimate and allowable.
• Communicate with PCARD administrators regarding PCARD violation entries received.

 
Live values of IDEA

• Believes and is committed to our mission: that all students are capable of getting to and through college
• Is driven by outcomes and results, and wants to be held accountable for them
• Has a propensity for action, willing to make mistakes by doing in order to learn and improve quickly.
• Thrives in an entrepreneurial, high-growth environment; is comfortable with ambiguity and change
• Seeks and responds well to feedback, which is shared often and freely across all levels of the organization
• Works through silos and forges strong cross-departmental relationships in order to achieve outcomes
• Embodies IDEA's core values

 

Qualifications:

• Education:
  Associate's Degree required
  Bachelor's degree in accounting or finance-related field preferred
• Experience: 1-3 years of accounting or bookkeeping experience preferred

• Licenses or Certifications (if applicable): None

 

Knowledge and Skills:

• Strong analytical, organizational, communication and interpersonal skills
• Knowledge of US generally accepted accounting principles for non profit organizations
• Ability to implement policy and procedures
• Ability to interpret data

 

Ability to: 

• Analyze and interpret financial data 
• Evaluate accounting problems, develop data, and recommend improvement procedures 
• Ability to develop complex accounting reports, spreadsheets, and databases 
• Work with numbers in an accurate and rapid manner 
• Ability to effectively communicate with stakeholders of varying degrees of analytical understanding
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills
• Constantly searching for and learning more regarding analysis methods and tools
• Organizing own work and work of others, coordinating projects, setting priorities, meeting deadlines
• Using initiative and independent judgment within established policy and procedural guidelines
• Hold ethics and values to high standards

Compensation: 

Salaries for people entering this role typically start between $17.44/hour and $21.80/hour, commensurate with relevant qualifications and experience. 

IDEA Public Schools does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, sex or disability, in admission or access to, or treatment of employment in its programs and activities. Any person having inquiries concerning the organization's compliance with the regulations implementing Title VI of Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504), or Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), may contact IDEA Human Resources at (956) 377-8000.