Overview

Reporting to the Controller, the senior accountant is primarily responsible for the monthly closing of the accounting records for three entities: Ascend Charter Schools, Ascend Learning, and Friends of Ascend. The senior accountant is also responsible for creating all of the workpapers needed by Ascend's external auditors to conduct and complete annual audits. Finally, the senior accountant must maintain accurate accounting records to ultimately produce monthly financial reporting for all of Ascend's entities.

Why extraordinary professionals choose Ascend

Ascend is a network of K-12 public charter schools serving 5,700 students in 15 schools across Brooklyn-New York's most populous borough. Our undertaking is to lead our students on a great intellectual adventure, provide them with an exceptional college preparatory education, and place them firmly on the path to success in college and beyond.

We guide our students to think critically and independently and to enjoy education as an end in itself. We teach a rich and rigorous liberal arts curriculum that nurtures students' natural curiosity about the world. We foster a positive, non-punitive school culture where students feel connected, empowered, and safe to take academic risks. Even our school buildings are designed to reflect our high aspirations for teaching and learning and the notable accomplishments that occur within our walls.

To create this kind of vibrant learning community, we invest heavily in our faculty by providing ongoing professional training and support, and encourage our educators to collaborate closely and push each other to achieve great outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Performs the monthly bank reconciliations
• Ensures that accounts receivable and payable entries are recorded accurately
• Prepares monthly revenue, title, and other related grant accounting entries
• Reconciles inter-company accounts and records journal entries
• Prepares audit schedules for the external auditors in preparation of Ascend's three annual audits, which includes revenue reconciliation schedules and various balance sheet analysis.
• Prepares ad hoc reports and performs financial analysis as needed
• Works with the Financial Analysts to ensure accurate monthly financial reporting
• Assists in quarterly SUNY Reporting
• Assists in the preparation of the annual budgets for the Ascend entities

Staff and Reporting Relationships

The senior accountant works collaboratively with the accounts payable team and other members of the finance team and reports directly to the controller.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree; CPA preferred
• A minimum of 3 years of experience in an accounting role; non-profit experience is a plus
• Solid accounting knowledge
• Highly skilled in the use of Excel
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Excellent work habits, including a willingness to do what is necessary to get the job done, mainly when important deadlines cause greater than normal departmental pressures
• Exceptional organization and time management skills
• Strong attention to detail
• A mindset of excellence; insistence on quality
• A customer service-oriented mindset
• The ability to adjust to change
• The ability to work independently
• Maturity, humility, strong work ethic, sense of humor, and "roll-up-my-sleeves" attitude
• Passion and commitment to urban education and Ascend's mission of closing the achievement gap
• Alignment with the educational philosophy and core beliefs of Ascend

Diversity at Ascend

Ascend is committed to building a diverse and inclusive community, both through our hiring practices and our focus on creating a culture and environment where diverse perspectives, ideas, and identities are valued and integrated into our way of working and educating students. Ascend staff represent a wide diversity of racial, socio-economic, gender, religious, and national identities-opening a window to the entire Ascend community on the richness of humanity. We welcome all applicants who share our mission and vision to join us in our deeply consequential work.

Compensation

Ascend offers a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package. Please visit www.ascendschools.org/careers to learn more about the benefits of working at Ascend.