Senior Accountant

Position: Senior Accountant

Location: Wallingford, Connecticut

Client: Choate Rosemary Hall

Schedule: Full-time, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Additional hours may occasionally be required during year-end and audit preparation, particularly during July.

Work Arrangement: Onsite initially, opportunity to work 2 remote days per week after six months of employment

Reports To: Assistant Controller

Compensation/Benefits: $80,000 to $90,000 annually + full benefits medical/dental/vision, 403B plan, PTO

About Choate Rosemary Hall

Founded in 1890, Choate Rosemary Hall is a prestigious coeducational boarding and day school serving students in grades 9 through 12, along with a postgraduate year. Located in Wallingford, Connecticut, the School provides a rigorous academic experience centered on intellectual growth, character development, integrity, respect, and compassion.

Choate Rosemary Hall

Position Summary/Overview

Reynolds & Rowella’s HR Outsourcing Services is currently recruiting on behalf of our client, Choate Rosemary Hall in Wallingford, CT. We are seeking an experienced Senior Accountant to join its collaborative Accounting Office. This position will have a primary focus on general accounting and endowment and investment accounting, while also providing support across financial reporting, budgeting, and other Accounting Office functions. The Senior Accountant will manage approximately 55% general accounting and month-end close responsibilities, 35% endowment and investment accounting, and 10% budgeting and financial reporting.

This is an excellent opportunity for a detail-oriented and analytical accounting professional who enjoys working within a close-knit team and is interested in supporting the mission of a respected educational institution. The Senior Accountant will join an Accounting Office of approximately 8 to 10 professionals and work closely with the Assistant Controller, Controller, CFO, and fellow Senior Accountants/Staff. The team operates in a friendly, collaborative environment where employees work closely together and share responsibilities through cross-training.

Why work for Choate!

• Exceptional retirement benefit: 15% employer-funded 403(b) contribution with no employee contribution required, subject to a five-year vesting schedule.
• Generous time off: 6 weeks of vacation, plus approximately 9 to 10 paid holidays.
• Healthy work-life balance with a consistent Monday through Friday schedule and limited overtime outside of peak periods.
• Hybrid flexibility: Opportunity to work remotely - 2 days per week after 6 months in the role.
• Collaborative, close-knit team: Join a supportive accounting team where employees work closely together, cross-train, and support one another.
• Career growth and upward mobility: Opportunity to broaden your accounting experience, gain exposure across different areas of accounting, and continue developing within the organization.
• Rewarding work environment: Be part of an engaging culture and contribute to the mission of one of the country's prestigious independent educational institutions.
• Competitive compensation and benefits: Medical, Dental, Vision

Key Responsibilities

General Accounting Operations (About 55%)

• Coordinate general ledger activity, including journal entries, cash receipts, credit card activity, and system integrations.
• Perform monthly bank and general ledger reconciliations.
• Support month-end, fiscal period, and year-end closing processes.
• Maintain fixed asset records and prepare related asset and depreciation reconciliations.
• Assist with year-end reconciliations and the annual external audit.
• Research general ledger activity and prepare reports and analyses as needed.
• Support credit card reporting, miscellaneous billing, enrollment-related accounting, and other Accounting Office processes.
• Provide backup support for accounts payable and accounts receivable functions.
• Develop and maintain written accounting procedures and participate in cross-training across the Accounting team.

Endowment and Investment Accounting (About 35%)

• Perform monthly and quarterly general ledger accounting for the School’s investments.
• Complete unitization of endowed funds.
• Review endowment and restricted-fund spending for compliance with donor restrictions.
• Manage accounting for restricted and unrestricted gifts, pledges, life-income funds, and other philanthropic activity.
• Monitor underwater endowment funds and support compliance with UPMIFA, donor restrictions, and board designations.
• Administer the Fundriver endowment accounting platform, including reporting, auditing, system configuration, and user support.
• Partner with the Alumni and Development Office to reconcile financial and donor records.
• Coordinate restricted-gift notifications and communications with budget managers.
• Prepare annual endowment spending reports - compare results against the operating budget.
• Support endowment, restricted-fund, and pledge reporting during the annual audit.

Budgeting and Financial Reporting (About 10%)

• Assist with operating and capital budget worksheets and financial projections.
• Support the annual budgeting process and work with department budget managers.
• Prepare budget-to-actual reporting and monthly financial analysis.
• Assist with financial reporting tools, payroll-related journal entries, 1099 reporting, and internal control reviews.
• Provide cross-functional support to the financial planning and analysis process as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, Finance, Business, or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience.
• 5-7 years of progressive accounting experience.
• Strong experience with general ledger accounting, account reconciliations, month-end close, fixed assets, and audit preparation.
• Endowment, investment, fund, restricted-fund accounting exp. strongly preferred.
• Candidates from nonprofit organizations, colleges, universities, independent schools, foundations, similar fund-accounting environments encouraged to apply.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including pivot tables and lookup functions.
• Exp. with Microsoft Dynamics GP/Great Plains, Management Reporter, or Fundriver is a plus.
• CPA designation is preferred but not required.
• Relevant endowment, fund-accounting, and financial-planning experience will be strongly considered.
• Strong analytical, organizational, problem-solving, and communication skills.
• High attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple deadlines.
• Service-oriented approach, ability to work effectively with staff across the School.
• Willingness to learn, cross-train, and provide coverage across accounting, endowment, and budgeting functions.

Equal Opportunity and Accommodations

Choate Rosemary Hall is committed to maintaining an inclusive workplace. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.