Staff Accountant
The Cato Institute seeks a highly motivated accounting professional to join our collaborative Finance team as a Staff Accountant. As a Staff Accountant, you’ll be responsible for supporting the day-to-day accounting function and month-end close for this $45+ million/year non-profit. You’ll act as an ethical steward of the donor funds that advance our mission, support project proposals, and assist colleagues across the organization with their activities and inquiries.
Reporting to the Accounting Manager, you’ll join a Finance team that works to ensure the fiscal health of the organization in support of its mission and strategic objectives. This role is ideal for you if you’re a high-initiative and hardworking self-starter who thrives when you can hone your accounting expertise through significant cross-training, professional growth, and promotion opportunities.
About Cato
The Cato Institute is a public policy research organization—a think tank—dedicated to the principles of individual liberty, limited government, free markets and peace. Its scholars and analysts conduct independent, nonpartisan research on a wide range of policy issues.
Founded in 1977, Cato owes its name to Cato’s Letters, a series of essays published in 18th- century England that presented a vision of society free from excessive government power. Those essays inspired the architects of the American Revolution. And the simple, timeless principles of that revolution — individual liberty, limited government, and free markets – turn out to be even more powerful in today’s world of global markets and unprecedented access to information than Jefferson or Madison could have imagined. Social and economic freedom is not just the best policy for a free people, it is the indispensable framework for the future.
Cato Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Responsibilities
- Journalize cash receipts and provides customer service to the Data Services and Development teams regarding donations received.
- Prepare inventory reconciliation, records cost of goods sold, and serves as primary accounting contact for fulfillment warehouses.
- Prepare quarterly sales tax returns and annual Commercial Real Estate Tax Return.
- Prepare schedules and reconciliations of assigned balance sheet accounts.
- Secondary staff resource for accounts payable processing.
- Assist Accounting Coordinator with management of corporate card program.
- Assist Accounting Manager in preparation of proposal budgets and financial reporting to funders.
- Produce quarterly financial reporting for department heads.
- Assist Finance team in preparation of schedules and documentation for annual audit and 990.
- Assist Finance team in annual budget process.
Requirements
- 2 to 4 years of experience in accounting/finance; non-profit experience strongly preferred.
- Bachelors or Associates degree in Accounting or Finance, or equivalent experience.
- Highly proficient in Microsoft Excel, comfortable with large data sets, and adaptable to new technologies.
- Strong and versatile communication and customer service skills.
- Exceptional organizational skills and ability to multi-task, prioritize, and successfully meet deadlines.
- Ability to work with confidential financial and personnel information.
- Self-starter with a love for learning, ready to cross-train with Finance team.
- Ability to remain fully engaged in a hybrid work environment.
- Experience using NetSuite a plus.