Title: Staff Accountant

Reports to: Vice President, Finance & Operations

Location: Sarasota, FL

Salary: $70,000-$80,000

Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation

Join our growing Foundation team of dynamic professionals to create a legacy project for Southwest Florida – a world class performing arts center that you will be a part of.  Roll up your sleeves and step into our fast-paced entrepreneurial organization to help us achieve something truly iconic. The mission of the Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation (“Foundation”) is to create a world-class performing arts center, that enriches the community, supports arts education, and inspires young minds.

The Foundation is partnering with the City of Sarasota, other regional municipalities, private philanthropists and foundations to build and operate what will be the performing arts centerpiece of Sarasota and the entire Gulf Coast region.  The new performing arts center will be a public-private-partnership in which the City of Sarasota and the Foundation will be the principal participants.  Completing the project – construction, operations and programming – will require funding of more than $275 million, of which 50% is anticipated to be raised from philanthropic sources.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a growing team during the start-up phase of an enormous project that will become an important cultural resource and legacy for Southwest Florida.

Job Overview and Position Objectives: 

The Staff Accountant is responsible for preparing accounting entries, reconciliation of accounts, processing payables and receivables, reviewing and reconciling banking entries and investment accounts, closing activities, audit preparation, and financial reporting. The role also supports the creation and maintenance of an accounting manual, drafting of financial policies, documents procedures, assists with accounting system set up, maintenance, and implementation of upgrades or new financial systems.

The Foundation is implementing Blackbaud’s Financial Edge accounting system, to replace our current QuickBooks accounting system, with a December 2024 go-live targeted. The staff accountant will work with the Vice President and the Foundation’s implementation consultant to complete the implementation.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Accounts Payable (30%):  

  • Processes vendor invoices and grant requests for payment; initiates electronic payments and prints checks as needed.

  • Sets up new vendor accounts in bill payment and accounting systems and updates existing vendor accounts; performs periodic maintenance on vendor records

  • Confers with vendors on any billing discrepancies for Foundation related expenses and/or missing documentation or vendor file support.

  • Performs daily accounts payable reconciliation, properly coding payable in online bill management and payment system and import or enter into general ledger

General Ledger (30%)

  • Prepares, reconciles and processes journal entries

  • Reviews daily gift file import from donor database and prepares contribution revenue support to ensure proper accounting and recording of journals

  • Maintains all accounting documentation (accounts payable, receivables, journal entry, reconciliations, month-end closing workpapers, etc.)

  • Monitors budgets, compliance with grant or gift restrictions, and restricted account balances and prepares appropriate reports as needed

  • Analyzes financial data and prepares all general ledger entries and reconciliations related to the investment portfolio and other operating bank and investment accounts

  • Reviews and prepares the monthly investment allocations across endowment accounts

  • Working with the Vice President, reviews and recommends improvements to the general ledger chart of accounts, accounting system business rules, attributes and other tables. Performs accounting system maintenance: creation of vendor records, accounts, projects, attributes and other records. Updates system records as required.

Month and Year-end Closing (10%)

  • Assists with annual financial closing and subsequent audit and tax filing including preparing support packages for auditors, responding to auditor requests, creating accounting schedules, etc.

  • Performs daily accounts payable reconciliation, properly coding payable in online bill management and payment system and import or enter into general ledger

Financial Reporting (15%)

  • Prepares monthly financial reporting package

  • Responds to requests for account balances and account activity

  • Compiles and analyzes data; prepares financial reports for internal and external requests

  • Performs other duties as assigned

Accounting Operations (15%)

  • Working with the Vice President, supports the creation and maintenance of an accounting manual for the organization

  • Documents accounting and financial procedures and updates procedures as needed

  • Working with the Vice President, assists with the drafting of financial policies for board review and approval

  • Assists with preparations for audit, finance, and board meetings

  • Assists with events as requested

Minimum Requirements:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.

  • Bachelor’s degree in accounting or a directly related field

  • Five years (5) years of related experience, with at least two years (2) of experience in the not-for-profit sector

  • QuickBooks experience

 Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: 

  • Understanding of nonprofit GAAP and IRS regulations regarding charitable contributions

  • Proficient in MS O365, including Excel, Word, Power Point, Outlook, and MS Teams, Zoom, and Adobe Pro 

  • Experience with the full accounting cycle and preparing internal financial statements and other management reports

  • Familiarity with Bill.com for payables processing and corporate credit cards, or similar online payables support tools

  • Experience with Blackbaud’s Financial Edge accounting system and donor CRMs is a plus

  • Understanding of integrations between donor CRMs and accounting systems

  • Cost conscious and effectively conserves organizational resources.

  • Clear and effective communicator with a strong collaborative spirit  

  • Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, evolving organization is a must; can multitask with ease.  

  • Proven ability to solve problems creatively, efficiently and satisfactorily; takes a solution-oriented approach to challenges.  

  • Highly organized and possesses superior time management skills. Ability to manage competing demands and priorities. 

  • Positive attitude, impeccable work ethic, and strong sense of urgency and commitment to results.  

  • Maintains confidentiality and exercises discretion when interacting with internal and external stakeholders. Must always maintain confidentiality and exhibit sound judgment. 

  • Experience working with outside consultants and vendors.  

Position Status: 

This is an exempt full-time position. Generally, the hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, for a 40-hour work week. The hours may be adjusted as required to ensure that the job is accomplished. Some weekends/nights work is to be expected.

Work Environment: 

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.

While performing the duties of this job, the noise level in the work environment is usually quiet to moderate.

Physical Demands: 

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand and reach with hands and arms. The employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls; and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to walk and sit.

 The employee must have a valid driver’s license, and the ability to transport and set-up materials for Education events.

The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds.

 Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

 

Acknowledgement: 

The Foundation has reviewed this job description to ensure that essential functions and basic duties have been included. The Foundation reserves the right to change it at its sole discretion at any time and without any advance notice. This job description and list of functions is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all functions, responsibilities, skills and abilities. Additional functions and requirements may be assigned by supervisors as deemed appropriate.

 

The Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

or email to: hr@performingartsfoundation.org