Staff Accountant

Job Description

Staff Accountant | California Institute of Integral Studies

The Tone:
This is a full-time role at California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS), located in San Francisco, CA, with a remote work option available. CIIS is an internationally recognized leader in integral education, dedicated to embodying spirit, intellect, and wisdom in service of individuals, communities, and the earth. The Staff Accountant plays a crucial role in supporting the day-to-day general accounting operations, ensuring accurate financial records, and contributing to the timely and compliant financial processes that underpin the institute’s mission and goals. This position is vital for maintaining the financial health and integrity of CIIS.

The TL;DR
• Role: Early Career
• Type: Full-time
• Location: Hybrid, San Francisco, CA
• Pay: $75000–$80000 yearly
• Team: Reports to the Accounting Manager within the Accounting and Control department.
• Mission: Maintains accurate financial records, supports timely month-end and year-end close processes, and assists with financial reporting, audits, and compliance.
• Tech Stack: Microsoft Office Suite, Excel, Accounting General Ledger software, Ellucian Colleague (desirable)

What You’ll Actually Do
• General Ledger: Prepare and post monthly and year-end journal entries, accruals, and other general ledger activity, ensuring accuracy and proper classification.
• Reconciliations: Prepare and maintain comprehensive account reconciliations for bank, investments, prepaids, fixed assets, and deferred revenue.
• Payroll & Benefits: Record and reconcile payroll and benefits-related transactions, analyzing data to identify and resolve discrepancies.
• Financial Reporting: Provide accounting information and analysis to support management and FP&A reporting, including assistance with budget-to-actual variance explanations.
• Compliance & Audit: Support the annual external audit by preparing schedules and account analyses, and assist in ensuring compliance with GAAP and relevant nonprofit/higher-education accounting standards.

The Must-Haves
• Background: Bachelor’s degree in accounting or finance, with foundational knowledge of general financial accounting and accrual accounting principles.
• Experience: 1-2 years of progressive accounting experience, specifically in general ledger accounting, account reconciliations, month-end close processes, or payroll accounting.
• Skills: Proficient with Accounting General Ledger software and Microsoft Excel, excellent organizational skills and attention to detail, strong analytical, problem-solving, and research abilities.
• Bonus: Experience with Ellucian Colleague highly desirable; bilingual or multilingual abilities appreciated.