Accounting Specialist

Are you looking for more than just a job and want to make difference? If so, then join the National Student Clearinghouse talent community and discover your impact today!

We are a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization and the leading provider of educational reporting, data exchange, verification, and research services. Serving the education, workforce and learner communities has been at the heart of our mission for over 30 years. Our work - performed in a trusted, secure, and private environment - provides numerous time- and cost-saving benefits to students, schools, administrators, and requestors. Education leaders rely on the Clearinghouse's unique national student data resources to better understand student pathways and outcomes in order to help students succeed, and our research better informs practitioners and policymakers about student educational pathways and enables informed decision making.

Billing/Payment Processing:

The Specialist, Accounting supports the Accounting department in reviewing employee expense reimbursements, preparing month end close journal entries, preparing account reconciliations, processing cash receipts, ad hoc reporting, and audit support. The Specialist is the point of contact for incoming calls and emails regarding customer inquiries. The Specialist thrives in a fast-paced environment and provides excellent customer service.

General Accounting:

The Specialist, Accounting duties include reviewing Concur travel expense reimbursements, assisting with customer requests, assisting with processing cash receipts, preparing monthly journal entries for financial statements, account reconciliations, and any other entries as needed, ensuring all expenses are properly recorded and adequately documented. The Specialist works collaboratively with the Financial Planning & Analysis team to ensure all month end revenues and expenses are properly recorded each month. The Specialist is also responsible for assisting the Accounting Leadership, Controller, CFO, Accounting and FP&A teams in reporting and analyzing financial and operating results.

Currently, this is a remote-first position, and this position may be required to periodically work on-site at our office and the frequency would depend on the department/division's requirements. Therefore, candidates must reside within a reasonable distance to commute to our office when required.

• Demonstrate the Clearinghouse's competencies, which align with our corporate values. Manager will provide more detail to candidates as needed.
  
  
  
  • Core Competencies include: Customer Focus, Optimizes Work Processes, Collaborates, Communicates Effectively, and Be Open and Authentic.
  
  
  
  

Customer Focus:

• Maintain effective customer relationships by responding to all inquiries, requests for documentation and providing timely reports as needed
• Assist with Concur expense reviews
• Responds timely to emails and phone calls from external customers and internal employees
• Works with Accounting Manager and Controller to resolve all billing or invoice related Salesforce cases.

Optimizes Work Processes:

• Maintains current standard operating procedures for Accounting processes
• Assist in streamlining and improving the Cash Receipts and invoicing process

General Accounting:

• Reconciles assigned balance sheet accounts to general ledger on a monthly basis
• Prepares journal entries and supporting schedules to include but not limited to Channel Partners for the month end close process on a timely basis
• Prepares assigned schedules and requested documentation for annual external interim and year-end financial statement audits
• Processes daily cash receipts, posting and payment
• Serve as liaison for Channel Partners between Accounting and Relationship Management team

Collaborates:

• Assist with monthly financial statement close.
• Collaborate with key stakeholders in FP&A, Learner Insights, Business Solutions and Education Solutions and Custom Research teams as it relates to assigned duties
• Prepare analysis and ad hoc reports for leadership team as needed

General Accounting:

• Assist with annual and interim audit by providing requested documentation to external auditors.
• Assist with monthly financial statement close.
• Reviews and provides approval for all Concur expense reports, ensuring all reports are appropriately documented with receipts and approved by management.
• Works with staff at all levels to resolve questions.

Communicates Effectively:

• Develop an understanding of the Clearinghouse's business and its product offerings to communicate with Clearinghouse customers, product managers and staff.

General Accounting:

• Communicates Concur expense, Cash posting and Fixed Asset policy and procedures to Clearinghouse staff.

Be Open and Authentic:

• Demonstrate openness to new perspectives and ideas.
• Build trust with internal and external stakeholders by demonstrating consistency between words and actions.

Position may be required to perform other duties as required. These essential functions are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the job. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, or in a related major. A combination of education and experience will also be considered.
• 3-5 years of work experience, with at least two years in Accounting.
• Experience with cloud-based Accounting systems.
• Advanced knowledge and competency of Microsoft Excel.
• Knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to:
  
  
  
  • Work both independently and successfully on a team.
  • Facilitate problem solving, and resolution.
  
  
  
  
• Strong conflict resolution, time management, attention to detail, and analytical skills.
• Demonstrate a professional, positive, and personable demeanor.
• Demonstrates the Clearinghouse's core competencies: customer focus, optimizes work processes, communicates effectively, collaborates, and is open and authentic.
• Must live within a commutable distance of Herndon, VA; Must be willing to travel to the corporate Headquarters, when needed.
• Must be at least 18 years old.

Additional Desired Requirements:

• Experience with Sage Intacct, Avalara sales tax reporting software, and Salesforce.
• Knowledge of regulations, policies, and procedures applicable to not-for-profit organizations.
• Knowledge of federal and private grants.

• Use of a computer for 8 or more hours a day.
• Overtime as needed during peak times such as month end closing and annual audits
• Use of a copy machine and telephone.
• Frequently required to sit for 7 or more hours per day; when in the office may work in close proximity to others in an open office environment.
• Occasionally required to use hands and fingers to operate, handle, and reach.
• Vision abilities include close vision and the ability to adjust focus.
• Travel via car, train, and/or airplane, as needed.

The National Student Clearinghouse provides a robust benefit program designed to help meet the needs of each employee and their family, both now and in the future. We offer comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance, as well as life and disability insurance benefits, for employees and their qualified dependents. Health care, dependent care, and limited purpose flexible spending accounts, as well as a health savings account, are options available for employees to set aside pre-taxed dollars for certain qualifying expenses. We offer a very generous 401k matching contribution program with the opportunity to defer pre-tax and Roth contributions, as well as catch-up contributions for those who are eligible! We are proud to offer a competitive paid leave program consisting of vacation, sick, and personal time, as well as paid holidays, up to 3 weeks of paid parental leave during a 12-month period, and up to 5 days of paid military leave per calendar year. Vacation time will accrue based on length of service, and new full-time hires can accrue up to 13 days of vacation and up to 10 days of sick time per year. On an annual basis, new employees may use up to 32 hours of accrued sick time as personal time. Additionally, the Clearinghouse observes at least 11 paid holidays per year.

Another perk is that employees have the option to get reimbursed for basic wholesale company and roadside assistance memberships (e.g., Costco and AAA) and to request a buy back on portions of unused accrued vacation based on tenure and certain other qualifications. Employees can further their education and professional development by using our Employee Education Assistance Program, which establishes reimbursement for qualified education expenses upon successful completion of the program, and leveraging the enterprise-wide LinkedIn Learning subscription. There are additional employee benefits too, including but not limited to, mental health and well-being benefits. To find out more, please request a copy of our Benefits at a Glance!

Additionally, we reasonably believe that the salary range for this position is between $53,688 and $65,000.

The requisition will be open for a minimum of three days, and applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.

Internal Candidates: If you feel that you qualify and meet the requirements of the job, we highly encourage you to apply and focus on preparing for the application process. Once the final candidates are selected, they can anticipate a review of the compensation prior to any offer made.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities: The National Student Clearinghouse is proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer that does not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived race, creed, color, religion, alienage or national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, disability or handicap, sex, marital status, veteran status (or known to have a spousal, family, business, social or other relationship or association with a protected veteran), sexual orientation, genetic information, arrest record, natural hairstyle, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws. Our management team is dedicated to this policy with respect to recruitment, hiring, placement, promotion, transfer, training, compensation, benefits, employee activities and general treatment during employment.

Pay Transparency Notice: The National Student Clearinghouse is a federal contractor that abides by all applicable equal opportunity laws and regulations. Under these laws, companies doing business with the federal government must provide applicants and employees with certain policies, including the following information. The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)