ORGANIZATIONAL OVERIEW
Main Street America (MSA) leads an inclusive, impact-driven movement dedicated to re-energizing and strengthening downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts through place-based economic development and community preservation. We work in collaboration with thousands of local partners and grassroots leaders across the nation who share our commitment to advancing shared prosperity, creating resilient economies, and improving quality of life.
Since its founding in 1980, the MSA network has helped to generate over $100 billion in local reinvestment, create 700,000 new jobs, and start 160,000 new businesses in over 2,000 communities. Main Street America is a subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
ABOUT THE TEAM
MSA is a growing, geographically dispersed team. Our group is passionate about Main Street’s mission, with ambitions to significantly scale and deepen our impact in communities across the country. Staff members have deep expertise across a broad range of disciplines including economic development, historic preservation, urban planning, finance, and public affairs. They have a proven track record in helping a diverse range of communities through direct technical assistance, professional development programs, thought leadership, and targeted tools.
We strive for a culture that is team-oriented, collaborative, high performing, and committed to equity and inclusion. MSA provides an environment in which team members can thrive in both their professional and personal lives by offering flexible work arrangements, including the option to work remotely.
JOB SUMMARY
This brand new position, reporting to the Chief Finance and Administration Officer, will apply professional training, analytical expertise, discretion, and judgment to ensure timely and accurate daily, monthly, and yearly accounting functions. The Staff Accountant will work collaboratively with members of the Finance Department, as well as colleagues across the organization to support effective financial operations.
We will be screening applicants on a rolling basis & will be looking to schedule first set of interview in Feb-March 2025.
Requirements
AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY
Accounting & Budget Management Support
- Manage and maintain accurate records of regular financial transactions including processing accounts payable, travel expense reports, corporate credit card usage.
- Collaborate with non-finance staff across departments to address financial inquiries & resolve discrepancies.
- Identify & resolve discrepancies in ledgers and accounts by tracking issues to their source and making corrections Support the accounts receivable billing process by preparing invoices and updating records while utilizing the current time and charges software.
- Assist Director of Governmental Finance & Grants in monitoring, managing, and reporting on the life cycle of grants, ensuring compliance with budgets and reporting requirements for federal, state, and non-profit agencies.
- Prepare monthly journal entries and post to Unit 4 (MSA’s accounting software system).
- Additional duties as assigned.
Vendor, Team, and Client Management
- Oversee new vendor set up in Unit 4, ensuring accurate collection of W-9 forms, ACH information, and annual Form 1099 requirements. Coordinate setup of the vendor into Unit 4 with our parent organization, the National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP). Follow up with NTHP on any questions surrounding the New Vendor setup.
- Respond to emails, messages, and phone calls from staff in a timely manner.
- Collaborate with finance team to fulfill audit requests.
Systems & Process Documentation and Improvement
- ·Identify & recommend opportunities to improve financial process or systems inefficiencies.
- Develop or refine processes for better management of corporate credit card reporting.
- Assist with the integration of new CRM system with current accounting policies, practices, and software.
Top Candidates MUST HAVE the following characteristics:
- Bachelors in Accounting
- Working knowledge of general ledgers and their relationship to financial statements.
- Experience with double entry accounting and entering journal entries in accounting software.
- Ability to prioritize, multi-task efficiently and respond to a high volume of ongoing requests in a timely fashion.
- Drawn to documentation - is predisposed toward and disciplined about documenting new processes and establishing written record of past processes.
- High degree of accuracy, timeliness and attention to detail.
- Has an instinct and desire to improve processes
- Has the desire and ability to encourage, inspire, motivate colleagues to achieve goals and meet deadlines.
- has a desire to learn and grow with the job and advance within the organization
- Skilled in communicating with both internal and external customers, including strong writing, spelling, grammar, and proofreading skills, as well as strong verbal communication and customer service skills, and ability to discuss accounting-related issues clearly with non-accounting staff.
- Proven ability to continually develop skills related to use of rapidly changing technology and communications best practices.
- Intermediate knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite.
Extraordinary Candidates may have the following NICE TO HAVES characteristics:
- Proactively learns new tools; Stays ahead of the curve in an ever-changing technological environment.
- Entrepreneurial and resourceful: Consistently overcomes challenges and leverages resources to creatively solve problems. Proposes solutions to issues without much guidance (but isn’t afraid to ask questions). Proactively asks for help, anticipates problems, and course-corrects where needed.
- Familiarity with databases, CRMs and accounting software.
Benefits
Main Street America is a remote-first organization with staff working across various locations. This position offers a competitive salary range of $76,000 - $78,400 annually.
Main Street America is a dynamic, diverse, remote-first team. We hire empathetic managers, create a fulfilling work environment, and provide excellent benefits. We strive to balance achievement, connection and rest through key structures:
- We all organize our work annually around our six long-term objectives of our strategic plan
- We meet in person twice a year at team retreats, and many staff attend our annual conference
- We have more than 25 paid holidays (including the last week of December and the week surrounding the fourth of July), and have meeting-free weeks (“Rejuvenation Weeks”) the last week of August and first week of January for deep focus and planning.
- We keep a 35-hour work week, and most of our team works Monday through Friday during regular business hours. Some positions require additional hours and time outside regular business hours.
Full-time, regular employees are entitled to:
- Health Insurance: Our group benefit plans include medical, EAP, dental and vision, life, and disability plans.
- Paid Sick Leave: Full-time employees accrue sick leave at a rate of 3.23 hours per pay period (maximum accrual at 420 hours).
- Vacation Accrual: In addition to the more than 25 paid holidays mentioned above, full-time employees begin with two weeks vacation, and accrue vacation at a rate of 4.85 hours per pay period for the first 3 years. At years 3 – 10, the accrual rate increases to 6 hours, and employees with tenures of more than 10 years accrue at a rate of 6.92 hours per pay period (for a maximum accrual at 210 hours).
- 401(a) Defined Contribution Retirement Plan: At its discretion, Main Street America makes an employer contribution typically equal to 5% of earned compensation no later than April for the prior calendar year in which you worked at least 1,000 hours. Vesting begins at 20% after two years, and increases until it reaches 100% after five years.
- 403(b) Individual Retirement Plan: Employee pre-tax contributions are permitted up to IRS limits.
- Professional Development: At its discretion, Main Street America provides $1,500 in professional development funds to each employee annually, as well as other team-wide professional development trainings.
