Finance and Accounting Manager

Waxman Strategies, a mission-driven communications and policy consulting firm led by former Congressman Henry Waxman, is accepting applications for a Finance and Accounting Manager position. We’re looking for a talented and highly-organized individual to support our Finance and Compliance department and ensure that our finances are being monitored and helping shape success for Waxman Strategies. As the Finance and Accounting Manager, you will be a critical part of our firm’s mission-driven work to address health equity and outcomes for vulnerable populations, securing a sustainable future, and fostering bold innovation through technology.

Desired Background and Responsibilities

As the Finance and Accounting Manager, you will be a critical part of the Finance and Compliance department and Operations team. This is an excellent opportunity to work closely with staff across the organization, as well as key stakeholders to ensure that our funding and client agreements are both well-organized and compliant with rules and regulations. Your responsibilities will include:

Working with the Senior Director of Finance and Compliance to provide ongoing analysis of spending to help project directors make efficient and effective use of budgets.
Collaborating with Senior Director of Finance and practice leads developing budgets, Tracking budget files based on approved budget and monthly updates. Scheduling and managing budget meetings with program leads on a monthly basis, ensuring actuals are being tracked appropriately.
Supporting the Senior Director of Finance and Compliance to provide accurate and timely information for accounting and compliance with donor, federal and state requirements.
Conducting initial review of the General Ledger to ensure proper coding and allocation of expenses. Working closely with the Accounting Manager when corrections are needed.
As needed, participate in accounting work, updates to the general ledger, redundancy checks.
As needed, support payroll processing.
Drafting and understanding terms of all client agreements, managing signature process, tracking deliverables and invoicing due dates.
Supervising proper documentation of expenditures including contracts, personnel hours, and expense reports.
Tracking timesheets and preparing time tracking reports for Senior Director of Finance and CEO. Updating the Finance Manual, the Finance Intranet, and preparing onboarding and other training presentations for staff on policies and procedures.

Supporting the Senior Director of Finance through the audit processes with external auditors.

Working closely with Senior Operations Manager in management of subscriptions, inventory of equipment, vendor selection, etc.
Acting as a crucial member of the operations team collaborating with the CEO, Senior Director of People and Culture, Senior Director of Finance and Compliance, and Senior Operations Manager and participating in firm-wide initiatives, as needed.

Who You Are:

Required qualifications:

You have a Bachelor’s Degree in finance, accounting or equivalent work experience with professional training. You have at least three years of work experience.
Previous experience working with confidential information, Quickbooks and data entry, including payroll.
You have an interest in working on budget analysis and forecasting and developing your skills in this area.
You enjoy organizing, working with numbers, and identifying trends and patterns. You love working with spreadsheets and are proficient in programs like Excel.
You can easily stay on top of a calendar of timely and important tasks throughout the year. You see projects through.
You work well on a deadline and can focus on priorities, but also adjust and adapt as necessary in changing situations.
You can get up to speed quickly on new programs and technology as needed. We use: Microsoft Office, Expensify, Harvest, Basecamp, and Quickbooks, among others.
You have an interest in Waxman’s vision of achieving a healthy world in which people, nature and the common good flourish
You are committed to a diverse, equitable and inclusive work environment.

Preferred Qualifications:

You have strong verbal and written communication skills. You can draft a clear email and are also happy to pick up the phone to call a colleague or vendor to sort out an issue.
You work well with other people, and are a team player; you are also comfortable “managing up” across working styles.
Previous experience working with a Finance or Accounting department.
You work well on a deadline and can focus on priorities, but also adjust and adapt as necessary in changing situations.
You have your CPA license or are a CPA candidate.

Details: Candidates should be based in the Washington, D.C. area. During the pandemic, our D.C. based staff have the choice of working from home but have access to the office. The safety of our team is a top priority and we will resume working from our office, travel, and in-person meetings when it is safe to do so. You will report to our Senior Director of Finance and Compliance and work closely with the Accounting Manager and the rest of the operations team.

Compensation and benefits: The salary range for this position is $56K to $70K, depending on experience. We have a generous benefits package including group health insurance, dental benefits, unlimited vacation time, paid holidays, and a 401(k) plan.

Interview process: Our interview process involves a phone interview, two video interviews, a candidate exercise, and reference calls for candidates advancing in our process. We have adjusted our interview process and are holding video interviews in place of in-person interviews during the coronavirus pandemic.

Application: Please click on the apply button and submit a resume and a thoughtful cover letter that demonstrates your writing abilities and let us know how you learned of the job. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis and the job will remain posted on our website until it is filled.

If you require reasonable accommodation in completing this application, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please contact Aliya DeGeneste at aliya@waxmanstrategies.com. Applications should be submitted through our application link and not sent to this email.

More about Waxman Strategies:

Former Congressman Henry Waxman, who was recognized as “one of the most accomplished legislators of his or any era” by President Obama, leads the firm’s work in the areas of health, the environment, and technology. Waxman Strategies uses advocacy, communications, and campaigns to shape policies, advance causes and build movements around the world.

Our team uses its policy knowledge and experience to provide strategic counsel, issue analysis and policy development, and engagement support to our diverse portfolio of clients. Building on a powerful legacy, we are driven by an uncompromising commitment to create and sustain change in the public interest.

Our DEIJ Commitment: Waxman Strategies is a firm that cares deeply about protecting our environment, improving health access and outcomes, and advancing technology in the public interest. We conduct our work with the understanding that diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ) values are central to our mission, our culture, our success and our impact.

With the knowledge of this country’s historically unjust economic and social systems in mind, our organization tries to maintain a workplace environment that embraces the diverse* backgrounds and identities of our team, partners and clients.

*Including differing race, ethnicity, gender, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, tribe, caste, socio-economic status, thinking, communication style, etc.

Equal Opportunity Statement: Waxman Strategies is an equal opportunity employer; we strictly prohibit discrimination against any employee or applicant on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity or expression and any other characteristic protected by law.

Women, people of color, and members of the LGBTQ+ community and other historically marginalized communities are strongly encouraged to apply.

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