Staff Accountant II

 

 

BETHANY HOUSE SERVICES                                                               FLSA:                  Exempt                             

Reports to:       Controller                                                                     Department:   Finance

Job Grade:        H                                                                                    Status:                 Fulltime

Position Summary

The Staff Accountant II - Grants & Payroll is an intermediate professional accounting position responsible for grant accounting and financial management, grant billing and reporting, payroll processing and accounting, the operating bank reconciliation, and payroll and employee benefit-related balance sheet reconciliations. The position requires greater independent judgment, analysis, and knowledge of grant and payroll requirements and works closely with the Controller, Program Directors, Human Resources, and other Finance staff to support accurate financial reporting, grant compliance, and timely payroll operations.

 

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

 

Grant Accounting & Financial Management

• Coordinate with BHS staff to ensure grant cycle is complete and all funding requirements are met.
• Prepare the annual budget for the Federal grant applications.
• Prepare Foundation grant budgets at the direction of the Grant Manager.
• Liaison between program directors and partner organizations to ensure matching documentation is received and meets funder requirements.
• Responsible for Funder Grid, which lists the grant contracts and summarizes the details for use by executive staff and the Board of Directors.
• Responsible for the completion of the grant cycle, ensuring all deadlines and requirements are met from application to close-out.
• Monitor, analyze, and maintain financial transactions for programs funded by Federal, state, local, and private grants and contracts.
• Track grant revenues and expenditures by funding source, program, department, and project and reconcile grant-specific subsidiary records to the general ledger.
• Prepare grant billings, reimbursement requests, receivable entries, financial reports, and grant close-out information according to funder requirements and deadlines.
• Monitor grant expenditures against approved budgets and eligible cost requirements
• Prepare spending projections and identify potential underspending, overspending, match shortfalls, recaptures, or other funding concerns for Controller review.
• Maintain grant dashboards, funder tracking schedules, required match schedules, and grant budgets.
• Maintain salary matrix of budgeted positions in accordance with individual grant awards.
• Verify financial components of grant applications and awarded agreements and enter approved budgets into the accounting system.
• Work with Program Directors and Finance staff to research and resolve grant coding, allocation, and expenditure issues.
• Maintain a working knowledge of assigned programs, funders, contract terms, eligible costs, reimbursement requirements, and fiscal periods.
• Present grant status and projections to BHS staff at quarterly grant management meetings.
• Provide recommendations on spending levels to ensure grant funding is spent within the grant terms.
• Reconcile grant rent and other grant-specific activity between program systems, including Clarity, and Financial Edge as applicable.

 

Payroll Accounting

• Maintain a working knowledge and understanding of the full payroll cycle, including gross-to-net payroll calculations, employee deductions, employer-paid benefits, payroll taxes, wage and tax reporting, payroll liabilities, general ledger accounting, and year-end payroll reporting.
• Establish and maintain the annual payroll calendar, including payroll processing dates, pay dates, holidays, and year-end deadlines.
• Review biweekly timecards for completeness, accuracy, and required management approval and coordinate/process biweekly payroll with the payroll provider.
• Review payroll reports for reasonableness and accuracy prior to finalization and research identified discrepancies with Human Resources, employees, managers, or the payroll provider as appropriate.
• Understand Federal, state, and local payroll tax withholding and employer tax requirements sufficiently to review payroll-provider activity, identify discrepancies, and coordinate corrections, while the payroll provider is responsible for filing and remitting applicable payroll taxes.
• Review and approve payroll tax account requests and notices through the payroll system and coordinate resolution of payroll tax issues with the payroll provider and Controller.
• Maintain Federal, state, and local payroll tax account information and communicate applicable rate changes and account updates to the payroll provider.
• Obtain and communicate annual Ohio unemployment tax rates and other applicable employer payroll tax rates to the payroll provider and verify that updated rates are accurately reflected in the payroll system.
• Coordinate Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC) rate and account updates with the payroll provider; prepare the annual workers' compensation true-up and file required information with the State of Ohio.
• Maintain general ledger mapping within the payroll system to ensure payroll expenses and liabilities are accurately recorded.
• Prepare and record payroll journal entries and ensure payroll costs are appropriately allocated among departments, programs, grants, and funding sources.
• Reconcile payroll registers and payroll-provider reports to payroll journal entries and the general ledger and research discrepancies through resolution.
• Prepare payroll and related accrual entries as part of month-end and year-end close procedures.
• Maintain and reconcile salary allocation schedules to grant budgets and collaborate with Human Resources and program staff to resolve discrepancies.
• Reconcile employee benefit elections and deductions to payroll and applicable benefit records.
• Prepare monthly reconciliations of payroll- and employee benefit-related balance sheet accounts, including payroll liabilities, retirement contributions, health and other employee benefit accounts.
• Process retirement contribution submissions and other payroll-related financial transactions and profile updates.
• Review quarterly and annual payroll tax reports for reasonableness and consistency with payroll records and the general ledger.
• Review annual Forms W-2 and related year-end payroll reports for accuracy and completeness prior to employee distribution and filing by the payroll provider; research and coordinate correction of identified discrepancies.
• Prepare payroll reports and supporting schedules required for grant reimbursement, month-end close, annual audit, and other reporting requirements.
• Train new staff on proper use of the timekeeping system and provide knowledgeable, responsive support to BHS staff regarding timekeeping and payroll processes.

 

Operating Bank Reconciliation

• Prepare the monthly operating bank reconciliation independently of the accounts payable/disbursement process, investigate and resolve reconciling items timely, and submit the completed reconciliation and supporting documentation to the Controller for review and approval.

 

Month-End Analysis, Audit & Finance Operations

• Prepare and maintain the Finance Department month-end close checklist, track the status of outstanding items, and communicate unresolved items to the Controller
• Complete assigned month-end close responsibilities in accordance with the established close calendar.
• Review grant revenue, grant receivables, payroll expense and allocations, payroll accruals, employee benefit liabilities, operating cash, and other assigned general ledger accounts for completeness, accuracy, and reasonableness.
• Prepare and post assigned recurring, accrual, reclassification, and adjusting journal entries with appropriate supporting documentation.
• Review assigned general ledger activity for unusual transactions, incorrect coding, missing activity, or other discrepancies and research issues through resolution.
• Ensure assigned grant, payroll, benefit, a