Personnel Cost Accountant job in Chicago

Personnel Cost Accountant, Managed Organizations (Chicago, IL, Durham, NC, or Washington, D.C.)

Arabella manages payroll and benefits accounting for five separate organizations in which are hosted hundreds of unique and financially discrete teams, each requiring their own financial reporting. This role is responsible for the aggregation, analysis and reconciliation of employee-level data required for accurate and timely inclusion into the appropriate general ledger accounts of a complex system of multi-organizational financial statements. The personnel reconciliation cost activities include adherence to a prescribed checklist and strict monthly timeline, but also includes frequent ad hoc requests and historical inquiries, requiring a facility in problem-solving and research.

Essential Responsibilities
Primary liaison between human resources and finance & accounting teams, including, but not limited to issue logging, and timely response and resolution of all inquiries.
Participate in a team dedicated to process and system improvement
Acquire, develop, and generate reports necessary to provide employee-level detail for benefits and payroll-related invoices and transactions. This includes navigating, compiling and reconciling multiple source data systems, spanning Ultimate Kronos Group (UKG), PlanSource Benefits Management, COBRAPoint, Alegeus, CommuterCheck. This role requires capabilities in navigating multiple reporting systems and file types.
Manipulate and compile file formats to reconcile all benefit vendor invoice detail to charges, including but not limited to health, dental, vision, life, short- and long-term disability insurance, optional life and disability insurance, commuter check, HRA, FSA, and COBRA. Also includes reconciliation of various provider admin fees.
Submit all vendor invoices via the accounts payable (AP) process, resolve inquiries from AP staff to ensure timely payments, and shepherd all payments to completion.
Reconcile all vendor transactions to bank activity. Resolve and document discrepancies.
Re-format and reconcile COBRA remittance reports. Reconcile and resolve incoming funds transactions.
Produce and reconcile payroll reports to bank activity (including regular cycle payrolls, ad-hoc payrolls, and any associated tax credits and debits). This includes net pay, taxes, 401K. Resolve and document discrepancies.
Generate mid- month and month-end written reports detailing new or unique transaction types and/or anomalies in reconciliation.
Support regular and ad hoc internal audit activities
Maintain documentation of reconciliation processes and activities

To Be Successful in This Role, You’ll Need:
Associate's/Bachelor’s degree in accounting, or equivalent experience
At least two years of work experience in an accounting role preferred
Demonstrated experience and resourcefulness researching, investigating and reconciling personnel financial data.
Strong facility in generation and manipulation of reports across multiple systems (standard and custom)
Skilled at identifying process inefficiencies and solution development/implementation
Familiarity with systems and processes that sit at the intersection of the human resources, finance and accounting functions, specifically as they relate to payroll and benefits. Understanding of basic accounting principles, specifically personnel accounting and/or project-based accounting preferred
Exposure to month-end and year-end close cycles
Intermediate capabilities in Microsoft Excel. Microsoft Access skills a plus.
Experience or familiarity with general accounting software
Exposure to Salesforce, Concur, Replicon, Plansource, Great Plains and/or UltiPro a plus.
Superior judgement, able to quickly analyze a new landscape and its implications, understanding when to be resourceful and when to escalate
Excellent verbal and written communication, including the ability to report on complex data in an easily understandable manner
Solid analytical and problem-solving skills
Strong attention to detail and accuracy
Ability to work independently and within teams in a fast-paced and high-volume environment with emphasis on accuracy and timeliness
Ability to manage and meet deadlines for multiple projects simultaneously

Our Core Competencies:
Ability to provide excellent service, including the ability to efficiently and independently address routine service matters, to suggest effective client-centered solutions when elevating challenges or concerns, and to understand how the team can operate to maintain high-quality service.
The ability to complete complex tasks, to use a work plan to undertake projects, and to understand how those projects impact the client, team, and/or firm’s objectives
The ability to understand stakeholders’ perspectives and circumstances, and to build and manage strong relationships that reflect that understanding.
The ability to communicate clearly, concisely, and professionally, including the ability to adapt style, tone, and content to various audiences; to make technical information accessible to broader audiences; and to collaborate with others to produce strong written deliverables
The ability to work cooperatively and inclusively with others to achieve shared goals, including knowing when and how to compromise, being willing to proactively help colleagues, and sharing knowledge in various mediums
An enthusiasm for taking on stretch and development opportunities, including the ability to accept feedback and use it to improve performance
The ability to take ownership and be creative and solutions-oriented when encountering challenges that don’t have obvious answers, including knowing when to elevate challenges along with possible solutions
Demonstrate the ability to bring an understanding of how privilege and marginalization affect their interactions and work with others
About Arabella Advisors
Arabella Advisors helps foundations, philanthropists and investors who are serious about impact achieve the greatest good with their resources. We work on issues ranging from the social and economic advancement of women and girls, and conservation of our climate and planet, to reducing poverty and inequity in the United States and around the world. Our staff members are mission-driven and action-oriented, and have a unique combination of experience in philanthropy, business, nonprofits, government, finance, law, and other fields. We combine creative, strategic thinking with knowledge and networks developed through decades of hands-on experience. The fastest-growing philanthropic advisory firm in the nation, Arabella is also a certified B Corporation.

About Arabella’s Managed Organizations Team
Arabella Advisors provides operations and management support to multiple nonprofit organizations, including the New Venture Fund, the Windward Fund, and the Hopewell Fund—all 501(c)(3) public charities—and the Sixteen Thirty Fund, a 501(c)(4). These managed organizations house new and innovative public interest projects and nonprofits, as well as coordinate collaborative initiatives between donors and administer grants programs. This type of structure is commonly referred to as fiscal sponsorship, and candidates are highly encouraged to research fiscal sponsorship prior to a first interview. The managed organizations provide support to a diverse range of projects, including many focused on conservation, global health and civic engagement.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
Advancing DEI within our firm and in our work with partners is critical to our mission. To be effective partners to philanthropists, nonprofits, and communities impacted by philanthropic dollars, we need to have a highly diverse staff, a workplace where individuals are encouraged to retain their uniqueness and can feel a sense of belonging, and a nuanced understanding of the racial, ethnic, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability status, and other disparities that undergird the issues we engage in and the interactions we have with one another. For us, equity means that our staff members, our clients, and the people they serve can experience the same level of success, no matter their starting place. We expect all our employees to share this commitment, and always seek ways to improve how well we live these values. Click here to learn more about DEI at Arabella and read our official DEI statement.

Total Rewards (compensation and benefits)
This is a full-time position. We offer a competitive and holistic total rewards package that includes salary, bonus, and benefits. Our base salaries are based on a blend of similar sized organizations from different sectors, including nonprofits, foundations, and professional service firms. They are also based on local market rates and differentiated by geography.

All full-time staff are eligible for our generous benefits package on their first day of employment:
Health insurance- On average Arabella pays 86% of the medical premium, 80% of the dental premium, and 100% of the vision premium
Paid time off- 16 days’ vacation, 10 personal days, 11 company holidays (7 federal and 4 more from a list of inclusive cultural and religious holidays and your birthday), 20 hours’ volunteer leave, 8 weeks’ parental leave
401(k) retirement plan- We offer a 4% employer match on a dollar-per-dollar basis, and there is no waiting or vesting period; all funds contributed by you and Arabella are yours to keep on day 1
Reimbursements for your personal cell phone plan and fitness
Pre-tax withholding for transportation and parking
Bonus incentive opportunities
Access to professional development opportunities

Working with Us
While this position must be based in Chicago, Durham, or Washington, D.C., please note that due to COVID-19, all Arabella Advisors' offices are closed, and we continue to temporarily work in a remote environment.

When we reopen -- currently anticipated in mid-July 2022 -- we will be returning to work with a hybrid workplace strategy to ensure continued flexibility for our staff, while deepening our strong culture rooted in collaboration and in-person interactions between colleagues. It is our expectation that once we reopen, Arabellans will generally work at least 1-2 days a week in the office, or more if they prefer, and the remaining days at home/remotely. We will make reasonable accommodations under the guidelines of the Americans With Disabilities Act.

To center the safety and well-being of its employees, Arabella Advisors requires that any employee who is required to conduct in-person activities for their job must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 within four weeks of their start date. This position may require candidates to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Accommodations may be sought and approved in accordance with the law.

We are committed to having a passion-driven, inclusive, transparent, collaborative, healthy, and fun culture. We invite you to visit our careers page to learn more.

How to Apply
Submit a resume and a one-page cover letter online. The cover letter should address why you’re excited to work at Arabella and why you’re qualified for this specific job.

Arabella Advisors is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to racial equity. If we can make the application process easier through accommodation in the recruitment process, please let us know.

We encourage you to read (or listen to) our DEI statement prior to applying. We make a particular effort to recruit people of color and members of marginalized groups to apply for open positions. Once you have applied, we welcome your feedback on how you have experienced our values around DEI in the recruitment process.

While Arabella is open to individuals from various locations applying to join our team, please note that we generally are unable to pay for relocation expenses, and all applicants must already be legally eligible to work in the United States at the time of application to be considered for this position.

We will review applications as they are received and look forward to hearing from you.