Position Summary & Purpose

The Library Foundation is seeking a detail-oriented and organized individual to join our team as Senior Accountant. This full-time, salaried, exempt role reports to the Finance Director role and offers essential support to the whole staff. The successful candidate will be responsible for general nonprofit accounting duties, including but not limited to AR/AP management, tax and audit preparation, budget management, tracking, and forecasting; and all other critical fiscal management responsibilities. This role requires strong data entry skills, attention to detail, and the ability to work collaboratively.  

If attention to detail, a passion for diverse tasks, collaboration with purpose-driven individuals, and proficiency in technology are qualities that resonate with you, then this could be the position you’ve been waiting for! 

Responsibilities 

• Ensure income and expense budgets and actuals are accurately entered and monitored monthly; monitors and reconciles payables and receivables; prepares monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements and reports, including Statement of Financial Position (Balance Sheet), Statement of Activity (Profit and Loss), etc. 
• Prepare timely monthly, quarterly, and year-end financial close, including journal entries, balance sheet, bank, credit card, and investment account reconciliations, accruals, and overall maintenance of all operational accounts. 
• Maintain financial transactions and records in QuickBooks Online (QBO) and ensure accurate and timely recordings of income and expenses; enter and track cash disbursements by expense accounts, programs, and funding sources. 
• Maintain and improve the chart of accounts; investigate and resolve discrepancies in payments or accounts; correct errors by posting adjusting entries in QBO Accounting software. 
• Produce high-level financials for the CEO, Board of Directors, and department leads; prepare special reports, including dashboard reports that non-finance professionals can easily understand. 
• Prepare budget forecasting and related reports. 
• Assist with month-end closing, including analysis and journal preparation. 
• Submit periodic filings and permits (e.g., special event permits, ABC License, etc.) as needed. 
• Oversee purchasing processes to ensure they reflect best practices and comply with company policies and donor restrictions. 
• Collaborate with external auditors to prepare the annual audit, tax filings, and manage the successful passing of the annual audit. 
• Ensure accurate and on-time reporting and submission for grants and other invoices. 
• Coordinate with the Development Department for event invoicing, donor credit card processing, and ensuring timely donation processing. 
• Provide financial insights and analysis to support decision-making processes. 
• In collaboration with the Leadership Team, provide support in the preparation of the annual budget. 
• Monitor endowment and restricted funding to ensure complete and appropriate financial compliance. 
• Meet all confidential requirements regarding managing financial, donor, and personnel information, including distribution controls, secure filing and disposal, and records retention and storage. 
• Provide support for special projects and initiatives, as assigned.  
• Reconcile bank and credit card statements and coordinate entry into QBO. 
• Accounts Payable and Vendor Management: Handle accounts payable bi-monthly through QBO, generating check requests and scheduling payments via Melio. Maintain secure financial and contract records. Manage vendor renewals, such as insurance, and resolve any vendor-related inquiries or discrepancies.  
• Tag and monitor fixed assets; assure assets are entered into the system for accurate depreciation calculations. 
• Record cash receipts in QBO, reconcile receipts with DonorPerfect information, and make weekly bank deposits. 
• Maintain an orderly accounting filing system.  

Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, a related field, or equivalent business experience. 
• Minimum of 3 years of nonprofit accounting experience, or related field (must have nonprofit experience) 
• Proficiency in QuickBooks Online, Microsoft Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint), and intermediate skills with Excel (i.e., pivot tables, V-lookup, representing data with charts and graphs, etc.). 
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills. 
• Excellent organizational and time management skills, with the ability to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment. 
• Commitment to maintaining confidentiality and handling sensitive information with discretion and integrity. 
• Commitment to the mission and values of SJPLF and a passion for supporting nonprofit organizations. 
• Proficiency in database management systems like Donor Perfect, Raiser's Edge, Salesforce, or similar CRM software is a plus.  
• Accurate data entry skills and meticulous attention to detail are required. 
• Strong interpersonal skills and a collaborative mindset, with the ability to engage colleagues and stakeholders in a positive and professional manner. 

About the Organization

Do you love libraries and want to work at one of the most well-known buildings in San José? The San José Public Library is proud to be one of the nation’s best public library systems with 25 branches across the city. Part of its success is owed to the dynamic and committed Library Foundation, which is a separate 501(c)3 established in 1987 by a group of community volunteers who understood that a great library system needed more than public funding. The San José Public Library Foundation (SJPLF) has raised more than $45 million to enhance the Library above and beyond what tax-based funding provides for buildings, programs, collections, and services. The Foundation takes its fundraising direction from the Library’s identification of persistent and emerging community needs. Our mutually respectful and collaborative work will result in more students being prepared for success from kindergarten to college and career; more adults being fully informed and able to participate in civic life; greater access to information in print and digital forms; and for everyone to find the spark that ignites their curiosity, imagination, and wonder. 

Working Conditions 

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.  The position requires the ability to sit for sustained periods of time and to sometimes travel throughout the city of San José.  The vision requirement includes close vision.  The employee is occasionally required to lift 20 pounds.   

SJPLF currently operates in a hybrid working situation with in-office attendance required at least 60%.  

Compensation and Benefits 

The compensation and benefits offered reflect the value we place on attracting and retaining a talented team. This is a full-time, exempt, salaried position with a high degree of autonomy.  SJPLF provides 100% employer paid health, dental, and vision insurance, 401k with matching contribution, downtown parking, and generous paid time off that increases with longevity in addition to 17 paid holidays, among other benefits.  Professional growth opportunities available.  

How to Apply 

Please address a personal, specific, and thoughtful cover letter to the “SJPLF Hiring Committee” and submit along with a resume through our hiring portal at https://www.sjplf.org/careers. Your resume tells us what you can do; your cover letter should tell us who you are and why you want to work with SJPLF. 

The San José Public Library Foundation is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to a workplace without discrimination and harassment of any kind.  All candidates will receive equal consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, or protected veteran or disabled status.  For more information about SJPLF, visit www.sjplf.org.