Staff Accountant

A Staff Accountant is the engine of a company's finance department, responsible for maintaining the general ledger and ensuring all financial data is accurate, compliant, and ready for high-level analysis. While a billing clerk focuses on invoices, a staff accountant oversees the entire financial picture. 

Core Roles & Responsibilities

• General Ledger Management: Maintaining and reconciling the general ledger to ensure all business transactions (assets, liabilities, revenue, and expenses) are recorded accurately.
• Journal Entries: Preparing and posting daily or monthly journal entries to reflect business activity, such as accruals, deferrals, and depreciation.
• Bank & Account Reconciliation: Comparing internal financial records against bank statements and credit card reports to identify and resolve discrepancies.
• Month-End & Year-End Closing: Executing the "close" process, which involves finalizing books, adjusting entries, and ensuring all financial activity for the period is captured.
• Financial Statement Preparation: Assisting in drafting balance sheets, income statements, and cash flow statements in accordance with GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles).
• Tax Compliance: Preparing data for local, state, and federal tax filings, including sales tax, payroll tax, and corporate returns.
• Audit Support: Serving as a primary point of contact for internal or external auditors, providing requested documentation and explaining accounting procedures.
• Fixed Asset Management: Tracking the company's physical assets (equipment, property) and calculating monthly depreciation. 

Essential Tools & Skills

• ERP Systems: Expertise in enterprise software like NetSuite, Sage Intacct, or Microsoft Dynamics 365.
• Advanced Excel: Ability to use PivotTables, VLOOKUPs, and complex formulas for data manipulation.
• Regulatory Knowledge: Deep understanding of FASB standards and, for public companies, Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) compliance.