Senior Accountant

Description

At The Mount Vernon School , students are empowered to discover, explore, learn, design, create, and effect change. With a commitment to Identity, Diversity, Equity, and Action (IDEA) , we welcome the opportunity to engage in honest, vulnerable, and courageous conversations that challenge our biases and assumptions. Our goal is to design a better world , so we choose to equip students with the knowledge, skills, attributes, and relationships they need to be impact-ready .

The Team

The Finance & Accounting Team works collaboratively to manage all financial aspects of the school. The team consists of the CFO, Controller, Assistant Controller, Accounts Payable & Payroll Manager, and Senior Accountant. Leveraging several digital tools and platforms such as Blackbaud, Veracross, Paymerang and Divvy the team works to increase efficiency and maintain the accuracy and integrity of the financial arm of the School. 

The Role

The Senior Accountant plays a vital role in supporting the financial health and sustainability of the school. This position works closely with the Controller and Assistant Controller to manage day-to-day accounting operations, ensure compliance with internal policies and external regulations, and maintain accurate financial records. In addition, the Senior Accountant supports the Accounts Payable function and serves as a key liaison with families regarding tuition payments and philanthropic gifts to the school. This role is ideal for a detail-oriented and collaborative finance professional who enjoys both the analytical and relational aspects of accounting in an educational environment.

The Mount Vernon School is seeking a meticulous, systems-driven Senior Accountant to join our dynamic team of financial professionals. This role plays a pivotal part in managing the student billing process, including financial assistance administration, budgeting support, and month-end financial activities.

The ideal candidate is a solution-oriented problem solver with a strong accounting background, exceptional attention to detail, and a proactive approach to process improvement. A commitment to accuracy, efficiency, and a customer-focused mindset is essential. This role offers opportunities for career growth within a collaborative and innovative environment.

Responsibilities

• Manage Student Billing & Collections
  Oversee the monthly billing process for 900+ families, ensuring accuracy, timely processing, and proactive follow-up on delinquent accounts to maintain financial health.
• Family Financial Liaison
  Serve as the primary point of contact for families regarding billing inquiries, providing clear, professional, and solution-focused communication to enhance the family experience.
• Financial Assistance Administration
  Facilitate the financial aid application and awards process, ensuring fair and efficient allocation of assistance in line with school policies.
• Georgia GOAL Scholarship Fund Oversight
  Manage the Georgia GOAL Scholarship program, ensuring timely allocation and collection of awarded funds to maximize financial support for students.
• Financial Analysis & Reconciliation
  Analyze and reconcile all assigned general ledger accounts, ensuring accurate financial reporting by verifying that all transactions are correctly recorded in both the general ledger and subsidiary systems.
• Budgeting & Financial Planning
  Play an integral role in the school’s budgeting process by overseeing financial planning for multiple divisions and ensuring alignment with institutional goals.
• Enrollment Contract & Revenue Management
  Lead the annual enrollment contract setup process, ensuring proper system configuration, accurate reconciliation of student enrollments, and effective tracking of enrollment status.
• Audit Preparation & Compliance
  Support the annual financial statement audit by preparing necessary schedules, invoices, and supporting documentation, while providing clear explanations of financial procedures to external auditors.

Core Competencies

• Financial Expertise & Analytical Skills
  • Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret financial data, identify trends, and drive data-informed decisions.
  • Proficiency in Excel and Google Sheets, with the ability to learn and adapt to new financial systems efficiently.
  • Leverages systems thinking to ensure quality & integrity.
• Process Improvement & Problem Solving
  • Proactive approach to identifying and resolving financial and operational challenges.
  • Commitment to streamlining and improving Finance & Accounting processes to enhance accuracy, efficiency, and service delivery.
• Communication & Relationship Building
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present financial information clearly to both financial and non-financial stakeholders.
  • Customer-focused mindset, ensuring high-quality service for internal and external partners.
  • Builds relationships & culture through effective communication.
• Organizational & Operational Excellence
  • Demonstrates quality, accuracy, and professionalism.
  • Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
  • Can align resources & processes with organizational priorities.
• Collaboration & Initiative
  • Ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a collaborative team.
  • Self-starter with a strong sense of ownership and the ability to manage multiple priorities with minimal supervision.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting required; Master’s degree preferred.
• Certified Public Accountant (CPA) designation preferred.
• Experience in public or private accounting with a strong understanding of financial principles and best practices.

Start Date | June 2025

This job description is intended to describe the basic elements of the job and should not be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, efforts or working conditions associated with the job. This job description does not constitute a contract. It may be modified or amended at any time as determined in the School’s discretion.

The faculty and staff of The Mount Vernon School believe the fair and equitable treatment of employees is critical to fulfilling its mission and purpose. It is the policy of The Mount Vernon School to conduct business and provide equal employment opportunity to all persons without regard to race, color, age, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.