Senior Accounting Manager

## Position Description

Harding Academy is a warm and caring school environment where respect is the key ingredient. Every child, parent, and colleague is a unique individual worthy of our understanding and greatest effort. Harding Academy employs outstanding faculty, staff, and administrators, provides technologically enhanced facilities, and offers a broad and challenging curriculum designed to develop the whole person.

The mission of our school is to educate and inspire young people to become thoughtful, creative, lifelong learners and self-disciplined, responsible, caring citizens. Members of the staff are an important part of this effort. We strive and serve so that the students may become individuals who are able to make choices that will benefit themselves, our society, and our world.

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The Senior Accounting Manager works with the Director of Finance to foster the financial sustainability of the school within a culture of excellence, accountability, integrity, teamwork, and customer service while facilitating the management of the school’s financial resources. This person will be expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and customer services-oriented approach as a leader in the Business Office operations.

This is a full-time 12-month exempt, salary position offering applicable full-time benefits which may include Medical, Dental, Vision, Life and Disability insurance.

**ANTICIPATED START DATE**: August 6, 2026

**Essential responsibilities**

• Responsible for fostering the financial stewardship of the school by providing excellence in the Business Office department
• Responsible for superior financial management of school’s financial resources via accurate and timely financial reporting and accounting
• Work with all customers within the school (faculty, staff, families) to provide superior customer service relative to financial issues
• Work to create a positive working environment that inspires and motivates others, communicate effectively with others and foster an environment of respect and teamwork
• Write proficiently to communicate financial reports and other financial information
• Maintain the highest level of integrity in all aspects of the job
• Maintain, evaluate, and implement optimal and appropriate internal controls
• Communicate accounting policies and ensure compliance
• Use teamwork and creative thinking to problem solve and be solutions-oriented
• Champion initiatives to review and streamline accounting policies/processes
• Possess advanced skills in the Microsoft Office Suite (particularly Excel) and assist others with technology-based process improvements
• Excellent at multi-tasking and managing deadlines
• Create plans to meet departmental goals and objectives and monitor these plans to ensure success
• Supervise the daily operations of the Business Office Operations related to Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable activity

• **Specific Responsibilities :**
• **General Accounting and Financial Reporting**

• Assume primary responsibility for the general ledger and all organizational systems and processes that support it
• Maintain general ledger in accordance with GAAP, donor restrictions and other regulatory requirements
• Responsible for managing the accounting department entries, ensuring accurate and timely financial information
• Ensure that the financial statements not only comply with reporting standards, but are also responsive to the evolving needs of financial statement users
• Prepare/Review/Approve Payroll, Cash Disbursements and Fixed Assets
• Prepare monthly financial statements, including quarterly variance analyses
• Prepare financial statements for Finance Committee or Board review as directed by Director of Finance
• Manage general accounting operations
• Prepare and/or review account reconciliations monthly
• Maintain, evaluate, and implement optimal and appropriate internal controls
• Assist the Director of Finance in the preparation and monitoring of departmental budgets and forecasts, working with other administrators and department heads concerning budget performance
• Communicate accounting policies to affected employees and ensure compliance with such policies
• Handle sensitive and confidential information with the highest level of professionalism and care
• Prepare all periodic surveys and reports for the school’s trade organizations (e.g., NAIS, MISBO, ACSI, CESA, NBOA)
• Continually monitor, evaluate, implement, and document accounting policies and procedures to identify changes that would increase internal controls, efficiency, and the accuracy of financial records.
• Closely monitor financial statements of the Operating Fund and, with the Director of Finance, prepare information for presentation to the Finance Committee of Board.
• Oversee tracking of investment accounts and proper allocation into permanently and temporarily restricted funds.
• Work with Director of Finance to ensure risk management policies and procedures are followed and maintained
• Update, as necessary, Accounting Policies & Procedures manual

**Cash Management / Bank Reconciliation / Accounts Receivable**

• Prepare and submit A/R- Student Billing
• Monitor all incoming cash receipts and deposits; review daily bank account(s) activity
• Review and approve bank adjustments
• Review and approve bank reconciliations
• Review the monthly aging report for past due accounts and actions required; monitor tuition receivable accounts more than 45 days past due and provide additional support in the collection of tuition receivables as necessary
• Discuss any proposed payment plans for extremely past due accounts with Director of Finance
• Reconcile financial aid monthly
• Reconcile Raiser’s Edge activity monthly and issue the monthly reconciliation report to Director of Finance

**Purchasing / Accounts Payable**

• Supervise Senior Staff Accountant
• Monitor all outgoing accounts payable activity
• Review and approve check voids, initiate the adjustments
• Review and approve bank reconciliations
• Work with the Senior Staff Accountant, review the monthly outstanding check report, and address stale dated checks greater than 180 days
• Ensure 1099 and W9 reporting requirements are met as well as issue annual 1099 statements
• Ensure appropriate approval rules are in place and followed, including checks that have appropriate approval before mailing.
• Work closely with the Advancement Office to provide information for donor stewardship and ensure proper gift/endowment tracking.

**Financial Aid/Student Accounts**

• Serve on the Financial Aid Committee with specific responsibility for the review of applications and establishment/enforcement of appropriate policies and procedures.
• Meet regularly with families with financial needs or questions.