THE EAST BAY COMMUNITY LAW CENTER AT UC BERKELEY is hiring an Accountant. Please see the description below:

Position Description

The Accountant plays an integral role in EBCLC’s 3-person Finance Team (with a Deputy Director and Director of Finance) providing day-to-day financial support across the full range of accounting activities. The position is responsible for maintaining accurate and timely financial records that meet GAAP standards and internal control procedures. The position requires someone with a range of accounting experience, who is comfortable with accounting software and excited about the opportunity to contribute to and grow within a dynamic mission-driven organization. The Accountant reports to the Deputy Director of Finance.

About East Bay Community Law Center

East Bay Community Law Center (EBCLC) is a non-profit legal services organization, the community-based clinical program for U.C. Berkeley Law School, and one of the Bay Area’s largest and most effective systems disrupters. With a dual service and teaching mission, EBCLC is a racial justice organization committed to building a culturally diverse workplace, centered on equity. With about 80 staff, 150 law students a year, and a nearly $10 million annual budget, EBCLC is the largest provider of free legal services in Alameda County, providing multimodal, collaborative, and holistic legal services to over 5,000 clients annually and engaging in legislative and policy advocacy at the state and local level.

EBCLC prides itself on being a worker-friendly organization and entered into its first collective bargaining agreement with its unionized staff in July 2021. In addition to being unionized, our staff are regularly invited to provide feedback to EBCLC’s leadership, participate in various committees (including hiring committees), and are accustomed to a highly collaborative work environment.

Primary Responsibilities

• Maintain the general ledger to be an accurate record of financial transactions, by entering all day-to-day transactions into the accounting system and documenting transaction details in accordance with GAAP and EBCLC’s internal policies;
• Process accounts payables and cash disbursements on a weekly basis, prepare checks for signature, and mail out or distribute payments;
• Create and post bi-monthly payroll journal entries and process payables related to employee benefits and withholdings;
• Act as primary contact with external & internal stakeholders to resolve issues and answer questions about financial transactions;
• Process incoming cash receipts, including coding them appropriately in the internal register and coordinating with the Development team as necessary;
• Monitor banking activity, make weekly bank deposits, and maintain deposit records;
• Reconcile and handle matters related to business credit cards on a monthly basis;
• Generate reports and prepare documentation in support of contract invoicing, donation reconciliation, annual audits, and other key accounting functions;
• Collaborate with the Deputy Director to perform month and year-end close activities;
• Contribute to work identifying and implementing improvements in financial systems and processes;
• Maintain vendor and payee files with required documentation, and process annual 1099 forms;
• Other duties and special projects as assigned by the supervisor.

Minimum Qualifications

• Minimum two (2) years of accounting experience, including work in at least two of the following key areas of responsibility: AP, AR, and Payroll.  Completion of an Associate’s Degree (or higher) in Accounting may be substituted for one year of required work experience.  Non-profit accounting experience is desirable.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel at an intermediate level, including formulas and pivot tables
• Working knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP); familiarity with Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) guidelines desirable.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain a high level of accuracy in preparing and entering financial information.
• Demonstrated ability to organize and prioritize a variety of projects and multiple tasks in an effective and timely manner.
• Demonstrated understanding and commitment to maintaining confidentiality concerning financial information and client matters.
• Ability to build and maintain supportive and positive working relationships with all stakeholders through providing good customer service.
• Resourceful and proactive with a can-do attitude, a sense of humor, and the ability to work with minimal supervision in a dynamic organization.
• Alignment with EBCLC’s social and racial justice mission.

Salary and Benefits

Starting salary for this full-time hourly position is $34.07 to $39.56/hour based on a 35/hour work week. This position is a member of the Bargaining Unit.

Benefits include fully paid health insurance (medical, dental, and vision) for employees and their dependents, life and disability insurance, and generous paid leave (vacation, sick, and holidays); EBCLC also offers flexible spending accounts for qualified health, dependent care, and commute expenditures; and retirement options.

Workplace Expectations

Due to COVID-19, EBCLC employees are primarily working remotely. Given the nature of the position, the Staff Accountant will be expected to work on-site at least one day per week and may be expected to increase on-site days as EBCLC adjusts its office policies. EBCLC will provide the necessary equipment to fulfill the job responsibilities of working from home.