Position Summary – Accounting Manager
Reports to: Director of Finance
Department: Finance / Administration
Status: Full-time, Exempt
Location: Remote
Position Overview
Clean Energy Counsel, a mission-driven law firm dedicated to accelerating the world’s transition away from fossil fuels, seeks to hire a highly qualified accounting manager to join our firm. The Accounting Manager is responsible for the day-to-day management and execution of the Firm’s accounting operations under the direction of the Director of Finance. This position is responsible for maintaining the accuracy and integrity of the Firm’s financial records and ensuring that general ledger activity, account reconciliations, accounts payable, cash receipts and accounts receivable accounting, trust accounting, payroll-related accounting, month-end and year-end close activities, and financial schedules are completed accurately and timely.
The Accounting Manager serves as the operational leader for the accounting function, establishes and maintains consistent accounting workflows, supervises designated accounting staff, maintains appropriate supporting documentation and internal controls, and prepares financial statements and supporting information for review and analysis by the Director of Finance.
The position requires a hands-on accounting professional who can independently manage recurring accounting processes and deadlines, identify and resolve accounting issues, develop staff, and identify opportunities to improve accounting processes and controls.
Key Responsibilities
Accounting Operations & General Ledger
- Own and manage the day-to-day execution of the Firm’s accounting operations.
- Maintain the general ledger and ensure transactions are accurately, consistently, and timely recorded.
- Prepare and post routine and approved adjusting journal entries.
- Manage the monthly accounting close process and ensure required activities are completed according to established deadlines.
- Prepare and/or review balance sheet reconciliations and supporting schedules.
- Review general ledger activity and account balances for accuracy, completeness, and unusual or inconsistent activity.
- Research and resolve accounting discrepancies and reconciling items.
- Maintain appropriate documentation supporting accounting transactions, account balances, and reconciliations.
- Escalate significant or unusual accounting matters requiring additional judgment to the Director of Finance.
Accounts Receivable Accounting & Cash Receipts
- Maintain accurate accounts receivable accounting records following the posting of client invoices.
- Manage the accounting and application of client payments, credits, write-offs, adjustments, and other accounts receivable activity.
- Research and resolve unapplied cash and accounting discrepancies in coordination with Billing personnel.
- Maintain appropriate accounting documentation supporting accounts receivable activity.
- Provide accurate accounts receivable balances and supporting financial information to the Director of Finance and Billing function as needed.
Accounts Payable & Expense Administration
- Manage day-to-day accounts payable operations and established payment processes.
- Ensure invoices and employee reimbursements are properly documented, approved, coded, and processed.
- Review vendor account activity and resolve discrepancies.
- Maintain appropriate vendor records and supporting documentation.
- Monitor payment deadlines and established cash-disbursement controls.
- Review accounts payable work performed by accounting staff for accuracy, completeness, and compliance with established procedures.
- Maintain appropriate segregation of duties and controls over cash disbursements.
Cash & Bank Accounting
- Maintain accurate accounting records for the Firm’s operating cash accounts.
- Prepare or review bank and credit card reconciliations.
- Research and resolve outstanding or unidentified transactions.
- Maintain accurate records of cash receipts, deposits, transfers, and other banking activity.
- Monitor outstanding checks and other reconciling items and ensure timely resolution.
- Prepare cash balance and activity information for review and cash-flow analysis by the Director of Finance.
- Assist with operational banking administration as assigned.
Trust Accounting
- Manage or oversee recurring trust/IOLTA account reconciliations.
- Maintain complete and accurate trust accounting records and supporting documentation.
- Ensure trust transactions are properly recorded and processed in accordance with established Firm procedures.
- Monitor trust balances and identify unusual, aged, or unreconciled items for review.
- Maintain appropriate accounting controls over client and third-party funds.
- Support compliance with applicable trust accounting requirements.
- Promptly escalate trust accounting discrepancies or potential compliance concerns to the Director of Finance.
Payroll Accounting
- Manage accounting activities associated with payroll processing.
- Review and reconcile payroll-related general ledger accounts.
- Ensure payroll activity is accurately recorded in the Firm’s accounting system.
- Research payroll accounting discrepancies and coordinate corrections as necessary.
- Maintain payroll-related accounting schedules and supporting documentation.
- Provide payroll expense information and supporting data to the Director of Finance for financial reporting, budgeting, and analysis.
Month-End & Year-End Close Management
- Own and coordinate the monthly accounting close process and close calendar.
- Establish close deadlines and ensure required accounting activities are completed timely.
- Prepare and review account reconciliations, accruals, journal entries, and supporting schedules required for close.
- Review account balances and financial activity for accuracy, completeness, and unusual trends.
- Resolve accounting discrepancies before completion of the close.
- Prepare preliminary monthly financial statements and supporting schedules for review by the Director of Finance.
- Coordinate accounting activities associated with the year-end close.
- Prepare year-end reconciliations and supporting schedules.
- Record approved year-end and tax adjustments and maintain appropriate supporting documentation.
- Identify opportunities to improve the timeliness, accuracy, and efficiency of the close process.
Financial Reporting Preparation
- Prepare recurring financial statements, management reports, schedules, and supporting financial information for review by the Director of Finance.
- Ensure financial reports reconcile to the general ledger and underlying accounting records.
- Maintain recurring reporting schedules and supporting documentation.
- Prepare budget-to-actual reports and supporting account-level detail.
- Provide historical financial information and accounting data used by the Director of Finance in budgeting and forecasting.
- Research financial reporting discrepancies and ensure source data is complete and accurate.
Tax & Audit Support
- Prepare accounting schedules, reconciliations, and supporting workpapers required for tax preparation and external audits.
- Compile financial information requested by the Director of Finance, CPA, tax advisors, or auditors.
- Prepare year-end tax workpapers and supporting accounting schedules.
- Maintain documentation supporting tax payments and filings as directed.
- Research accounting questions or discrepancies identified during tax preparation or audit activities.
- Record approved audit and tax adjustments.
Internal Controls & Accounting Procedures
- Execute and monitor accounting controls, policies, and procedures established in coordination with the Director of Finance.
- Ensure accounting staff consistently follow established processes, approval requirements, and segregation-of-duties controls.
- Document recurring accounting procedures and maintain current process documentation.
- Identify control weaknesses, accounting risks, inefficiencies, or process gaps and recommend improvements to the Director of Finance.
- Implement approved accounting process and control improvements.
- Periodically review accounting workflows to ensure controls remain appropriate as the Firm grows.
Accounting Systems & Process Improvement
- Serve as the operational lead for the Firm’s accounting systems.
- Maintain accounting system data and oversee routine accounting-system administration.
- Identify opportunities to improve accounting workflows, accuracy, efficiency, automation, and documentation.
- Participate in implementation, testing, and training associated with new or modified financial systems.
- Coordinate with the Billing function where billing-system activity interfaces with accounting records.
- Assist the Director of Finance with finance-related technology and process improvement initiatives.
Staff Supervision & Development
- Provide day-to-day supervision and direction to designated accounting personnel, including accounts payable, accounts receivable/cash receipts, payroll accounting, and other accounting staff as assigned.
- Establish work priorities, responsibilities, and recurring accounting deadlines.
- Review staff work for accuracy, completeness, timeliness, and compliance with established procedures.
- Train, mentor, and develop accounting staff.
- Establish and maintain appropriate cross-training and backup coverage for critical accounting functions.
- Maintain clear documentation of departmental processes and responsibilities.
- Identify staffing, training, workflow, and resource needs and communicate recommendations to the Director of Finance.
- Foster accountability, collaboration, responsiveness, continuous improvement, and professional development within the accounting team.
Qualifications & Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or related field preferred.
- 5+ years of progressive accounting experience, preferably including supervisory or team-lead responsibilities.
- Law firm or professional services accounting experience strongly preferred.
- Strong knowledge of general ledger accounting, account reconciliations, month-end and year-end close, accounts payable, accounts receivable accounting, cash management, and financial statement preparation.
- Experience with law firm billing and trust accounting strongly preferred.
- Working knowledge of GAAP and internal accounting controls.
- Experience with trust/IOLTA accounting strongly preferred.
- Experience with accounting and legal billing software such as QuickBooks, Clio, Elite, Aderant, or similar systems.
- Strong Excel skills and ability to work effectively with complex financial data.
- Demonstrated ability to manage recurring deadlines and multiple priorities.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
- Ability to effectively supervise, train, and develop accounting staff.
Core Competencies
- Strong operational and technical accounting knowledge
- Financial accuracy and attention to detail
- Accountability and ownership
- Organization and deadline management
- Analytical and problem-solving ability
- Effective staff supervision and development
- Process improvement mindset
- Sound judgment and appropriate escalation
- Strong communication and collaboration
- High integrity and commitment to confidentiality and ethical standards
Benefits
Benefits for this role include the following:
- Base salary of $120,000-$150,000. The base salary for this position will be determined during the interview process and will vary based on multiple factors, including but not limited to geographical location, prior experience, relevant expertise, current business needs, and market factors.
- Annual merit bonuses
- Fully remote work environment with annual in-person retreat
- 401(k), including firm profit-sharing matching
- Dental/Health/Vision/Rx insurance
- Paid time off and paid holidays
Who We Are
At Clean Energy Counsel, we provide the legal power to get sustainable projects developed, financed, and built – because speeding our transition away from fossil fuels is how we change the world’s trajectory for the better. Our team of attorneys gets deals closed and projects built because we care. Advancing clean energy isn’t just our job—it’s our hope for the future. Clean Energy Counsel gives attorneys the opportunity to do sophisticated, meaningful, industry-advancing work, all while leading a more balanced life in a work culture that values collaboration and respect. For clients, this translates to an extraordinary level of care, brought to bear for common cause. As the only mission-driven law firm solely focused on renewable energy, Clean Energy Counsel carries forward its unique model of advancing a sustainable future with sustainable law.
Our singular focus attracts the best talent in the industry, and we’ve built a deep and diverse bench of industry veterans who are passionate about their work and value our culture of respect and support.
We represent a diverse range of renewable energy project developers, investors, suppliers, and service providers across a full spectrum of technologies, including solar, energy storage, wind, energy efficiency, electric vehicles and charging infrastructure, waste to value, and sustainable infrastructure and materials - from Fortune 50 companies to start-ups.
Come As You Are
Our deep-rooted commitment to diversity and inclusion drives our ability to attract high-performing employees with diverse experience and perspectives who value a supportive work culture based on care and respect. That includes providing equal employment opportunities without consideration of race, color, religion, ethnicity, citizenship, political activity or affiliation, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, sex or gender, or any other basis protected by law. We also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state, and local law. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.
Compensation: $120k - $150k
