Senior Accountant - Office of Finance

Job Description

Summary/Objective:

The Senior Accountant provides comprehensive accounting and financial management support to the Office of Finance of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Madison and its affiliated organizations. The position is responsible for maintaining accurate financial records, ensuring compliance with accounting standards, supporting strategic financial decision-making, and delivering timely financial reporting. This role requires professionalism, integrity, attention to detail, and a commitment to the mission of the Catholic Church.

Essential Job Functions:

- Prepare, review, and ensure the timely issuance of accurate financial statements.
- Oversee banking, cash management, and treasury activities to ensure effective stewardship of financial resources. Perform bank reconciliations monthly.
- Prepare and maintain recurring and non-recurring general ledger journal entries.
- Ensure all reporting and accounting activities comply with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and applicable Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) requirements.
- Generate, analyze, and distribute management reports to support organizational decision-making. Assist in the development of budgets and budget-to-actual variance reporting.
- Maintain proper internal control functions.
- Assist in the evaluation, development, and implementation of new procedures and resources to enhance department efficiency.
- Maintain financial software applications and accounting records.
- Communicate professionally with diocesan departments, parishes, affiliated organizations, vendors, and other external contacts.
- Assist with additional accounting, administrative, and operational functions to support the Office of Finance.

Required Competencies:

- Strives to personally know, love, and serve Jesus Christ through active participation in the life of the Catholic Church.
- Publicly professes and follows Catholic teachings as proclaimed by the Magisterium of the Church.
- Strong interpersonal skills and ability to collaborate effectively and joyfully with people from diverse backgrounds.
- Contributes to a positive working environment through words and actions and maintains a positive and professional demeanor.
- Demonstrates integrity, accountability, attention to detail, and commitment to excellence.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Maintains strict confidentiality regarding all sensitive parish and diocesan matters.
- Excellent organizational and time management abilities, with the capacity to multitask, prioritize, meet deadlines, and adapt to changing organizational needs.
- Consistently exhibits honesty, reliability, discretion, and professionalism in all interactions.
- Proficient knowledge of Microsoft Office products (Outlook, Word, Excel).

Required Education & Experience:

- Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or related field.
- Minimum 5 years of progressively responsible accounting experience, preferably within a nonprofit, religious, or multi-entity organization. Property management experience a plus.
- Experience with accounting and financial management systems; experience with Blackbaud Financial Edge NXT and/or Quickbooks preferred.
- Strong working knowledge of GAAP, FASB standards, financial reporting, internal controls, and account reconciliations.

Work Relationships:

- Diocesan Finance Officer; Accounting Manager, Accounting Assistant
- Diocesan Staff

Classification:

- Full time, Exempt

Reports to:

- Diocesan Finance Officer

Normal Workdays & Hours:

- Monday-Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm

This job description is not designed or intended to be a comprehensive or exhaustive list of all activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of an employee in this position. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice, at the discretion of the Bishop of Madison.

About the Employer

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Madison, serving Southern Wisconsin, is building mission-driven communities of faith to share the life-changing good news of Jesus Christ. From the confluence of the Mississippi and Wisconsin rivers in the beautiful Driftless Area to the rolling glacial plains, bluffs, and lakes surrounding our state capital region, we're blessed with a rich blend of rural communities and vibrant cities, each shaped by our longstanding Catholic heritage.