Senior Staff Accountant

Customary

Hours:

This role may require occasional work on evenings, holidays, and weekends, depending on business needs.

For 40 years, we have been Chicago’s most trusted partner for catered events, daily food service, and delivery. We’re a preferred partner to the city’s best special event venues from great halls and historic landmarks to downtown galleries. We partner with organizations to bring businesses and leisure travelers to the city as well as custom, daily dining solutions for Chicago’s top businesses.

Our headquarters, Larkin Hall, is a state-of-the-art facility located in Chicago’s West Loop. From our Fulton Market home, we’re mere minutes from downtown. The company is a fun, exciting place to work with a dynamic atmosphere centered of providing daily specialized food services. The Accounting Manager position is a critical part of our finance team. In this role you will have the opportunity to learn about food service and the catering business.

There are opportunities to advance within the department while developing relationships with key in-house department personnel and those who we depend on from our finance partners. The finance group strives to be keep a friendly, open environment while taking pride in what we do. We seek a new member to our team to help us achieve our vision of timely, accurate reporting that makes a difference in how Blue Plate Catering operates.

The Senior Staff Accountant will work within a small team and supervise the daily accounting activities of the department including but not limited to payables, receivables and invoicing. This position will also work closely with the Controller and other department managers on the month-end close, financial reporting and analysis in support of achieving the company’s financial goals.

• Oversee the accounting staff responsible for payables, receivables, and invoicing.
• Recommend training programs for new staff and identifies training needs for current staff.
• Provide leadership and guidance to team members in a positive manner.

• Establishes internal controls and guidelines for accounting transactions.
• Creates and enters journal entries for payroll, month end accruals, depreciation, etc.
• Reconciles and audits balance sheet accounts to ensure compliance with accrual based accounting.
• Assists the Controller in the production of periodic financial reports; ensures that the reported results comply with GAAP.
• Responsible for filing monthly sales tax returns.
• Provides financial analysis with an emphasis on revenue and cost trends versus budget.
• Performs other related duties as necessary or assigned.
• Works closely with the Controller to ensure department goals are being met.
• Partner with Sales/Kitchen/Warehouse Departments to ensure compilation of accurate final billing and the collection of accounts receivable. Attend and work Blue Plate functions as needed.

The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Business Administration or other related discipline from an accredited college or university.
• Minimum 3 years of demonstrated ability to manage accounts payable, accounts receivable, closing books on a monthly basis and preparing financial reporting and analysis.
• Experience in Food Services, Hospitality or Manufacturing a plus.
• Accounting System:
  Great Plains, Plate
  
  IQ, COGS-Well, Cater Xpert,
• Financial analysis:
  Budget v Actual, inter-department cost reviews
• Strong Excel Skills

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Blue Plate is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with the American with Disabilities Act (ADA):

• Ability to demonstrate strong affinity for Blue Plate’s mission:
  Our mission is to “care more” for others through food and service experiences that turn…