Temporary Contract Accountant | Parental Leave Coverage

The Detroit Justice Center (DJC), an innovative community law practice, seeks a part-time temporary Contract Accountant
. DJC is founded on the belief that we cannot build cities that work for everyone without remedying the impacts of mass incarceration and transforming our justice system. This position is a unique opportunity to support DJC in its mission to deliver community lawyering services, create economic opportunities, and promote just cities. We have established a set of values to guide our work, and we seek an Accountant who will deeply align with them.

The Part-time temporary Accountant role is a new position created to ensure business continuity for finance, accounting, and operations functions while full-time accounting and finance staff are out on various leaves. This position will support the Director of Finance and Operations in managing the organization's day-to-day financial activities, ensuring that financial records are maintained efficiently and effectively in accordance with US GAAP.

This position will work closely with the Director of Finance & Operations to execute financial projects, managing the financial structure across the entire organization.

Accounting/Recordkeeping (60%)

• Record all revenue transactions by class as required (includes accounts receivable).
• Record all vendor invoices by class as required.
• Match bank deposits to receipts via Quick Books.
• Facilitate vendor payments electronically and match to related vendor invoice by class.
• Record Payroll entries into Quick Books as required.
• Record periodic accruals as required.
• Support preparation of monthly Budget vs Forecast, Budget vs Actual, Forecast vs Actual analysis.
• Complete monthly reconciliation of all bank and credit card Accounts.
• Complete month-end, quarter-end, and year-end close processes to verify all entries have been created and posted, ensuring completeness, accuracy, and reporting integrity.
• Complete variance analyses to identify material deviations from budget.
• Complete bi-weekly payroll processing, new employee adds, and reimbursements.
• Support processing of annual bonuses, merit increases, and all things related to employee compensation.
• Support development of processes and procedures to ensure security of organizational financial assets, prevent fraud.
• Provide financial information and reporting required for grant proposals and reporting.
• Support Director of Finance and Operations with ad hoc projects as needed.

Financial Reporting (20%)

• Compile monthly financial reporting package.
• Manage organization-wide accounting schedules:
  • Fixed Assets and Depreciation
  • Restricted Equity
  • Grants & Accounts Receivable
  • Accounts Payable
  • Runway report
  • Cash Flow schedules
• Review Payroll schedules provided by the Payroll administrator for accuracy.
• Review and maintain the computer asset schedule provided by our technology vendor.
• Assist in the development of grant reports as required.
• Prepare department budget-to-actuals and review with department leads on a quarterly basis.
• Prepare financial package summary on a quarterly basis for board report
• Create ad hoc analyses as needed.

Operations (20%)

• Support Operations team functions (Finance, Logistics, Technology, Administration, and Facilities Management), managing projects by creating and communicating work plans, and setting strategy.
• Help develop and implement operational processes and procedures for DJC, specifically related to finance.
• Assist with ensuring DJC is in compliance with local, state and federal regulations, including but not limited to insurance renewals, state business registration and charitable solicitation licensing.

• Values alignment: The successful candidate for this position will have a deep passion for and alignment with DJC’s mission and values.
• Manages a high volume of work with efficiency: Has, or can create, a system for keeping tasks from slipping through the cracks. Able to juggle competing demands and prioritize without sacrificing quality. Plans backward to meet deadlines. Asks for help when needed.
• Attention to detail: Notices and fixes errors that others might overlook. Acknowledges mistakes and turns them into learning opportunities. Has a track record of leaving things better than they found them.
• Strong sense of ownership and resilience: Plans ahead and finds alternative paths, when needed, to get to the finish line. Bounces back from setbacks and rejections. Holds a high bar even when things are hectic.
• Attentive, empathetic leadership: Enthusiasm for meeting and engaging with people. Empathizes with the communities we serve. Able to put people at ease, especially when there are lines of difference. Listens closely to understand needs or concerns and takes steps based on that input. Responds to people in a timely manner. Takes pride in providing clear, helpful information.
• Trustworthiness and realness: Comes across as genuine. Says what they mean. Builds authentic relationships across lines of difference, such as…