Staff Accountant

Title:

Staff Accountant

Exemption Status:
Exempt

Department:
Accounting

Reports to:

Controller

Year-Round Full-time

Year-Round Full-time employees of the Chicago Botanic Garden are eligible for the following Benefits:

• 2026 A Guide to Your Benefits JP.pdf

Compensation Philosophy:

At the Chicago Botanic Garden, our compensation philosophy is rooted in our core values:
Growth, Understanding, Resilience, and Trust through Transparency. We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels respected, valued, and appreciated.

Our objective is to create compensation and growth opportunities for our employees that are highly competitive, internally equitable and transparent. The foundation of our efforts is a straightforward approach that can be easily communicated by managers with defined pay ranges for all positions. When posting job openings, we share the minimum salary up to the budgeted amount.

The starting salary for new staff members is determined by considering the salary range assigned to the position and by reviewing the candidate's qualifications for the job as compared with job responsibilities. Prior work experience should be considered in determining the salary offer, provided that it is relevant to the job. Additional factors such as secondary language proficiency or advanced degrees that enhance performance may also be considered.

A candidate's salary may exceed the minimum amount based on factors such as experience, additional skills (e.g., secondary language proficiency), or pertinent degrees that enhance the individual's contribution to the role but are not required. Opportunities for increased compensation are provided through referral bonuses, shift differentials, Thank You Pay, promotions, and periodic pay increases based on the Garden's overall performance and financial budgets.

Our total compensation and benefits package is people centric. We prioritize employee wellness across three pillars: physical, mental, and financial. Our goal is to offer innovative total rewards that support continuous professional growth, personal development, and provide the flexibility needed to balance personal and professional commitments.

The staff accountant supports the Accounting Department through accurate financial reporting, grant accounting, and general ledger activities. The person in this position assists with the accounting and reporting requirements for assigned grants, prepares journal entries and reconciliations, and supports audit and compliance activities. Working collaboratively with finance staff and program managers, the staff accountant helps ensure accurate financial records and effective financial operations across the Garden.

In this role you will be responsible for the following:

• Assist with coordinating the full life cycle of local, federal, and private grants, including monitoring budgets, expenditures, billing, and reporting deadlines to help ensure compliance with 2 CFR Part 200 and other internal and external compliance requirements.
• Prepare monthly journal entries and account reconciliations for grants, receivables, cash, and other assigned general ledger accounts.
• Assist with preparing grant financial reports, reimbursement requests, and supporting schedules.
• Support the annual financial statement audit, Single Audit, and other compliance reviews by preparing schedules, reconciliations, and requested documentation.
• Support cash and internal receipt controls, including deposit documentation, reconciliations, and periodic petty cash counts.
• Collaborate with finance and program staff to maintain accurate accounting records and promote consistent financial reporting practices.
• Cross-train on accounting functions to support departmental coverage and professional development.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the controller to support the Garden's accounting and financial operations.

• Minimum of five years of professional accounting experience. At least three years of nonprofit experience is a plus but not required.
• Bachelor's degree in accounting or a related field a plus but not required.
• Strong understanding of GAAP.
• Working knowledge…