Staff Accountant

Position: STAFF ACCOUNTANT
Explore St. Louis is seeking a highly experienced and detail-oriented Staff Accountant to manage to manage the accurate and timely processing of accounts payable processes and provide support for routine accounting and monthly close activities. This position manages the day-to-day processing of invoices, vendor administration, employee expense transactions, purchasing support, and related accounting records. The Staff Accountant also prepares selected routine journal entries and account reconciliations as assigned by the Controller.

In this role, the Staff Accountant works closely with the Controller and frequently interacts with employees, department heads, vendors, and Finance department personnel to ensure financial transactions are properly authorized, coded, documented and processed. This position requires strong attention to detail, responsiveness, organizational skills, and a commitment to providing excellent internal and external customer service.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Accounts Payable

• Process accounts payable invoices through or other designated payables systems.
• Review invoices for appropriate documentation, authorization, account coding, and purchase-order support.
• Monitor the accounts payable email inbox and respond to inquiries promptly.
• Coordinate new-vendor setup in accordance with established vendor-management procedures.
• Maintain accurate vendor records.
• Reconcile vendor statements and investigate discrepancies.
• Respond to vendor questions regarding invoices and payment status.
• Assist with electronic payment processing in accordance with established controls.
• Maintain organized supporting documentation for accounts payable transactions.
• Lead preparation of annual IRS Form 1099 reporting under the Controller's supervision.

Employee Expenses and Credit Cards

• Review employee expense reports for documentation, account coding, approval, and compliance with organizational Travel & Expense policies.
• Review company credit card transactions for completeness and proper coding.
• Follow up with employees and supervisors regarding incomplete or outstanding expense documentation.
• Assist employees with routine expense report and coding questions.
• Escalate policy exceptions or unusual transactions to the Controller.

Purchasing Support

• Review purchase-order and invoice documentation for compliance with established purchasing procedures.
• Verify that transactions contain required approvals prior to payment processing.
• Review account coding and documentation completeness.
• Monitor payments against open purchase orders and identify potential discrepancies.
• Prepare required purchasing and vendor-utilization reports, including MBE/WBE reporting when applicable.
• Communicate purchasing exceptions to the Controller.
• Verify that required approvals have been obtained, but do not serve as the business approver for expenditures subsequently processed by this position.

Accounting and Month-End Support

• Participate in the monthly and annual close processes by completing assigned accounting tasks according to the established close calendar.
• Prepare routine recurring journal entries as assigned.
• Prepare selected balance sheet and expense account reconciliations appropriate to the position.
• Assist with bank reconciliations as assigned, subject to appropriate segregation-of-duties considerations.
• Reconcile accounts payable records to the general ledger.
• Research routine accounting discrepancies and escalate unresolved or unusual items to the Controller.
• Prepare supporting schedules and accounting documentation as requested.
• Assist with other close-related activities as assigned by the Controller.

Audit Support

• Prepare requested schedules, invoices, reconciliations, and other supporting documentation for the annual…