Operational Accountant - Banking

Washington Trust is seeking an experienced Operational Accountant to serve as the primary operational accounting resource for Banking Operations and Loan Operations, working in close partnership with Financial Administration to ensure a continued strong connection between operational activity and the Bank’s financial records. This role is intended to complement, not duplicate, the responsibilities of Financial Administration by ensuring that operational processes, settlements, reconciliations, balancing activities, system changes, and exception resolution are supported by complete, accurate, and timely accounting information.

In addition, this position collaborates closely with Financial Administration, including the Vice President, Senior Corporate Accountant and Operations Liaison role, to identify downstream General Ledger impacts, support reconciliation integrity, document operational accounting processes, resolve issues at the operational source, and promote a strong control environment across the Bank.

This position is a remote/hybrid work schedule based in Westerly, RI.

• Serve as the operational accounting subject matter resource supporting Banking Operations and Loan Operations, in coordination with Financial Administration.
• Analyze, create and maintain operational processes and transaction flows to identify accounting, reconciliation, settlement, and financial reporting impacts.
• Assess the accounting implications of operational issues, exceptions, losses, adjustments, and process breakdowns.
• Provide guidance regarding operational accounting treatment and appropriate financial resolution of issues.
• Act as the primary liaison between operational departments and Financial Administration to support the Senior Corporate Accountant and Operations Liaison’s oversight of accounting policy, financial reporting, and reconciliation governance.
• Ensure operational areas provide Financial Administration with complete, accurate, and timely support for reconciliations, accounting entries, settlements, clearing accounts, and exception resolution.
• Review operational reconciliation processes for adequacy, consistency, source-system support, control effectiveness, and alignment with Financial Administration expectations.
• Assist in researching and resolving aged reconciling items, settlement differences, suspense account activity, and balancing exceptions.
• Participate in system conversions, product implementations, process changes, and technology projects to evaluate downstream accounting impacts.
• Review, create and maintain General Ledger interfaces, transaction flows, and automated accounting processes from an operational perspective to ensure completeness, accuracy, and appropriate escalation to Financial Administration when accounting judgment or approval is required.
• Maintain clear role boundaries by supporting Financial Administration with operational facts, documentation, and analysis while preserving Financial Administration’s authority over accounting policy, financial reporting conclusions, and final accounting determinations.
• Support month-end, quarter-end, and year-end activities affecting operational accounting and reconciliations.
• Assist Financial Administration and operational areas with the review and resolution of settlement, clearing, suspense, and operational control accounts, with emphasis on identifying root causes within operational processes.
• Identify opportunities to automate manual accounting, balancing, and reconciliation activities.
• Develop and maintain operational accounting process documentation, reconciliation support procedures, issue escalation protocols, and control documentation that complement Financial Administration standards.
• Support…