Senior Accountant, Operational Accounting

About the California Academy of Sciences

The California Academy of Sciences is a globally renowned scientific and cultural institution located in the heart of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. Home to a world-class planetarium, aquarium, research center, and natural history museum—all under one living roof—our mission is to regenerate the natural world through science, learning, and collaboration.

Our extensive collections span plants, animals, fossils, and cultural artifacts from across the globe and throughout history. We are a diverse team of leading biodiversity scientists, educators, storytellers, designers, and communicators who work collaboratively to advance knowledge and inspire action through science and storytelling.

When you join the California Academy of Sciences, you become part of a mission-driven community that values curiosity, collaboration, and innovation. Whether you're working behind the scenes in research or engaging the public on the museum floor, your work will help connect people to the natural world and empower them to protect it.

About the Opportunity

Reporting to the Manager - Operational Accounting, the Senior Accountant - Operational Accounting will oversee the daily operations of the Accounts Payable (AP) , Accounts Receivable (AR) and Corporate Credit Card Administration teams. This role involves supervising a team, ensuring accurate and timely processing of all transactions, maintaining compliance with Academy policies and accounting standards, and contributing to the overall efficiency of the Accounting department. The Senior Accountant will be a key contributor in month-end close processes and process improvement initiatives.

Organizational Culture
Join a team dedicated to the Academy’s mission, vision and values! Currently, the Academy has a new strategic plan including three initiatives – Hope for Reefs, Thriving California, and Islands 2030 – that leverage biodiversity science, environmental learning, and collaborative engagement to regenerate fragile ecosystems around the world. Learn more at https://www.calacademy.org/about-us/major-initiatives.

We hope you are inspired by what we do and are excited to contribute to our mission. The mission of the California Academy of Sciences is to regenerate the natural world through science, learning, and collaboration. The Academy is looking for candidates who do great work, and we know they may come from a number of different backgrounds and experiences. We encourage you to apply even if you do not believe you meet every qualification for the position.

This position is based in San Francisco, California. 

Key Responsibilities

• Supervise, train, and mentor the AP and AR team, including performance management and workload distribution.
• Ensure accurate and timely processing of all accounts payable, including vendor invoices, expense reports, and payments.
• Oversee the accounts receivable function, including invoicing, cash applications, collections, and revenue recognition.
• Participate in the period-end close procedures, providing necessary AP and AR reports, analysis, and supporting documentation that is audit ready. 
• Develop, implement, and maintain internal controls and accounting procedures to ensure compliance with GAAP and company policies.
• Collaborate with internal departments (e.g., procurement, sales, grant managers, cost center managers) and external vendors/customers to resolve payment and collection issues.
• Manage the execution of special projects and process improvements within the AP/AR function.
• Prepare and review various financial reports related to AP/AR performance and aging.
• Manage the execution of the year-end 1099 preparation and issuance process.
• Review journal entries, account reconciliations, and ad hoc analyses/projects prepared by junior members of the team.
• Review period-end financial results and variance analysis as compared to budget, prior year, year-end, and prior quarter.
• Prepare account reconciliations and identify/resolve reconciling items in a timely manner.
• Prepare schedules and reports in support of the annual and interim audit; all schedules prepared must be adequately documented.
• Develop accounting procedures for new processes and prepare procedures/guidelines for other departments to ensure compliance with company policies and US GAAP. Once the process is finalized, responsible for communicating to appropriate users and business partners.