Senior Accountant

THE ROLE

This is an exciting time to join Catlin Gabel’s Business Office. We are modernizing our financial systems and processes to create stronger reporting, better insights, and a more streamlined experience for the people we serve. We are looking for a Senior Accountant who is energized by that kind of work. Someone who loves technical accounting, continuous process improvement, and working directly with families and colleagues in a dynamic, people-first school environment.

The Senior Accountant owns the School’s accounts receivable and student billing functions while also providing senior-level accounting support across the general ledger, reconciliations, financial reporting, audit, and nonprofit accounting.

A particularly important part of this role is working thoughtfully with families on sensitive financial matters. The Senior Accountant partners closely with Enrollment, Financial Assistance, Advancement, and other School teams to ensure billing, payments, aid, discounts, collections, and account adjustments are accurate, coordinated, and communicated with professionalism and care.

This role is a strong fit for an accountant who enjoys both the technical and human sides of the work: digging into reconciliations and accounting questions, improving systems and workflows, and building trust with the families and colleagues who rely on the Business Office.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

Own Accounts Receivable, Student Billing & Collections

• Own the full receivables cycle for tuition, student accounts, rentals, auxiliary programs, and other School receivables, including billing, payments, account maintenance, aging, collections, and issue resolution.
• Provide responsive, respectful, and confidential service to families, using sound judgment and care when navigating sensitive financial situations.
• Partner closely with Enrollment and Financial Assistance to ensure tuition, financial aid, adjustments, account setup, and family communications are accurate and coordinated.
• Monitor receivables and collection activity and proactively identify opportunities to improve processes, communication, and follow-through.

Perform Senior General Ledger, Reconciliation & Close Work

• Prepare journal entries, accruals, prepaid expenses, deferred revenue, allocations, and other recurring or adjusting entries.
• Complete assigned balance-sheet and general-ledger reconciliations and research and resolve discrepancies.
• Support monthly and annual close processes and maintain accurate, audit-ready schedules and documentation.
• Analyze account activity and financial information to identify unusual transactions, trends, errors, and needed adjustments.

Support Nonprofit Accounting, Audit & Compliance

• Support accounting for restricted funds, contributions and pledges, endowment and investment activity, capital projects, fixed assets, and other nonprofit accounting activity.
• Partner with Advancement and other teams to ensure financial activity is reconciled and recorded appropriately.
• Play a meaningful role in the annual financial statement audit, including preparation of schedules, reconciliations, documentation, and responses to auditor requests.
• Support Form 990 and other regulatory reporting and help ensure compliance with GAAP and School accounting policies.

Strengthen Controls, Service & Business Office Operations

• Partner with the Controller and CFOO to strengthen accounting procedures, internal controls, documentation, financial systems, and reporting workflows.
• Identify accounting, service, and workflow challenges, research root causes, and help develop and implement practical solutions.
• Help modernize Business Office processes and use technology more effectively to improve accuracy, efficiency, reporting, and financial insight.
• Provide accounting guidance to colleagues and collaborate across Business Office, Enrollment, Financial Assistance, Advancement, Auxiliary Programs, and other School teams.
• Provide cross-trained backup for critical Business Office functions and contribute to special projects and broader team priorities.

WHO YOU ARE & KEYS TO SUCCESS

• Professional Judgment & Discernment: You handle sensitive family financial situations thoughtfully, protect confidentiality, consider both policy and context, and recognize when an issue should be escalated.
• Accounting Accuracy & GAAP Knowledge: You enjoy technical accounting, bring strong accounting fundamentals, maintain accurate records, reconcile thoroughly, and notice discrepancies or unusual activity.
• Service & Communication: You enjoy working with people and communicate clearly, respectfully, and with empathy, particularly when conversations involve money, collections, financial assistance, or other sensitive circumstances.
• Ownership & Problem-Solving: You independently manage complex work, investigate problems, develop practical solutions, and follow issues through to resolution.
• Continuous Improvement & Systems Thinking: You are curious about how systems and processes work, enjoy finding better ways to do things, and see technology and stronger reporting as tools for improving both accuracy and service.
• Collaboration & Trust: You build strong relationships across teams while maintaining appropriate professional boundaries, financial controls, and confidentiality.

Candidates must have a bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or a related field with significant accounting coursework and at least two years of progressively responsible accounting experience. Strong GAAP knowledge and experience with general-ledger accounting, reconciliations, journal entries, month-end close, financial reporting, and annual audits are required.

Experience with nonprofit or fund accounting, independent schools, student billing, donor restrictions, endowments, investments, fixed assets, capital projects, Form 990 preparation, Blackbaud or similar general-ledger systems, and external auditors is preferred. CPA, CPA candidate, CMA, or another relevant accounting credential is a plus.

WHAT ELSE YOU SHOULD KNOW

This is a full-time, 12-month position, generally Monday through Friday. Work is primarily office-based with frequent computer use and regular interaction with families, employees, and School partners. 

Occasional additional hours may be needed to support events and during peak billing, audit, year-end, or other Business Office high-volume periods.

The School offers a generous benefits package. Please see our website for details: https://www.catlin.edu/about/employment.

About Catlin Gabel School

Catlin Gabel is an independent, progressive school (preschool-grade 12) whose mission is to foster compassionate and curious citizens of the world by inspiring in every student a love of learning and the courage to take responsible action. The school is located in the southwest hills of Portland, OR on a 67-acre wooded campus. All team members are an integral part of the student experience and are expected to uphold our core values of Kindness, Integrity, and Inclusion in all that they do.

Catlin Gabel School is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, marital status, disability, or any other protected characteristic under federal, state, or local law. If you have any questions, please reach out to [email protected].

The Business Office supports the School’s mission through thoughtful stewardship, accurate financial operations, and strong service to families, employees, and School partners. The team is actively strengthening its systems, reporting, and processes, creating an opportunity for the Senior Accountant to help shape how the Business Office works as it continues to modernize.

Department: Business Office | Reports to: Controller | Hiring Pay Range: $80-$90,000/year | FTE: 1.0, Full-Time, 12 Months, Benefit-Eligible | FLSA: Exempt | EEO: 2