Senior Accountant (Technical Accounting)

Location

Arlington, VA (Ballston area)

Company Overview

We are partnering with a large, well-funded, mission-driven organization with a national footprint and a complex operating environment. The organization operates at significant scale, manages hundreds of millions in annual revenue, and supports a wide range of initiatives across the United States.

The accounting function is well-established (50 professionals) and continues to evolve as the organization grows in complexity and impact.

Position Overview

The Senior Accountant will play a critical role within the accounting organization, supporting technical accounting, financial reporting, and audit readiness. This role is ideal for a strong technical accountant—potentially coming from public accounting—who enjoys research, memo writing, and applying US GAAP to complex transactions and contracts.

This position works closely with the Financial Reporting team, external auditors, and cross-functional stakeholders to ensure accurate accounting treatment, strong documentation, and compliance with accounting standards.

Key Responsibilities

• Interpret and apply US GAAP and ASC guidance to complex transactions and contracts
• Draft technical accounting memos and maintain formal accounting policies
• Research appropriate accounting treatment and clearly communicate conclusions to stakeholders Partner closely with the Financial Reporting team during monthly close, audits, and reporting cycles
• Prepare journal entries, balance sheet reconciliations, and support monthly close activities
• Support external audits and work directly with auditors to ensure an efficient audit process
• Analyze contracts and new initiatives for accounting implications (ASC 606, 842, 820, etc.)
• Recommend and implement process improvements to increase accuracy and efficiency
• Develop and update accounting procedures and internal documentation
• Clearly explain accounting concepts to non-accounting partners

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting (or Finance with strong accounting foundation)
• 3–5 years of progressive accounting experience
• Background in public accounting or external audit strongly preferred
• Strong technical accounting knowledge under US GAAP
• Experience researching accounting guidance and drafting technical memos
• Advanced Excel skills (pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, structured analysis)
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Detail-oriented, organized, and collaborative mindset

Preferred / Nice-to-Have

• CPA or CPA-eligible
• Experience with ASC 606, ASC 842, ASC 820
• Experience in public accounting, publicly traded accounting, and or mission driven accounting environments
• Exposure to Sage Intacct, Concur, Blackline
• Familiarity with Power BI or Tableau

Why This Opportunity

• Join a highly respected, mission-driven organization
• Work in a large, sophisticated accounting environment
• Gain deep exposure to technical accounting and financial reporting
• High visibility role with collaboration across finance leadership
• Strong stability, scale, and long-term career growth potential