Associate Accountant

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

The Associate Accountant is a key member of the Accounting team reporting to the Senior Accountant. This position participates in various areas of the accounting process in accordance with U.S. GAAP, including cash management, fixed assets, prepaid expenses, expense accruals, month-end close, account reconciliations, and financial statement reporting. The Associate Accountant also develops working relationships and serves as the first point of contact for business partners, collaborating closely with other teams, such as Advancement, Sales, FP&A, Financial and Operational Accounting, and our external auditors and tax team

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. Staff are currently expected to work from the Academy offices at least 2-3 times per week, which may fluctuate based on business needs. 

About the Business & Finance Division
The Business & Finance Division believes that providing valuable insight to our Academy partners enables them to achieve the Academy’s mission. To do this, we support our colleagues and each other so that we can accomplish the Academy’s mission together, we anticipate and respond quickly to the needs of our partners, we build trust in our partners that fosters collaborative relationships, and we deliver timely and accurate information to our partners so that they can make better decisions.

Key Responsibilities

• Participate in the period-end close procedures, by preparing basic to moderate general ledger journal entries and supporting workpapers, maintaining thorough and audit-ready documentation
• Prepare account reconciliations to validate ending balances and account activity, ensuring reconciling items are identified and resolved in a timely manner
• Review period-end financial results and variance analysis as compared to budget, prior year, year-end, and prior quarter for assigned financial statement line items, preparing business explanations for all changes in balances
• Prepare schedules and reports in support of the annual financial statement audit and tax Form 990; all schedules prepared must be thoroughly documented and audit ready
• Develop working relationships with fellow team members and business partners and serve as first point of contact for business partners
• Participate in documenting internal control process narratives using the COSO-13 framework as the basis for design and evaluation
• Work on any accounting, financial project/analysis, or ad-hoc research as required
• Perform other job-related duties as assigned

Qualifications: A successful candidate will have the following:

EXPERIENCE and/or EDUCATION:

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field
• 0-2 years of relevant accounting experience in either public accounting or corporate accounting, or a combination of both
• Working toward CPA eligibility or interest in certification is a plus

SKILLS AND ABILITIES: 

• Basic knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)
• GSuite and Excel skills (maintaining spreadsheets and employing basic formulas)
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy in all work
• Effective time management skills to proactively manage workload and meet deadlines
• Solid organizational skills and ability to track and prioritize multiple tasks
• Clear written and verbal communication skills to disseminate information and ask questions
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a team environment
• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills to identify available resources to determine the best course of action for non-standard transactions
• Ability to adapt quickly to new systems, processes, and technology
• Demonstrated initiative and willingness to learn

Compensation and Benefits:
The salary range for this position is $35.78 -$36.50. Actual compensation will be commensurate with the final candidate's qualifications and experience, including skills, knowledge, relevant education, certifications and aligned with the internal peer group. We believe in fair and equitable compensation practices and are committed to providing competitive salaries within the industry and market standards. The Academy offers a total compensation package that emphasizes both base salary and comprehensive benefits based on the hours per week worked. Further details regarding compensation and benefits will be discussed during the interview process.

Schedule: Full-time,  40 hours per week

How to Apply:

Interested candidates should submit a resume and application through our Careers Page portal.

The California Academy of Sciences will give full consideration for employment to all qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance (SF Police Code, Article 49).