About MSF USA | Doctors Without Borders

ROLE OVERVIEW

The Senior Accountant applies accounting principles and procedures to analyze financial information, prepares accurate and timely financial reports and statements, and ensures appropriate accounting control procedures. In addition, the Senior Accountant performs detailed reconciliations, provides technical accounting support for fiscal period closings, and establishes an effective contract management system to monitor compliance with budgetary and reporting requirements. The Senior Accountant also reviews all Corporate Purchase Card Program cardholder activity logs and receipts, ensures appropriate posting of transactions, and designs and produces regular analytics for internal reporting and complex year-end audit work papers. This position will work independently with external and internal auditors for assigned audits and have frequent contact with multiple departments throughout MSF-USA.

This role requires technical expertise, analytical prowess, and practical communication skills to derive actionable insights from complex datasets. The successful candidate will contribute significantly to strategic decision-making processes by harnessing the power of data lake technologies and predictive analytics tools. 

DEPARTMENT ACCOUNTABILITIES 

Budgeting 
Set, analyze, and monitor budgets aligned with organization strategy; identify financial trends. 
 
Treasury 
Design, develop, and deliver treasury strategies and operations. 
 
Financial Policies, Guidelines, and Protocols 
Develop financial guidelines and protocols in response to statutory and economic requirements. 
 
Operational Compliance 
Adhere to internal policies, procedures, and external standards, including regulatory and voluntary codes of conduct, to minimize business risk and protect the organization's reputation. 
 
Organizational Risk Management  
Develop and/or deliver activities to monitor the organization's risk profile and limit its exposure to undue risks. 

ROLES SPECIFIC OUTCOMES

Accounting operations
Serve as lead on all aspects of accounting operations, including accounts receivable/payable, payroll, retirement plan, bank accounts/reconciliations, and the management of financial controls per GAAP.

Policy and Procedures

Help the team develop and maintain efficient and effective accounting and financial management infrastructure including policies, processes, procedures, and internal controls.

Budgeting

Work with the team to develop organizational, program, and grant budgets.

Compliance and audit

Ensure timely and unqualified annual audit and 990 reports by adhering to organizational accounting policies and procedures throughout the year and providing the CPA firm with the required reports and backup.

Operations support

Assist internal teams in managing various requirements such as charitable solicitation license renewals, lobbying expense reporting, sales tax refund claims, and business insurance issues.

COMPLEXITY AND PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS

Accountability/Results Orientation

Accountable for delivering departmental results within the allocated budget and utilizing MSF-USA’s resources effectively and efficiently (human, financial, and capital).

Decision-Making/Risk-Taking

Analyzes available options and decides on departmental actions. Ask team leaders for their thoughts on how decisions will affect their ability to achieve results. Identifies and shares departmental/organizational strategies, issues, and opportunities.

Teamwork Collaboration
Create a well-rounded and diverse team. Encourage and support others to contribute. Decide on the teams needed to reach department goals. Give clear direction on goal priorities. Start and lead team change projects as a change agent.

Communications

Communicates clearly and persuasively. Actively listens to understand others' perspectives and seeks feedback on performance. Supports openness and values input from others.

BEHAVIORAL COMPETENCIES

THOUGHT: How MSF USA staff understand the organization, manage complexity and contribute by creating new and different.

People Focus
Build strong relationships and deliver solutions geared to aiding others. Solicit feedback and data; convey a clear understanding of the team's service level; act when the team does not meet standards; align processes with organizational needs.

Manages Complexity
Makes sense of complex, high quantity, and sometimes contradictory information to effectively solve problems. Consistently looks at complex issues from many angles; obtains a rich and deep understanding; swiftly cuts to the core issue; skillfully separates root causes from symptoms.

Global Perspective
Takes a broad view when approaching issues using a global lens. Shows global thinking at work; adjusts organizational practices to meet different regions or countries' unique needs. Use a broad perspective when addressing issues and challenges.

Cultivate Innovation
Creates new and better ways for the organization to be successful. Approaches professional work in unique or innovative ways. Offers original ideas. Appreciates others' creative ideas and solutions and provides helpful input to enhance them.

Strategic Mindset
Sees ahead to future possibilities and translates them into breakthrough strategies.

RESULTS: MSF USA staff achieve results by cultivating a forward-thinking environment that produces solutions for changing stakeholder needs.

Drives Results
Consistently achieves results, even under challenging circumstances. Regularly pushes self to attain outstanding outcomes; consistently establishes bold goals for own performance; is enthusiastic about excellent results and significant contributions. Shows great tenacity to complete goals/initiatives in a timely way.

Ensures Accountability
Holds self and others accountable to meet commitments.

PEOPLE: MSF USA staff understand their impact on others through collaboration and inclusion of different perspectives to achieve common goals.

Collaborates
Build partnerships and work collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives. Readily involves others to accomplish goals; stays in touch and shares information; discourages "us versus them" thinking; shows appreciation for others' ideas and input.

Communicates Effectively
Develops and delivers multi-mode communications that convey a clear understanding of the unique needs of different audiences. Listens attentively and takes an interest. Keeps others well informed; conveys information concisely and professionally when speaking or writing.

Values Differences
Recognizes the value that different perspectives and cultures bring to an organization. Confronts stereotyping and offensive comments promptly. Consistently behaves with great sensitivity toward differences in cultural norms, expectations, and communication methods.

Builds Effective Teams
Build strong identity teams applying diverse skills and perspectives to achieve common goals.

Manage Conflicts
Manage conflict situations effectively, with a minimum of noise.

Build Networks
Effectively builds formal and informal relationship networks inside and outside the organization.

Drives Vision and Purpose
Paints a compelling picture of the vision and strategy that motivates others to action.

SELF: MSF USA staff demonstrate self-awareness by having an open mindset and continuously seeking opportunities to gain experience, grow, and improve. 

Instills Trust
Gains the confidence and trust of others through honesty, integrity, and authenticity. Models honesty and authenticity and encourage others to be upfront with one another. Demonstrates reliability and places a strong emphasis on the team meeting its commitments. Fairly represents others' positions.

Manages Ambiguity
Operate effectively, even when things are unclear, or the way forward is unclear. Responds effectively to ambiguous situations, seeks to resolve ambiguity, and makes progress. Seeks guidance on how to adapt to changes and responds with appropriate composure and effectiveness.

Situational Adaptability
Adapts approach and demeanor in real time to match the shifting demands of different situations. Serves as an example of adaptability and provides guidance and support to help others adapt to new situations. Considering the needs of clients, constituents, and the organization shifts priorities appropriately.

Being Resilient
Rebounds from setbacks and adversity when facing demanding situations.

TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES

Plans and Aligns
Planning and prioritizing work to meet commitments aligned with MSF-USA goals.

Financial Acumen
Interprets and applies to understanding key financial indicators to make better business decisions.

Tech Savvy
Anticipating and adopting innovations in organizational digital and technology applications.

Data Collection and Analysis
The ability and skill to determine and analyze trends from data collected to assist in compiling reports that will help in decision-making. 

Project Management Skills
The ability to plan and manage small project assignments within desired cost, time, and quality parameters.

Presentation and Written Communication Skills
Adapts approach and demeanor in real time to match the shifting demands of different situations. Serves as an example of adaptability and provides guidance and support to help others adapt to new situations. Considering the needs of clients, constituents, and the organization shifts priorities appropriately.

Organizational Insight
Applying knowledge of MSF-USA and industry to advance the organization’s goals.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY

This role will supervise a Finance Analyst

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

Education and Experience:

• A bachelor’s degree in accounting or finance and at least five years of accounting experience are required.
• A CPA license is preferred. 
• Preference for candidates with nonprofit accounting experience, appropriate knowledge of tax laws and related issues and regulations for 501(c)(3) organizations, including federal and state filings, and sound internal controls.
  
  

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Strong knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).
• Proficiency in Excel, NetSuite, Concur, Workday Adaptive Planning, and ADP. Preference for candidates with experience with constituent relationship management software and time-tracking and expense software.

• Good written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to handle sensitive and confidential matters with discretion.
• Ability to produce high-quality work and exercise good judgment.
• Self-motivated with the ability to work well independently and in teams

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS 

Travel as needed, 20%

COMPENSATION

$88,822 - $133,233; based on experience

We do not accept phone calls or emails during the recruitment process. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Our staff works a hybrid schedule with the ability to come into either the NYC office or regional hub (Washington, DC or Bay Area, California) a minimum of 2 times a week. The required days are Tuesdays and Wednesdays from January to June and September to December. 

In office work attendance during July and August is optional.

MSF-USA is dedicated to creating a diverse, impartial, and inclusive workforce. We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate based on gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, race, religion, age, national origin, disability, marital status, pregnancy status, veteran status, genetic information, or any other differences as per applicable laws. We also provide reasonable accommodation for disabilities or religious beliefs and practices. We encourage individuals from underrepresented communities in the Humanitarian Aid sector to apply.

If you have a disability and require accommodations to use our website to apply for a position, please contact Human Resources at employment.msfusa@newyork.msf.org. We consider reasonable accommodation requests on a case-by-case basis.