Senior Accountant

Merion Mercy Academy, an independent Catholic college preparatory school for girls in grades 9-12 outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, seeks a detail-oriented, analytical, and proactive Senior Accountant to join our finance team. This full-time position begins in August 2026 and reports to the Chief Financial Officer.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the month-end and year-end close processes to ensure timely and accurate financial reporting.
• Draft comprehensive financial statements, including Statements of Financial Position, Statements of Activities, and Statements of Cash Flows, ensuring compliance with GAAP.
• Prepare and review complex journal entries, bank reconciliations, and general ledger account analyses.
• Develop, track, and maintain key financial and operational performance metrics to support strategic decision-making.
• Analyze variances between budgeted and actual figures, providing insightful commentary to senior management.
• Identify opportunities to streamline accounting processes and implement internal controls to safeguard organizational assets.
• Execute the endowment spend calculation in accordance with organizational policies and regulatory guidelines.
• Track, reconcile, and manage restricted and unrestricted fund balances, ensuring proper allocation of investment earnings and distributions.
• Gather, organize, and analyze financial information required for the annual IRS Form 990 and other regulatory filings.
• Coordinate with external auditors and tax preparers to provide necessary documentation and support for annual audits and tax compliance.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
• 3–5+ years of progressive accounting experience.
• Ability to learn and become proficient in accounting software (e.g., Blackbaud FinancialEdge).
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel (vlookups, pivot tables, financial modeling).
• Exceptional analytical, problem-solving, and organizational skills.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to present financial data clearly to non-financial stakeholders.
• CPA preferred.
• Proven experience working with endowments, fund accounting, or nonprofit financial structures preferred.
• Strong knowledge of GAAP compliance is preferred.

About Merion Mercy Academy

Founded in 1884 by the Sisters of Mercy and located on a beautiful 12-acre campus on Philadelphia’s Main Line, Merion Mercy currently enrolls over 400 students from diverse geographic areas and socioeconomic groups. The academic program consistently challenges each student to prepare for college and a lifetime of service, developing competent and compassionate women for the future.

Merion Mercy’s faculty and staff are committed to providing a holistic education that stresses academic and personal excellence while encouraging all students to “Live Mercy and Seek Justice,” an educational philosophy that builds a true sense of sisterhood extending beyond the classroom. The school embraces diversity and inclusion through its mission, Mercy identity, and student body.