Accounting Associate

Reports To: Senior Accounting Manager
Job Type: Full-time
Region: Central America & Mexico - South America - United States
Location: Remote in the US, Costa Rica, Peru, or Mexico
Start Date: Immediate
Contact: Please apply directly through Root Capital's career site 

Position Overview

The Accounting Associate supports accounting operations with accounts payable processing, recording journal entries in accounting system, performing account reconciliations, ensuring compliance with internal policies, systems support, and carrying out various accounting projects as needed. The Accounting Associate works collaboratively with US staff supporting on-boarding and assisting with questions and training in various software systems.

Mission & History of Root Capital

Root Capital is a nonprofit whose mission is to grow rural prosperity and build the resilience of farming families around the world. We support the growth of agricultural enterprises so they can transform rural communities. These businesses purchase crops such as coffee, cocoa, or grains from smallholder farmers. With growth, they become engines of impact that can raise incomes, create jobs for the next generation of leaders, level the playing field for women, and take urgent action against climate change.

We supply these businesses with vital credit and capacity building to foster their growth and resilience. We work in hard-to-serve communities where others don’t. To date, we’ve distributed $1.7 billion to improve the lives of over 10 million people in farming families.

Headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Root Capital currently has associated offices in Costa Rica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Colombia, Peru, Ghana, and Kenya.

Responsibilities

1. Accounts Payable (45%)
   1. Review and approve purchase orders in Salesforce, ensuring compliance with policy
   2. Review and approve vendor invoices in Salesforce, ensuring submissions include proper coding and approvals, current payment instructions and supporting documentation
   3. Perform KYC (Know-Your-Client) checks on all new vendors and prior to each vendor payment
   4. Process vendor payments in Intacct & initiate payments via online banking
   5. Verify & safeguard vendor payment instructions and create wire templates in online banking system
   6. Keep informed of regulatory changes and best practices in accounts payable
2. Employee Expense Processing (20%)
   1. Review and approve employee expense reports and credit card expense reports in Replicon, ensuring that transactions adhere to company policy, are coded properly and have adequate approvals and supporting documentation
   2. Administer employee credit card accounts, provide support for account-related issues, distribute monthly statements
   3. Upload Replicon expense extracts into Intacct and process employee reimbursements
   4. Manage accounting relationship with Travel Agency, ensure compliance with travel pre-approval policy and record transactions
3. Transaction Processing and Monthly Account Reconciliations (15%)
   1. Record accounting transaction in general ledger.    
   2. Perform monthly reconciliations of various balance sheet and statement of activities accounts
   3. Deposit checks using online banking and save support in electronic files
4. Administer Accounting Training, Applications and Files (15%)
   1. Responsible for training US-staff on Accounting processes, including creation and maintenance of training materials and conducting staff training.
   2. Provide staff with on-going support and respond to questions timely and collaboratively
   3. Administer user profiles in KYC software and employee information in Intacct
   4. Maintain electronic files and responsible for the Accounting Intranet
5. Annual Year-End Accounting Support (5%)
   1. Manage preparation and submission of Annual Vendor 1099-MISC, Consultant 1099-NEC and Investor 1099-INT forms
   2. Assist with annual audit preparation

Perform other relevant duties as assigned.

Required Skills and Experience

• Fluent in English
• Collaborative cross-functional team-player with a customer service approach
• 2+ years of relevant work experience
• Knowledge of accounting principals
• Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills
• Proficient with excel and other software such as Intacct and/or Salesforce
• Detail-oriented & organized
• Self-motivated, able to effectively manage and prioritize tasks independently
• Proactive in identifying and addressing inefficiencies and suggesting areas for improvement
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Bachelor's or associate's degree in accounting or finance preferred