Description

The Staff Accountant maintains excellent working knowledge of overall corporate accounting functions for VPM Media Corporation, the Virginia Foundation for Public Media, and I64 Media, LLC.  Reporting to the Controller, our Staff Accountant establishes and ensures compliance with appropriate accounting and financial policies, procedures and practices.  This position assists with preparing journal entries, reconciling accounts, reviewing contracts, and preparing management dashboards.  

VPM is a public media organization serving Central Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley. Our teams produce documentaries, TV series and digital content. The VPM News team produces award-winning journalism for our NPR and PBS stations with distribution across our digital channels to over 2 million people in VPM’s coverage area.  VPM Music is home to a 24/7 blend of classical, jazz and world music serving the Richmond region.  Additionally, VPM has recently acquired a 40-year-old weekly publication and website, Style Weekly, that covers arts and culture.  As an independent, non-profit service, we strive to create and serve a more informed public.   

VPM believes attracting and retaining diverse staff is crucial to serving our community and fulfilling our mission to create and serve a more informed public.   

Responsibilities

•       Assists Chief Financial Officer and Controller in developing, documenting, and ensuring compliance with appropriate accounting policies, procedures, controls and practices. 
•       Assists with preparing & posting journal entries, reconciling accounts, reviewing contracts and preparing management dashboards.
•       Reviews, processes, and tracks the approval and payment of invoices. Ensures proper coding and allocation of invoices to the appropriate departments and accounts.
•       Compiles and analyzes accounting, financial, and contractual information in preparation of journal entries.
•       Determines proper handling of financial transactions and approves transactions within limits. 
•       Reviews, investigates, and corrects errors and inconsistencies in financial entries, documents and reports.
•       Assists in payroll certification.
•       Assists in the centralization of purchase orders and/or authorization system for corporate credit card program purchases.  Creates and provides timely and accurate reporting to management on purchasing and credit card usage and conducts reconciliations. 
•       Coordinates with VPM staff, third-party online store vendor, to ensure timely and accurate annual inventory accounting and reporting.
•       Coordinates with VPM staff and outsourced accounting firm, to ensure timely and accurate fixed asset recording and reporting, including the ongoing training of VPM personnel.
•       Assists in the development of annual VPM and Foundation budgets.  
•       Communicates with other departments related to accounts receivable and /or accounts payable as needed.
•       Coordinates with outsourced accounting firm regarding vendor management, establishing ACH payments, ensuring contract review and proper expense and revenue recognition.  
•       Participates in periodic close activities and preparation of quarterly and other management reporting.
•       Assists in VPM and Foundation financial statement audits and the preparation of VPM and Foundation IRS Form 990’s.
•       Provides support in future system implementations, upgrades, enhancements and integration of additional business units into VPM’s system environment.
•       Identifies administrative and accounting functions to be streamlined or improved. 
•       Regularly assesses internal control, including risk assessments and reviews of risk areas.
•       Processes tax payments on a timely basis in accordance with documented procedures.

Requirements

Requirements

•       Bachelor’s degree required, accounting degree preferred.
•       At least two years of relevant accounting experience required.
•       Proficiency with enterprise resource planning systems (Sage Intacct preferred)
•       Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications - excellent spreadsheet skills.
•       Displays original thinking and creativity and possesses the ability to suggest workflow improvement.
•       Strong analytic skills that may be applied to accounts payable, vendor management, accounts receivable, and reconciliation.
•       Strong attention to detail and demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness.
•       Ability to effectively communicate, express ideas and thoughts verbally and in writing.
•       Ability to identify staff, and client needs, and to prioritize and accomplish tasks in a proficient manner.
•       Ability to manage and improve vendor relationships.
•       Ability to work with a variety of staff positions and department interests.
•       Proven ability to consistently work well with others, demonstrating respect for diverse constituencies.