Senior Accountant

Senior Accountant, Private Family Foundation

Fairfield County, Connecticut

THE ORGANIZATION

Our client is the private foundation of a Fairfield County ultra-high-net-worth family. The foundation makes substantial grants across a range of causes and is committed to inspiring philanthropy and community service by leading through example.

THE ROLE

This person owns the day-to-day accounting for a portfolio of private foundations and the affiliated corporate community programs. That includes the monthly and annual close across entities, donation and fundraising receivables, reconciliations, audit coordination and support for Form 990-PF, 990-T, and related state filings.

It is a hands-on role with real ownership rather than a slice of a large accounting department. You will work directly with external auditors and tax preparers, and you will be close enough to leadership that your judgment matters.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Manage the day-to-day accounting operations for a portfolio of private foundations and corporate community programs, including financial reporting, audit coordination, tax support, and account reconciliations.
• Lead the month-end and year-end close across multiple private foundations, including preparation and posting of accruals and other journal entries.
• Oversee fundraising and donation receivables, including tracking, recording, and reconciling related activity to ensure completeness and accuracy.
• Perform monthly financial reviews and reporting to validate the integrity of financial information and proper coding across entities.
• Prepare and review recurring account reconciliations to ensure accuracy across multiple legal entities.
• Support state and federal tax reporting requirements, partnering with external tax preparers as needed.
• Coordinate the annual audit, including preparation of schedules, responding to auditor inquiries, and resolving follow-up items.
• Assist with banking relationships and ongoing cash management activities.

WHAT'S REQUIRED

• Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, or a related field, plus a master's degree in accounting and/or CPA licensure a plus.
• Minimum of five years of accounting experience with exposure to nonprofit or private foundation accounting.
• Demonstrated knowledge of GAAP, month-end close and accrual accounting.
• Experience supporting external audits and preparing tax filings, including Form 990-PF, Form 990-T and related state filings.
• Experience with general ledger and accounting systems. Workday Financial Management experience is specifically valued.
• Advanced Excel skills, including VLOOKUPs, SUMIFs, pivot tables, and complex formulas.
• Familiarity with AI tools and emerging technologies, and a demonstrated interest in applying them to accounting operations and reporting.
• Strong quantitative and analytical skills with exceptional attention to detail.
• Excellent organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines across multiple entities.
• Strong relationship and client service skills, with a resourceful, hands-on approach to problem-solving in a fast-paced environment.

WHAT YOU SHOULD UNDERSTAND GOING IN

The environment moves quickly. Foundation work carries hard external deadlines: audits, tax filings, grant cycles, and reporting to leadership. Multiple entities mean multiple sets of books, and the expectation is accuracy on all of them.

This is also a role that rewards someone who prefers ownership to specialization. If your preference is a single narrow function inside a large department, you will likely be happier elsewhere, and we will tell you that directly.

NEXT STEP

If the role fits what you are looking for, send a resume and we will set up a conversation. If you are simply curious about what this market is paying and what is actually moving, that is a fine reason to call too. No agenda attached. Just experienced insight.

ABOUT FORUM GROUP CONNECTICUT

FGC is a boutique, client-centered group of professionals with an unmatched dedication to partnering the most talented finance, accounting, and operations professionals with the most exciting career opportunities in the Fairfield and Westchester County markets. With a relentless desire to thoroughly understand our clients’ cultures and candidates’ career goals, we are deeply committed to building highly consultative and value focused relationships with all of our partners.