Senior Accountant, Foundation Accounting

Senior Accountant

The Foundation is growing, and the accounting function supporting it is still taking shape. This role is a chance to build alongside the Senior Director, International Operations and Foundation Accounting, and to genuinely shape how the work gets done rather than stepping into a fully fixed process.

As a Senior Accountant, you will own the day-to-day accounting for the Foundation: processing wires and gifts, reconciling accounts, and keeping the Foundation's books accurate and audit-ready. You bring solid full-cycle accounting experience and can operate with a light touch of oversight, someone who can look at how things have been done, ask whether there is a better way, and take the initiative to build the process rather than wait for it to be handed to them.

This is a hands-on role, but a highly visible one. You will work closely with the Foundation team on gifts, endowments, and pledges, and you will be the go-to point of contact for Foundation-related accounting questions. If you want to bring your accounting expertise to a mission-driven organization and have real ownership over how a growing function takes shape, this role is worth a conversation.

Foundation Accounting

• Own processing of cash receipts and disbursements, including incoming wires to the Foundation bank account, and help route related customer service inquiries appropriately.
• Manage tracking and reconciliation of gifts, endowments, and pledges in partnership with the Foundation team.
• Perform bank reconciliations and maintain supporting documentation.
• Prepare journal entries and reconcile supporting schedules to the general ledger.
• Prepare Foundation financial statements and management reports.

Audit and Compliance Support

• Lead annual audit preparation, including assembling audit schedules and responding to auditor inquiries.
• Support preparation of IRS Form 990 and related compliance requirements.

Organizational Support

• Prepare select Urban Land Institute journal entries and finance tasks as directed.
• Support other accounting activities as assigned by the Senior Director, International Operations and Foundation Accounting.
• Proactively identify and drive improvements to existing Foundation accounting processes rather than simply maintaining the status quo.

What Are We Looking For

Required

• Approximately 4-6 years of general accounting experience.
• Strong working knowledge of basic accounting principles (US GAAP).
• Demonstrated experience with full-cycle accounting, including financial statement preparation
• Strong customer service and communication skills.
• A proactive, adaptable, and analytical approach, with the judgment to identify and resolve issues independently and know when to escalate.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and general accounting software.
• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, or equivalent experience.
• Prior experience supporting an annual audit process.

Preferred

• Nonprofit or foundation accounting experience is a plus but not required.
• Experience with Intacct or a comparable accounting system.
• Exposure to donor, gift, or membership database systems (e.g., NetFORUM) is a plus but not required.

What Success Looks Like

In your first 90 days, you will have gotten up to speed on the Foundation's accounting processes and key stakeholders, taken over ownership of gift, wire, and reconciliation processing, and started identifying where existing processes could be tightened up.

Within your first year, you will have taken full ownership of the Foundation accounting function, led audit schedule preparation and materially improved the annual audit process, and delivered at least one process improvement that reduces duplicate work or manual effort for the team.

Over time, success in this role means the Foundation's accounting operations run smoothly and accurately, you have become a trusted point of contact for Foundation staff on accounting matters, and you are recognized as someone who has strengthened how the Foundation's accounting function operates.

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range for this position is $78,986 to $95,000. Actual compensation will be based on experience, education, skills, and other job-related factors.

ULI offers a comprehensive benefits package including health, dental, and life insurance; generous vacation leave; and a retirement plan with employer match.

Working Conditions

The Urban Land Institute (ULI) is committed to shaping the future of the built environment for transformative impact in communities worldwide, and we embrace our core values of integrity, collaboration, inclusion, and excellence in service to our members. In alignment with the Board of Directors' strong commitment to in-person collaboration, our roles require regular on-site presence to foster teamwork, innovation, and organizational effectiveness. ULI's primary workplace remains its offices, where in-person collaboration supports our mission and service to members.

ULI is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion/creed, sex, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, veteran or active military status, non-citizenship or citizenship status, arrest or conviction record, credit history, caregiver status, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or partnership status, familial status, unemployment status, or any other status protected by applicable law.