Location: Ridgeland, MS

Reports To: Chief Executive Officer

Employment Type: Full-Time, Exempt

About the Institute for the Advancement of Minority Health (IAMH)

The Institute for the Advancement of Minority Health (IAMH) is a nonprofit organization committed to promoting public health equity by addressing health disparities that impact racial and ethnic minority communities. IAMH collaborates with community partners, healthcare providers, and public agencies to advance health literacy, improve access to care, and implement culturally relevant health interventions.

Position Summary

The Staff Accountant supports the organization’s day-to-day accounting operations and maintains accurate, timely, and well-documented financial records. The position has primary responsibility for accounts payable, accounts receivable, grant-related accounting support, reconciliations, transaction coding, and QuickBooks maintenance. The Staff Accountant is expected to identify discrepancies, troubleshoot routine accounting problems, and work with staff to resolve issues in a practical and timely manner. This is a staff-level accounting position. It requires independent management of assigned processes while escalating complex accounting, audit, tax, compliance, and financial-policy matters to the appropriate supervisor.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities Accounts Payable

• Manage the accounts payable process, including receiving, reviewing, coding, and processing invoices and payment requests.
• Verify that invoices and expense requests contain appropriate documentation, approvals, account coding, and grant or program allocations.
• Prepare payments according to established organizational schedules and procedures.
• Maintain accurate vendor records and supporting documentation.
• Reconcile vendor statements and research duplicate invoices, incorrect charges, missing documentation, and payment discrepancies.
• Assist with year-end vendor reporting and preparation of information needed for Forms 1099.

Accounts Receivable

• Prepare and issue invoices, reimbursement requests, and other requests for payment.
• Record incoming payments, grants, contributions, reimbursements, and other revenue in QuickBooks.
• Maintain accurate accounts receivable records and monitor outstanding balances.
• Follow up on past-due invoices and unresolved receivable balances as appropriate.
• Research payment discrepancies and apply receipts to the appropriate customer, grant, program, or account.
• Prepare reconciliations and supporting schedules for accounts receivable balances.

Grant Accounting and Grants

• Management Support
• Maintain financial records for government, foundation, corporate, and other grant-funded programs.
• Track grant expenditures against approved budgets, funding periods, and applicable cost categories.
• Ensure grant-related expenses are coded and allocated to the correct grant, program, department, and funding source.
• Maintain organized documentation to support grant expenditures, reimbursements, and financial reporting.
• Assist with grant invoices, reimbursement requests, budget-to-actual reports, and other financial reports required by funders.
• Monitor grant balances and identify potential over-spending, under-spending, or coding issues for management review.
• Coordinate with program staff to resolve questions involving grant expenses, supporting documentation, budget categories, and allowable costs.
• Assist with grant closeout and reconciliation activities.

QuickBooks and General Accounting

• Enter and maintain accurate financial transactions in QuickBooks, preferably QuickBooks Online.
• Maintain vendor, customer, class, program, project, grant, and account information as assigned.
• Prepare routine journal entries and recurring transactions when appropriate.
• Perform or assist with bank, credit card, accounts payable, accounts receivable, and general ledger reconciliations.
• Research and correct improperly coded, duplicated, missing, or inconsistent transactions.
• Assist with month-end and year-end closing procedures.
• Prepare routine financial schedules and reports for management.
• Maintain organized electronic and physical accounting records in accordance with document-retention requirements.

Troubleshooting and Problem Solving

• Investigate accounting discrepancies and determine the source of routine transaction, coding, reconciliation, and QuickBooks issues.
• Research historical transactions and supporting documentation to resolve financial-record discrepancies.
• Use sound judgment to correct routine accounting errors and escalate complex or high-risk matters to management.
• Identify recurring process problems and recommend practical improvements that strengthen accuracy, documentation, and efficiency.
• Communicate accounting issues and required corrective actions clearly to accounting and non-accounting staff.

Internal Controls and Compliance

• Follow established financial policies, approval requirements, segregation-of-duties procedures, and internal controls.
• Ensure transactions are supported by appropriate documentation before processing.
• Maintain confidentiality of financial, employee, donor, vendor, and organizational information.
• Assist with preparation of schedules and supporting documentation for the annual audit, financial review, or monitoring visits.
• Assist with gathering records requested by funders, auditors, and other authorized parties.
• Support compliance with grant agreements and organizational financial policies.

Required Qualifications

• Associate or bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business administration, or a related field, or equivalent relevant accounting experience.
• Approximately 2–4 years of accounting, bookkeeping, or financial administration experience.
• Hands-on experience with QuickBooks; QuickBooks Online experience is preferred.
• Working knowledge of accounts payable and accounts receivable processes.
• Experience with, or a strong working understanding of, nonprofit grants and grant-related financial tracking.
• Intermediate proficiency in Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets.
• Demonstrated ability to reconcile accounts and investigate financial discrepancies.
• Strong attention to detail, organization, and accuracy.
• Demonstrated troubleshooting and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage recurring deadlines and multiple priorities with limited supervision.
• Ability to communicate professionally with staff, vendors, funders, and other stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous accounting or bookkeeping experience in a nonprofit organization.
• Familiarity with restricted and unrestricted funding and basic fund-accounting concepts.
• Experience with government, foundation, or corporate grants.
• Experience preparing grant reimbursement requests or grant financial reports.
• Familiarity with audit support, year-end close, and nonprofit financial documentation.

Core Competencies

Accuracy and Attention to Detail: Maintains reliable records and identifies inconsistencies before they become larger problems.

Problem Solving: Investigates discrepancies, evaluates available information, and determines practical corrective actions.

Grant Awareness: Understands that grant-funded expenditures require proper coding, documentation, budget monitoring, and compliance.

Technical Accounting Skills: Applies sound knowledge of QuickBooks and routine accounting processes, including AP, AR, reconciliations, and general ledger activity.

Organization: Manages recurring accounting deadlines, supporting documents, and multiple funding sources effectively.

Communication: Explains financial questions and documentation requirements clearly to accounting and non-accounting staff.

Integrity and Confidentiality: Handles financial information responsibly and follows established controls and professional standards.

Compensation

The annual salary for this full-time position is $50,000, plus applicable organizational benefits. The compensation is aligned with a hands-on staff-accountant role focused on transactional accounting, grant tracking, reconciliations, recordkeeping, and problem solving, rather than senior-level financial management or supervisory responsibilities.

Work Environment and Schedule

This position is expected to work a regular full-time schedule.

Benefits

Health insurance, vision, dental, retirement plan, paid time off, holidays, and professional development.

Equal Opportunity Employment

The Institute for the Advancement of Minority Health is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are based on organizational needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications, consistent with applicable federal, state, and local law.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should submit a cover letter, résumé, and 3 professional references to humanresources@advancingminorityhealth.org. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.