Accounting Manager
Pay: $62,150.40 - $93,600.00 per year
Job description:
Applicants must submit both a resume and cover letter to ESHR@Espousalstrategies.com by May 18th to be considered.
Espousal Strategies LLC — a boutique government, community, and public affairs consultancy based in Portland — is hiring a Accounting Manager to support our growing portfolio of public sector and community focused projects.
Overview
This position is responsible for far more than accounting oversight. The Accounting Manager serves as the firm’s principal financial strategist, bringing command of financial management trends, capital planning, advanced modeling, and macroeconomic concepts to executive decision-making.
This individual will be a direct strategic partner to the Executive and Leadership, shaping operational and growth decisions where finance, controls, compliance, and enterprise risk intersect. While the role is based in the Portland, Oregon Metropolitan Area, there is flexibility for working from home part-time.
What You’ll Do
- Manage and process day-to-day bookkeeping (AP/AR, reconciliations)
- Maintain accurate financial records and audit ready documentation
- Support government accounting, including Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) aligned cost tracking
- Prepare monthly financial reports and project budget updates
- Develop dashboards and other managerial financial reports
- Assist with cost proposals and pricing for Request for Proposals (RFPs)
What You Bring
- 3–5 years of accounting experience
- Experience with FAR, government cost principles, or public sector accounting
- Strong bookkeeping and reconciliation skills
- Proficiency with QuickBooks Online or similar systems
- Excellent organization, accuracy, and communication
Why Espousal Strategies
We’re a mission driven firm rooted in community impact and strategic clarity. You’ll join a small, collaborative team where your work directly strengthens our ability to serve public, private, and nonprofit clients. Opportunity to shape financial systems and strategy within a mission-driven consultancy in a collaborative and values-based work environment.
Why This Role Matters
This role is foundational to Espousal Strategies’ next stage of growth. The Finance Manager will help ensure the firm scales intentionally, resiliently, and profitably, with financial discipline that enables—not constrains—strategic ambition. The right candidate will be viewed internally as a future CFO, growing alongside the firm.
Work Style & Culture:
Espousal Strategies is a boutique firm rooted in community impact, integrity, and strategic clarity. The ideal candidate is steady, reliable, and comfortable working in a mission driven environment where precision and accountability matter.
Working Conditions/Physical Demands:
Work is usually performed in an indoor office environment, or remote home office environment, with long periods at a desk. Work is oriented to internal staff needs and subject to constant work interruptions. Requires flexible work schedule and may be required to work evenings and weekends. May occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Position may require the ability to travel regionally for work activities.
Benefits:
Espousal Strategies’ offers competitive health, dental, PTO, and retirement benefits.
At Espousal Strategies we don’t just accept difference — we celebrate it, we support it, and we thrive on it for the benefit of our employees, our clients, and our community. We do not discriminate in employment based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor.
Job description
Overview: The Accounting Manager supports the financial infrastructure of Espousal Strategies by managing day-to-day bookkeeping, maintaining compliant financial records, and ensuring alignment with federal, state, and local government accounting standards. The Accounting Manager is responsible for oversight of all accounting, audit, budget and financial functions for the firm. This role is ideal for someone who is detail oriented, deadline driven, and experienced with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) aligned practices. This role supports executive leadership with budgeting, analysis, forecasting, and internal controls vital for sustainable growth.
Primary Responsibilities:
Bookkeeping
- Process and record all Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable in accordance with company procedures and fiscally responsible best practices.
- Oversee all internal bookkeeping functions. Liaise with external CPA and bookkeeping support to ensure all bookkeeping is accurate and up to date at all times.
- Manage cash flow; optimize collections and vendor payments to support financial health.
- Perform monthly reconciliations and research any discrepancies in the balance sheet, revenue, and expense accounts.
- Processes monthly, quarterly, and annual closing processes, ensuring all records are reconciled, accurate and recorded in accordance with GAAP and internal policies. Prepare yearly 1099 reports.
Accounting & FAR Compliance
- Support financial processes aligned with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR).
- Maintain documentation required for government contracts, including cost tracking, indirect cost allocation, and allowable/unallowable cost classification.
- Assist with preparation of financial components for RFP responses, budgets, and cost proposals.
- Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local procurement requirements.
Executive Financial Leadership & Strategy
- Operate as a thought partner to executive leadership, providing strategic counsel on growth, risk, capital allocation, and enterprise sustainability.
- Translate organizational vision and growth plans into financial strategies, forecasts, and performance frameworks.
- Represent Espousal Strategies in a positive and professional manner to stakeholders, clients, peers, public officials, community groups, and other business partners.
Finance & Budget
- Lead the development and building of firm’s annual budget.
- Draft and champion finance, compliance, and controls related policies and procedures (SOPs).
- Monitor revenue and spending patterns. Actively monitor and track expenditures against budget, identifying trends and expenditures out of line with current budget
- Create and analyze financial statements on a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis
- Provide and present thorough financial report to the President monthly, providing recommendations regarding financial decisions
- Provide financial data, documents and reports for internal stakeholders, and for audit preparation. Generate accurate reports of company accounting information as requested by the President or CPA.
- Maintain monthly overhead rate calculations.
Reporting & Analysis
- Prepare monthly, quarterly, and annual financial reports
- Report and track financial KPIs
- Support dashboard inputs and firm-wide KPIs tracking
- Track project budgets and contract deliverables
- Provide variance analysis and recommendations
- Lead year end close
Tax & Audits
- Liaise with tax and audit professional to ensure quarterly and annual taxes are filed in a timely and accurate manner. Provide tax professionals with information for tax filing as needed.
- Coordinate annual overhead audit
- Coordinate with tax professional and auditing firms to schedule needed compliance audits.
Systems & Process Management
- Maintain QuickBooks Online or similar systems
- Improve internal financial workflows and controls, maintain firm employee adherence to financial and travel policies & updating policies as needed or required.
- Support implementation of new tools and documentation standards.
- Provide practical, strategic guidance on accounting practices, tax considerations, accounts management, and financial structuring.
- Oversee compliance with regulatory, contractual, and government reporting requirements, including those tied to public-sector and government clients.
Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or related discipline, and at least 5 years’ experience conducting full-cycle accounting activities for a professional organization required, or equivalent combination of education and work experience. Minimum of 5+ years of progressive accounting experience, with at least 2+ years in a controller/lead accounting role. Experience with FAR, government cost principles, or public-sector accounting‑sector accounting.
Preferred
- Experience designing dashboards with Tableau or similar tools for reporting.
- Experience with public works projects governed by FAR.
- Experience with small businesses or consulting firms.
- Familiarity with indirect cost rates or cost reimbursable contracts.
- Understanding of procurement cycles and RFP processes.
- MBA or equivalent advanced business education, CPA, CFA, or CMA.
Knowledge & Skills
- Passion for the principals and the mission of Espousal Strategies
- Knowledge of Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) process and procedures
- Excellent knowledge of standard accounting practices (GAP and GASB)
- Ability to ensure accounting activities are following company policy, client reporting requirements, state, federal and local requirements
- Skill in clearly presenting financial information, and providing supporting facts and data justifying the rationale for specific recommendations and alternatives
- Cooperative & collaborative team member. Ability to communicate in a clear and respectful manner with all clients, co-workers, and others.
- Proficient in QuickBooks Online accounting software or similar tools. Ability to effectively use software to create accurate and meaningful reports
- Proficient in standard office procedures, software, and communications technology. Ability to effectively use MS Office (including Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint), G-Suite, and standard communications platforms
- Advanced Excel skills; comfort with financial modeling and reporting tools.