The Morton Arboretum is a world-renowned nonprofit institution dedicated to the planting and conservation of trees and other plants for a greener, healthier, and more beautiful world.  We welcome more than 1.1 million guests every year to our 1,700-acre site in the western suburbs of Chicago and manage an annual operating budget of approximately $50 million. We are seeking an experienced Accountant to help ensure the completeness and accuracy of the Arboretum's financials. Through recording, reconciling and analyzing financial records, the Accountant plays a key role in ensuring that the Arboretum is fiscally sound and able to deliver on its mission. The Accountant partners with IT to help set up and troubleshoot issues with our accounting systems, integrations, and imports to leverage technology. The Accountant also supports the annual audit process by preparing and submitting assigned schedules as required. This is an incredible opportunity to be part of a team working together to make the Arboretum exceptional.

Position Summary: As part of the Accounting team, responsible for the accurate accounting of labor expense, accounts payable, prepaid/accrued expenses, fixed assets, vehicle inventory, contributed revenue/receivables, membership revenue, debt, and retail operations for an organization with a $44M operating budget. Responsibilities may include preparing account analyses, electronic bank reconciliation, designated audit schedules, and maintaining the budget process. Provide operational and technical support for processing invoices / expense statements and cash receipts. May oversee, review, and manage the annual Informational Form 990 return, and bi-weekly payroll to ensure compliance to regulatory oversight. This is a hybrid-eligible position.

Essential Functions: 

• Maintain and reconcile the general ledger chart of accounts to subsidiary accounting records for assigned departments or financial review areas and perform various expense analysis. 
• Record acquisitions and disposals of fixed assets, allocation of credit card and banking fees, and perform physical inventory observations of vehicles.
• May participate in the annual budget process, ensuring delivery of a robust, accurate, and detailed budget by maintaining the required labor data, input sets, reports, budget hierarchy, and security. Develop clear concise narrative reporting to explain variances as part of this process.
• Coordinate payroll activity for a complex workforce with the bookkeeper and human resources to ensure compliance to payroll regulatory laws, administration and electronic time and attendance procedures. Provide backup as needed for cash handling and payroll duties.
• Prepare and submit annual schedules as requested by the auditors on the provided by clients checklist. 
• Manage regulatory schedules according to government rules, which includes preparation of the Form 990, 990-T federal and state information returns, and supporting schedules for submission to the accounting firm. 
• In compliance with regulatory requirements according to government rules, prepare, file and obtain approval of the indirect cost rate schedule for grant funding.
• Perform weekly electronic bank reconciliations of daily cash/credit card deposits posted from seventeen different merchant ID’s, automated clearing house (ACH) transactions, and checks issued for operations and health benefits. Coordinate and journalize bank and miscellaneous credit card processors receipts and fees. Review cash balance for 30 days coverage of payroll and expenses and analyze credit card and cash sales. Initiate wire transfers as requested, ensure that the weekly positive pay file and ACH payments are uploaded to the bank. Monitor and resolve any bank notifications resulting from incoming ACH payments pulled from our account and positive pay exceptions.
• Ensure accurate and efficient posting of earned revenue by managing the flow of transactions through point of sales systems and automatic connectors. Perform system testing, troubleshoot issues, and gather requirements. 
• Ensure accurate and efficient vendor approvals and payment by managing the automated invoice approval and business expense card processing with the system’s workflow approval and automatic integration into the financial management system’s subprocess for Accounts Payable. Ensure the accurate preparation and filing of the annual 1099 forms.
• Demonstrate alignment with the Arboretum’s employee core values to be inclusive, take ownership, work together, keep learning, and make the Arboretum exceptional.
• Other duties as assigned.

For full consideration, please include a resume and cover letter with application.

The Morton Arboretum is a champion for diversity, supporting a culture of inclusion that attracts, inspires, and engages people to achieve success. The Arboretum is committed to hire and develop employees based on job-related qualifications irrespective of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, or veteran status. To increase diversity in professions related to the public garden realm, we encourage applications from underrepresented minorities, persons with disabilities, and veterans.  

The Morton Arboretum is dedicated to complying with our obligations as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All applicants are guaranteed equal consideration for employment. 

Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree required, specialization in Accounting or CPA preferred. 2+ years previous experience preferred. Thorough knowledge and experience with computer-based accounting and financial reporting applications required. Sage/Intacct, Concur invoice and expense, Adaptive Planning, and report writing experience desired. Thorough knowledge and experience with spreadsheet and word processing applications. Ability to handle confidential records with discretion required. Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office and experience with Google applications are beneficial. Strong oral and written communication skills required.

Success Factors: Detail oriented and strong customer skills. Good interpersonal, communication, organizational, and time management skills. Ability to handle confidential records with discretion is essential. Ability to work independently, and demonstrate a commitment to organizational values. Ability to successfully replace manual activities with technology utilization. 

Physical Demands and Work Environment: The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.

• Physical Demands: Requires some physical activity: limited lifting and carrying (up to 25 lbs.), and occasional travel by car or train.
• Work Environment: Work is performed primarily indoors, in an office setting, although travel within the buildings and grounds is occasionally required. Hybrid-eligible position.
• Equipment: General office equipment.
• Schedule: Ability and willingness to work extra hours (including weekends) as needed.

About The Morton Arboretum

The Morton Arboretum -- a great outdoor museum and a magnificent garden of trees – is a nonprofit organization with a mission to plant and protect trees for a greener, healthier, and more beautiful world. The Arboretum ranks among the leading arboreta of the world in size, age, quality of specimens, and programs and initiatives for the conservation and planting of trees.

Connections working at The Morton Arboretum