Senior Accountant - Nonprofit | Government Grants | SBIR Phase II

Escaleros Full Stack Finance is seeking an experienced, US-based Senior Accountant with hands-on expertise in nonprofit accounting, government grants, and SBIR Phase II awards. This remote role is ideal for someone who can independently manage complex client engagements and communicate confidently with clients. The position will initially be fractional, with the potential to grow into a full-time role as the client portfolio expands. It is particularly well suited for an established, self-employed accountant looking to take on additional clients. About Escaleros Full Stack Finance Escaleros Full Stack Finance provides outsourced bookkeeping, accounting, controller, and fractional CFO services to startups, growing businesses and nonprofits. We provide the financial infrastructure, expertise, and strategic guidance our clients need to operate effectively and scale with confidence. We specialize in organizations with complex financial and compliance requirements, including federally funded companies, SBIR Phase II recipients, and nonprofits managing funding and grants. Our team works collaboratively to deliver the financial expertise and support typically found in much larger in-house finance departments. Why Work With Escaleros Flexible opportunity: Work remotely with a fractional workload and the potential to expand your portfolio and responsibilities. Challenging engagements: Support innovative startups, mission-driven nonprofits, and organizations with complex funding and reporting needs. Professional collaboration: Work alongside experienced controllers, fractional CFOs, and other accounting specialists. Autonomy and ownership: Manage your engagements, develop client relationships, and recommend financial improvements. General Responsibilities Serve as the primary accounting contact for assigned clients, proactively identify issues, recommend improvements, and take ownership of deliverables, deadlines, and communication. Assess new client books and identify accounting, reporting, and compliance issues. Provide specialized nonprofit accounting, including tracking restricted and unrestricted funds, grants, and programs, and preparing budget-to-actual and funder reports. Provide specialized accounting for SBIR Phase II and other federally funded organizations, including grant expense tracking, direct and indirect cost allocation, supporting documentation, and applicable federal and DCAA-related requirements. Prepare accurate monthly financial statements and grant-related reporting. Onboard new clients and establish appropriate charts of accounts, class, project, and grant-tracking structures. Reconcile bank, credit card, payroll, accounts payable, and other balance sheet accounts. Coordinate QuickBooks Online integrations involving banking, payroll, bill pay, and expense management systems. Improve accounting processes and workflows to strengthen efficiency, financial controls, and compliance. Prepare books and documentation for financial statement audits, nonprofit and grant audits, and government reviews; collaborate with Escaleros controllers and CFOs as needed. Job Requirements Must be based in the United States. More than five years of accounting or bookkeeping experience involving nonprofit organizations, government grants, or federally funded programs. Meaningful hands-on experience in at least one of nonprofit accounting, government grant accounting, or SBIR Phase II accounting; experience across multiple specialties strongly preferred. Strong understanding of direct and indirect costs, cost pools and allocation methods, fringe, overhead, G&A, and allowable versus unallowable costs; experience with TABA preferred. Advanced expertise in QuickBooks Online. Exceptional client communication skills and ability to explain technical accounting matters clearly. Ability to independently manage multiple client engagements with limited supervision. Highly organized, responsive, and proactive in identifying and resolving accounting issues. CPA designation or master’s degree in accounting or finance preferred. No staffing agencies, please. We already have established agency relationships.