Portfolio Accountant

POSITION: Portfolio Accountant

POSITION SUMMARY: The Portfolio Accountant reports to the Vice-President of Mid-Rise and High-Rise Management and collaborates with the Management team and other Peak Properties employees to audit, compile, analyze, and report data across the portfolio. S/he helps with the oversight of financial transactions and reporting within the Yardi system, assists with troubleshooting and works independently on special projects.

EXPECTATION FOR ALL EMPLOYEES: Supports the organization's mission and values by exhibiting the following behaviors: excellence and competence, collaboration, innovation, commitment, accountability, and ownership. To thrive in this role, you should have a passion to learn and grow and be able to work well and inspire other team members.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

Leadership

1. Ensure seamless interaction and outstanding communication with the firm’s management team.
2. Serve as a leader in the management & development accounting sector of the company, providing support and process improvement, where applicable.
3. Provide clear communication and reporting to ownership as needed/required on a timely basis.

Financial Reporting and Treasury Management

1. Manage and oversee the timely delivery, completeness and quality assurance of the monthly financial statement closing and reporting process to ownership.
2. Maintain, review, revise and file month-end workpapers.
3. Maintain, review, analyze and reconciliation of balance sheet and income statement general ledger accounts.
4. Prepare/Review end of month journal entries for all material financial statement line items.
5. Oversee and manage the bank reconciliation(s) prepared by the virtual assistant.
6. Prepare and maintain a fixed asset schedule accounting for additions and dispositions, calculate and record depreciation and prepare roll forward schedules. Ensure reconciliation to the general ledger.
7. Prepare/Review accrual/re-class worksheet for inclusion in the general ledger.
8. Prepare/Review capital expenditure report and roll forward schedule.
9. Reconcile Mortgage and Escrow accounts to the monthly mortgage statement.
10. Review Trial Balance to ensure that there is no unusual activity.
11. Collaborate with various management team members to prepare monthly variance analysis on a timely basis (actual v. budget).
12. Review all commercial and residential billing for accuracy.
13. Prepare preview statements and distribute to the Virtual Accounting team to ensure the following month’s recurring charges and past due charges are accurate.
14. Work and train the virtual accounting team on the processes and ensure closing expectations are met on a timely and accurate basis.
15. Provide support for all accounting questions and reviews.
16. Oversee daily accounting operations for their respective portfolio and communicate findings and results timely and succinctly with internal and external stakeholders.
17. Prepare data to support the annual financial statements and collaborate with third party accounting firms to provide external audit and income tax support.
18. Prepare journal entries related to significant transactions such as acquisitions, dispositions, and financings.
19. Interface with building management and owner representatives on financial and operational issues.
20. Verify account balances and funding needs, if any. Request funding from ownership as needed.
21. Create and send communication/reports to Ownership, Property Managers, Banks and/or other third-party professionals as required and necessary.
22. Oversee/Review cash management and treasury activities, including the initiation of all electronic transfers and AP batches prior to disbursement to vendors and ownership.
23. Review check registers monthly and all bank accounts online daily to ensure there is no unusual activity.
24. Reviews expense ledgers and assists the property management team in the billing of the recovery reconciliations.
25. Coordinates with property management team members to ensure financial compliance with all procedures.
26. Collaborate with Property Management team on new properties, accounts, tenant ledgers and move-out processes as needed.
27. Researches and assists with technical accounting issues as necessary.
28. Manage the Accounts Payable workflow for efficiency.
29. Identify and resolve all AP approval issues.
30. Secure signatures on checks, where and when needed, and distribute checks to the vendors for each check run.
31. Oversight and management of all NSF payments.
32. Assist Accounting Manager with new bank account set up.

Budgets

1. Collaborate with the property management team and assist in the drafting of the property budgets, where needed.
2. Provide the real estate taxes, business insurance, depreciation/amortization, mortgage, workers compensation insurance and audit fees in a support file for the drafting of the annual property budgets.

COMPLIANCE

1. Monitor compliance of all ownership, debt and other agreements.
2. Review agreements to determine appropriate compliance requirements.
3. Prepare investor and/or lender reporting deliverables.
4. Provide support with the interpretation of complex documents for loans and agreements.

Acquisitions/Dispositions

1. Participate in various acquisitions and dispositions processes within the required timeframe.
2. Perform special projects and/or Ad-Hoc tasks where necessary.

Communications

1. Interfaces with building management and owner representatives on financial and operational issues.

General

1. Monitor and collaborate with our leasing and marketing team on all strategies which affect performance and occupancy.
2. Ensure compliance with Peak Properties company policy, as well as federal and local regulations.
3. Attend Peak meetings and/or connect with other Peak employees to share best practices.
4. Maintain scheduled office hours, condition of office, and that all responsibilities are handled professionally.
5. Demonstrate leadership in attitude, communication skills, and appearance.
6. Support the growth and development of team members.
7. Utilize your entrepreneurial skills to network and build strong relationships.
8. Ability to take on special projects while continuing to perform management responsibilities.
9. Assist in ad-hoc projects and activities where necessary.
10. Process and approve payroll timely.
11. Additional duties as assigned by Management.

Physical Requirements

1. Constantly operates a computer and other office productivity machinery.
2. Requires the ability to move within different areas of the property, stand, sit, walk up/downstairs for periods of time.

TRAINING REQUIREMENTS: Ongoing professional development.

QUALIFICATIONS/SKILLS & KNOWLEDGE REQUIREMENTS:

1. 5+ years of general accounting experience.
2. Real estate month end property accounting experience required.
3. Bachelor’s degree in accounting, Business Management, and Administration preferred.
4. CPA Preferred.
5. Experience in Yardi preferred.
6. Proficient with MS Office software.
7. A sound knowledge about various aspects of financial and real estate assets.
8. Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
9. Aptitude to be detail-oriented, yet flexible, in a dynamic environment.
10. Strong work ethic with the highest degree of honesty, integrity, and discretion.
11. Ability to multitask, prioritize and manage time effectively.
12. Excellent problem solver; demonstrates ability to use creative alternatives.
13. Protect the confidential nature of the work as appropriate.
14. Ability to handle large volume of emails and phone calls.