Job description
What We Do
At C.A. Fortune, we aspire to maintain our position as the nation’s leading consumer brands agency. We realize how fortunate we are (pun intended) to offer comprehensive solutions to our clients. From sales management to marketing, all the way down to insights and e-commerce, our boutique service model offers a breadth of services to our clients.
Who We Are
People. Passion. Purpose. Our people are the core of our business. Our unique boutique service model allows our people to follow their passions with a purpose, all while delivering excellent services to our clients. At C.A., we live and breathe our values. We are fearless and curious innovators who lead with solutions, empower others, and do the right thing, always. We are a family-first organization and recognize the importance of a healthy and flexible work-life balance, a positive support system, and the power of diversity and inclusion.
Overview Of The Role
- We’re looking for a highly skilled and detail-oriented Senior Staff Accountant to join our collaborative and fast-paced Accounting team. This role offers the opportunity to work alongside experienced professionals and be exposed to a wide variety of accounting processes and tasks.
- The Senior Staff Accountant will take full ownership of their assigned responsibilities within key accounting functions—including month-end close, billing, accounts payable, and reconciliations—while contributing to the overall accuracy, process integrity, and success of the team. This role plays an active part in supporting cross-functional collaboration and driving strong financial outcomes across the organization.
- Location: Hybrid in-office 3 days a week; Chicago, IL
- At C.A. we’re not looking for perfection, just people that want to commit to a us and grow their careers long-term. We are on a mission to build better brands that inspire healthier lifestyles for consumers and their families. If you’re looking for a sign to apply, here it is!
What You’ll Do At C.A. Fortune
Accounting
- Prepare and post journal entries for accruals, prepaids, fixed assets, and other key transactions in accordance with GAAP and internal policies.
- Involved in the month-end and year-end close processes, ensuring timely and accurate completion of financial reporting deliverables.
- Maintain and reconcile general ledger accounts, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and proper classification of transactions.
- Perform detailed balance sheet reconciliations monthly, investigating and resolving variances to ensure data integrity.
- Develop and implement process improvements to streamline accounting workflows, reduce manual effort, and enhance data accuracy.
- Managing and responding to inquiries sent to the Accounting department’s shared email inbox in a timely and professional manner.
- Ensure compliance with internal policies, accounting standards, and regulatory requirements.
- Assist with ad hoc analyses, reporting projects, system implementations, and other strategic initiatives as needed.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver financial insights that support operational and strategic decision-making.
- Analyze financial statements and internal reports to identify discrepancies, variances, or unusual trends and proactively resolve issues.
Client Billing
- Review customer contracts and agreements to determine appropriate billing terms, schedules, and methods in compliance with company policies and revenue recognition standards.
- Collaborate with Sales, Legal, and Service teams to resolve contract discrepancies, clarify billing requirements, and gather any missing documentation or data.
- Generate and issue accurate, timely invoices based on completed sales and service transactions, ensuring alignment with contractual obligations and internal controls.
- Ensure invoice accuracy, including validation of product or service descriptions, quantities, pricing, and applicable taxes or discounts.
- Record and apply incoming payments received via checks, credit cards, or ACH to appropriate customer accounts in the general ledger.
- Reconcile customer payments with outstanding invoices, investigating and resolving any variances or unapplied cash.
- Maintain and monitor accounts receivable aging reports by business division, proactively flagging overdue accounts and supporting collections efforts when needed.
- Assist in month-end close activities related to accounts receivable, including revenue reporting, deferred revenue analysis, and AR-related journal entries.
Accounts Payable
- Code invoices to the appropriate general ledger accounts and cost centers in alignment with company policy.
- Obtain proper departmental or managerial approvals prior to processing payments.
- Ensure timely and accurate payments in compliance with internal policies and approval workflows.
- Respond to vendor inquiries and resolve billing discrepancies or payment issues in a timely manner.
- Maintain strong vendor relationships to support smooth day-to-day operations and issue resolutions.
- Assist with month-end close by preparing accurate AP reports and reconciliations.
Payroll
- Review and audit payroll data prepared by the payroll team in ADP Workforce Now prior to final submission, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and compliance with internal controls.
- Validate employee hours, earnings, deductions, bonuses, commissions, and tax withholdings to ensure all payroll elements are correctly calculated.
- Ensure compliance with internal policies and all applicable federal, state, and local payroll regulations.
- Reconcile payroll-related general ledger accounts, including wages, payroll taxes, and employee benefits.
- Verify the correct classification of employees and compensation structures within the ADP system.
- Identify and resolve discrepancies between payroll reports, timekeeping systems, and financial records before payroll is finalized.
- Collaborate with the payroll team, HR, and ADP support to address errors, make adjustments, and ensure timely payroll processing.
- Prepare and post payroll journal entries to the general ledger in accordance with GAAP.
- Monitor accruals related to bonuses, and commissions to ensure proper financial reporting and alignment with payroll cycles.
- Uphold confidentiality and integrity of all payroll data and employee information.
What You Should Bring To The Table
- Bachelor’s degree in accounting or finance required.
- CPA designation preferred.
- 3+ years of accounting experience
- Experience in the food brokerage or consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry a plus
- Experience in the Marketing and / or Merchandising industry a plus
- Proficiency in accounting software Sage Intact, Advanced knowledge of MS Excel, ADP
- Excellent attention to detail
- Strong organizational skills
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Comfortable working in a deadline-driven, collaborative environment.
Perks
- 16 days of PTO
- 11 paid company holidays per year
- 2 paid volunteer days per year
- Bonus eligible
- 3 months fully paid parental leave (regardless of gender)
- Medical, dental, and vision
- Paid company life insurance
- 401k with company match
- Summer hours (half day Fridays from Memorial Day thru Labor Day)
Come As You Are C.A. Fortune is committed to making our company more inclusive. Diversity fuels our innovation and better connects us to our clients, our colleagues, and our communities. Based on research, we know that women and other marginalized groups tend to apply to roles only when their experience perfectly matches the job description. That said, we encourage you to apply if you meet the majority of qualifications, especially if this role aligns with your career trajectory.
