Staff Accountant

The Climate and Land Use Alliance, LLC (CLUA) is a collaborative of foundations seeking to amplify the power of people and the potential of forests for a just and climate-resilient world (the Alliance). The CLUA member foundations are the ClimateWorks Foundation, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the Ford Foundation, Good Energies Foundation, and Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies also awards grants in alignment with the CLUA strategy. By bringing together our resources and diverse expertise, CLUA supports policies, practices, and partnerships that halt and reverse forest loss, advance sustainable land use and development, and secure the rights and livelihoods of Indigenous and forest communities. For more, please visit climateandlandusealliance.org.

CLUA is a sole-member limited liability corporation within ClimateWorks Foundation. Currently, CLUA shares ClimateWorks’ accounting and payment systems and is consolidated in ClimateWorks’ audited financial statements and U.S. federal tax returns. This arrangement may change as a result of CLUA’s ongoing restructuring activities.

CLUA is also the host of Forest, People, Climate (FPC), a collaborative of philanthropic donors, civil society, and community-based organizations seeking to halt and reverse tropical deforestation while supporting just, sustainable development.

FPC focuses on equitable and enduring solutions that safeguard tropical forests and support those stewarding them, in particular, Indigenous peoples, Afro-descendants, and local communities in tropical forest countries. It works with experts, nongovernmental organizations, and donors to identify the strategic priorities that must be addressed to end and reverse deforestation, to mobilize the funding for those priorities, and to strengthen broad networks of partners.

CLUA hosts FPC to accelerate progress toward shared goals of raising more support and moving more resources to organizations working to halt and reverse tropical deforestation. In this role, CLUA provides core operational support to FPC, including grants administration support, and seeks to support a diverse range of partners actively aligning to advance the success of FPC, which includes those mobilizing new funding, developing strategies collaboratively with experts and organizations closest to the work, and equitably supporting the field with a focus on those historically excluded.

Position Description

The Staff Accountant works with the Accounting Manager and reports to the Finance Director, collaborating closely across the CLUA team, and with the accounting team of CLUA’s parent organization as necessary. This position primarily focuses on accounts payable processing, including expense reports, credit cards, grants, contracts, and vendor payments, while also supporting accurate and timely month-end close activities.

The Staff Accountant is an important day-to-day resource for staff across the organization and serves as a first point of contact for questions related to accounting processes and systems, particularly Expensify and Tipalti. The ideal candidate brings a strong customer service orientation, communicates proactively, and enjoys helping colleagues navigate financial processes while maintaining appropriate controls and compliance requirements.

This role carries a high volume of recurring weekly, monthly, and quarterly deadlines and requires strong accounting skills, exceptional attention to detail, sound judgment, and the ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced and evolving environment. The successful candidate is comfortable working in an evolving organization where processes and procedures may continue to develop, and can think through issues independently, knows when to seek additional information or escalate an issue, and takes ownership of ensuring that problems are resolved before they affect close, grantee, or vendor payments, or internal teams.

The Staff Accountant will be part of a highly collaborative, global team and should be comfortable working across cultures, time zones, functions, and levels of the organization.

Primary Duties & Responsibilities

The Staff Accountant is primarily responsible for the following duties, as well as others as assigned:

• Accounts payable:
  • Process and enter grants, bills, and purchase orders/contracts in the accounting system (Intacct) and payment system (Tipalti), ensuring appropriate GL coding and complete supporting documentation.
  • Review documentation supporting payments for accuracy, completeness, and compliance with established policies and requirements.
  • Prepare weekly and special payment runs accurately and on schedule.
  • Follow up proactively with ClimateWorks staff to ensure payments have received all required approvals.
  • Prepare monthly staff and contractor payment runs.
  • Monitor and review outstanding accounts payable on a weekly basis and proactively identify items requiring follow-up.
  • Serve as a responsive resource for vendors and staff with questions, concerns, or information requests related to payments.
  • Serve as the primary point of contact for day-to-day Tipalti questions, researching and resolving issues such as failed payments, updating vendor information, and supporting users in navigating the platform.
  • Maintain 1099 vendor information and collaborate with the ClimateWorks team during annual filing periods.
    
    

• Expense and credit reports: Collaborate with the Finance Director to manage the Expensify platform by:
  • Reviewing expense reports and required receipts for accuracy, completeness, and appropriate categorization.
  • Facilitating a high monthly volume of expense reports, ensuring reports are completed, reviewed, and processed accurately and on time.
  • Serving as the first point of contact for staff questions related to Expensify, providing timely guidance and troubleshooting support.
  • Training new staff members on use of the Expensify platform and related expense processes.
  • Supporting staff with routine platform issues, including 2FA resets.
  • Identifying recurring questions or process issues and recommend improvements that make it easier for staff to comply with financial requirements.
  • Preparing quarterly reconciliations of cash transactions to the general ledger.
    
    
• Grants and contract management:
  • Share weekly payment information with the Grants team for entry into the accounting system.
  • Maintain accurate records of active contracts, including balances and end dates, and report status to the Accounting Manager monthly.
  • Participate in monthly meetings with the Accounting Manager to review outstanding contracts and purchase orders in the accounting system.
  • Proactively flag upcoming contract expirations, outstanding items, or other issues that may require attention.
    
    
• Month-End Close Support
  • Prepare and post cash journal entries in the accounting system, including cash activity processed through the payment platform for international contractors.
  • Prepare quarterly accounts payable and contract accruals.
  • Support the Accounting Manager with accurate and timely month-end close activities.
  • Proactively communicate any issues, missing information, or anticipated delays that could affect close deadlines.
    
    
• Team and Organizational Collaboration
  • Participate in relevant CLUA team meetings, including monthly CLUA Operations team meetings.
  • Build strong working relationships with colleagues across Finance, Accounting, Grants, HR, Operations, and program teams.
  • Provide responsive, service-oriented support while maintaining appropriate accounting controls and compliance requirements.
  • Contribute to a collaborative, low-ego team environment in which colleagues share information, solve problems together, and support one another.
  • Adapt to changing priorities, processes, and organizational needs and help bring structure and organization to an evolving environment.
  • Work effectively with colleagues across different geographic locations, cultures, functions, and time zones.
    
    

Qualifications

• Strong accounting skills, with experience in accounts payable, reconciliations, journal entries, accruals, and/or month-end close processes.
• Exceptional attention to detail and commitment to accuracy in financial transactions, documentation, reconciliations, and reporting.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple recurring deadlines and high-volume workflows while maintaining accuracy and following through on commitments.
• Strong customer service orientation and a genuine interest in helping colleagues understand and navigate accounting processes and systems.
• Clear, proactive communicator who keeps stakeholders informed, particularly when an issue, missing information, or delay could affect deadlines or payments.
• Strong problem-solving and judgment skills, including the ability to investigate and resolve routine issues independently and recognize when an issue requires escalation or additional guidance.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, changing environment with some ambiguity, and able to adapt priorities and approach as organizational needs evolve.
• Collaborative, team-oriented approach with the ability to build effective relationships across Finance, Accounting, Grants, HR, Operations, and program teams.
• Comfortable working as part of a global team, including across cultures, geographic locations, and time zones.
• Demonstrated alignment with CLUA’s mission and interest in working in an organization where colleagues are highly collaborative, intellectually curious, and motivated by shared values rather than hierarchy.
• Comfortable working across multiple financial systems; experience with Intacct, Tipalti, and Expensify is highly desirable.
• Prior experience in nonprofit, foundation, or mission-driven organization accounting is a plus.
• Experience with international currency transactions is preferred.

Compensation

The compensation range for this position is USD $42,500 to $87,500 per year, depending on experience and geography.

Equal Opportunity and Access

Equal employment opportunity is a fundamental principle at the Climate and Land Use Alliance, where employment, staffing, and promotional opportunities are based upon individual capabilities and qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation/affectional preference, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status or any other protected characteristic as established under law. The Climate and Land Use Alliance does not discriminate against formerly incarcerated individuals.

Application Process

All interested candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. We encourage candidates of all backgrounds, ethnicities, and identities to apply. CLUA will complete an initial review of applications received by 10/16/26 and on a rolling basis thereafter until the position is filled. To be considered, please apply online and submit a cover letter and resume in English.