Application Closes July 6th, 2026 at 12:00 PM EST
THE OPPORTUNITY
The Prison Society is seeking a fastidious and organized Staff Accountant who knows that people are our greatest asset. This is a great opportunity for an experienced accounting professional who is fulfilled by supporting a worthy mission and caring staff.
With a statewide staff of 23 and a budget of $3 million, the mission of the Prison Society is to promote the health, safety, and dignity of people in prison and their families.
The Staff Accountant will be supervised by a Senior Finance and Operations Manager and receive support from our external accountant.
On any given day, 61,000 Pennsylvanians are incarcerated in state and county prisons. Incarceration in Pennsylvania increased 300 percent since 1980. Lack of access to health care, degradation, and isolation are some of the issues people in prison face. For 239 years, the Pennsylvania Prison Society has led the nation in calling for a more just and humane criminal justice system.
Every month, more than 500 incarcerated people and their families ask the Prison Society for help with issues they face inside prison. Written into Pennsylvania law, Prison Society staff and volunteers respond to these complaints by going into correctional facilities, meeting with incarcerated people, assisting with the issues they are facing, and providing real-time information on prison conditions.
Strong organizational and financial structures are key to our staff and our volunteers doing their work.
This is where you come in!
Ensure that day to day financial operations are timely and accurate including payroll, accounts payable and receivable, and banking.
Assist with month-end and annual closing statements.
Support the organization’s compliance efforts. You are the point of contact and boots-on-the ground for our external audit and assisting auditors with form 990 preparation. You support internal requests for funder audits and process 1099s each year.
Support budgeting and planning by working with the Senior Finance and Operations Manager and other staff on any needed items including reports, analysis, or audits.
Create efficiencies organization-wide. Assist in creating new processes and streamlining existing processes to strengthen our financial position.
Ensure everything is buttoned-up with consultants and contractors by keeping all consultant contracts up-to-date.
- You have a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
- You have a minimum of three years full-time experience working in a similar accountant role. Non-profit accounting experience preferred.
- You have an excellent command of Quickbooks, Excel, and Google Workspace and have used them professionally.
- You masterfully juggle many tasks. New and often time-sensitive matters are always cropping up. You prioritize and reprioritize, exhibiting excellent time management and strategic problem-solving skills to ensure nothing is lost.
- You are fastidious. You pay attention to detail. Spreadsheets are your jam. You feel a sense of victory when you catch an error. You can't rest until you understand what you're working on and are able to ensure accuracy.
- You are curious. You seek clarity and you're not afraid to ask any question.
- You are organized and have great follow through. You have a demonstrated ability to follow through on tasks with accuracy and within deadlines. You are not easily overwhelmed but rather always envisioning the future and working to get there. Any paper, tasks, files, ideas, and emails that come across your desk all have easily retrievable places.
- You are professional and persistent. You are not intimidated by having to follow-up repeatedly with someone. You know how to do it in a way that is gentle and effective. Similarly, you are great about responding to people who are asking you for information and assistance. If you can't get them what they need right-away, you set their expectations.
What You Need to Know
- Location - This is a hybrid in-office/work-from-home position. You will work out a schedule with the Senior Finance and Operations Manager to include 1 day a week at home and 4 days a week in the office.
- Hours - This position works 40 hours per week, primarily during regular business hours of 9am-5pm.
- Manager - You will report to Rachel Webster, Senior Finance and Operations Manager of the Prison Society.
- Start date - As soon as possible
- Salary & benefits - $55,000-$65,000. A flexible spending account, medical, vision, and dental insurance coverage provided.
- Flexible time off - We encourage a healthy work-life balance and do not cap the number of days off our employees can take. In addition, we observe 11 paid holidays.
At the Prison Society, we don’t just accept difference—we celebrate it, we support it, and we thrive on it for the benefit of our staff, our mission, and our community. The Society is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. Individuals directly impacted by the criminal justice system are encouraged to apply.
If the above speaks to you, we’re excited to learn more about you!
