hero

Hiring partners are below, but we're here to help!

First, submit your resume to us directly so we can help make personal intros. We'll be able to vouch for your candidacy and can encourage partners to review your profile! From there, share this with any mission-driven job-seekers in your network; we'd be glad to support them, too.
companies
Jobs

Finance Specialist (Hybrid)

Center for Community Alternatives

Center for Community Alternatives

Accounting & Finance
Syracuse, NY, USA
Posted on Aug 28, 2025

About the Organization

Center for Community Alternatives (CCA) supports and builds power with people across New York State who have been affected by mass incarceration, criminalization and community disinvestment. Through a statewide network of direct services, advocacy and organizing, and by supporting the leadership of directly-impacted people, we advance civil and human rights for all New Yorkers. CCA works to build a world where everyone has what they need to thrive.

Why Join the Team?

At CCA, we are committed to fair transparent pay, and we strive to provide competitive market-informed compensation. The successful candidates salary is determined by the combination of knowledge, skills, competencies,experience, and geography. Our goal is to continue to make CCA one of the most desirable nonprofit places at which to work, and in part,recognize the importance of work-life balance.

Job Summary: Finance Department at CCA is seeking an outgoing and motivated Finance Specialist to aid with ongoing agency improvements in processes. This position will be dynamic and flexible through supporting the Accounting and Revenue Manager and CFO in carrying out the responsibilities of the Finance department including such tasks as printing and scanning checks, organizing and re-imagining the physical items in the accounting office, dispersing and tracking gift cards, bus passes, etc., and serving as the point of contact for the finance team.

This position is designed to be a training opportunity to learn finance roles within a non-profit organization. With training and support from the finance team, over time, and as desired, this position will be taught finance functions within non-profits.

Under general supervision of the Accounting and Revenue Manager, the Finance Specialist will be trained to assist the Finance team with general accounting functions including accounts payable, preparing journal entries, recording revenue, entering cash receipts, and supporting grant billing. This position is designated to be in-person, with the ability to transition to hybrid depending on office coverage and department need. This position will be dynamic and flexible through supporting the Accounting and Revenue Manager and CFO in carrying out the responsibilities of the Finance department.

Serving as a liaison between Finance and program staff, strong interpersonal skills are a must for this position. Experience in finance is not necessary. As long as you have a desire to learn, we are willing to train you.

Direct Supervisor: Accounting and Revenue Manager

Duties and Responsibilities:

  • Provides office coverage consisting of: Manual check printing, bank deposits, distribution of bus passes, petty cash, and gift cards.
  • Tracks, enters and coordinates participant stipends to ensure timely delivery and compliance with all funder guidelines. Regularly interfaces with Programs to achieve these results.
  • Enter journal entries for bus passes, metro cards, Uber, and Zoom
  • Enters invoices for vendors, subcontractors and participants into accounting software and verifies accurate accounts and amounts are entered. Inputs new vendor information including w9s into accounting system.
  • Records revenue and enters cash receipts for Medicaid and other funders as needed.
  • Processes Amazon invoices, ensuring approved POs match invoice from Amazon
  • Oversees purchasing inbox, providing initial review of all POs and following up with requester as necessary prior to forwarding to other finance staff for approval
  • Assists with monitoring Rippling credit card transactions, ensuring receipts and memos are uploaded in a timely manner, sending follow-up emails to staff and supervisors as needed
  • Assists with other fiscal related projects as needed
  • Distributes, inventories and reconciles petty cash, bus pass/metro cards, gift cards
  • Opens finance mail, distributes or processes as needed
  • Implement identified operational improvements to streamline processes across the agency
  • Assess and recommend improvements to current operations.
  • Performs other duties as needed or assigned by Accounting and Revenue Manager or CFO

Qualifications:

  • High school diploma with an interest in finance and/or 0-3 years' experience in bookkeeping, finance, or other related fields.
  • Willingness to learn new skills. We are happy to train the right candidate, if you are willing to learn.
  • Previous experience and/or interest in finance with non-profit grant-funded agency highly desired
  • Experience with accounting software, such as Sage Intacct and Quickbooks is a plus
  • Proficiency in MS Office, particularly with Excel, and desire for training on functions within Excel such as vlookup and pivot tables if not known.
  • Desire to learn about accounting standards and regulations
  • Exceptional attention to detail
  • Superb time-management and organizational skills
  • Excellent problem-solving skills and analytical capabilities
  • Ability to work independently and set goals in the frameworks of the department and agency
  • Strong communication skills and ability to work collaboratively with finance department and programs across agency.
  • Relevant personal experience in terms of recovery and/or justice involvement, a plus.

ALL APPLICANTS MUST SUBMIT COVER LETTER WITH RESUME.

  • 12 paid holidays per year
  • 20 days of earned time off (ETO) for full-time staff, with the ability to use it after 90-days of employment.
  • Time off is earned starting on your first day.
  • 7 days of paid sick time
  • 100% paid family leave
  • 3% retirement contribution regardless of employee contribution, applicable to salary after the 1st 6 months of employment
  • Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program

CCA Website: HERE