Description
Senior Accountant
Position Summary
Great Lakes Christian College seeks a Senior Accountant to lead the financial operations of the institution and steward the resources entrusted to us by students, donors, and the broader community we serve. This is a senior, hands-on leadership role at a small, private, faith-based college, where strong stewardship is inseparable from our mission.
The Senior Accountant manages day-to-day accounting and financial operations and serves as a trusted partner to the President, executive leadership, and the Board. The right person will bring deep accounting expertise, a calm and disciplined approach to financial leadership and, most importantly, a genuine sense of calling to serve a mission-driven, ministry-oriented community.
About GLCC
Located in Lansing, Michigan, Great Lakes Christian College is a small, private, faith-based, not-for-profit institution serving approximately 205 students with a team of about 35 full-time employees. We are mission-driven and ministry-oriented. At GLCC, the work matters because the people matter. Faculty and staff here are not simply employees; they are members of a community that takes the formation of students, the integrity of the institution, and the call of the gospel seriously.
Key Responsibilities
Financial Operations and Accounting
- Oversee all day-to-day accounting functions, including general ledger, accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, cash management, and reconciliations.
- Maintain a clean, accurate, and timely financial close on a monthly, quarterly, and annual cadence.
- Ensure compliance with GAAP and applicable not-for-profit accounting standards (FASB ASC 958).
- Maintain internal controls appropriate for a small institution and evolve them as needs change.
Reporting and Analysis
- Prepare financial statements, management reports, and dashboards for the President, leadership team, and Board.
- Support budgeting, forecasting, and long-range financial planning in partnership with executive leadership.
- Provide clear, plain-language financial insight to faculty, staff, and trustees who are not financial professionals.
Audit, Compliance, and Risk
- Lead the annual external audit and serve as primary liaison to auditors.
- Manage Form 990 and related tax filings, regulatory reporting, and required state and federal filings.
- Oversee compliance with grant terms, restricted gift accounting, and donor reporting where applicable.
- Support compliance with Title IV student financial aid accounting and reporting in partnership with the Financial Aid office.
- Ensure appropriate insurance coverage and contribute to enterprise risk management.
Treasury and Stewardship
- Manage cash flow, banking relationships, investment custodian relationships, and endowment accounting.
- Partner with Advancement on gift acknowledgment, restricted fund tracking, and donor-facing financial accuracy.
- Help the leadership team make wise, mission-aligned financial decisions.
Leadership and Collaboration
- Supervise and develop a small business office team.
- Partner cross-functionally with Enrollment, Financial Aid, Advancement, Academics, and Student Life.
- Engage as a member of the college community—not solely as a back-office function.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, or a closely related field.
- Seven or more years of progressively responsible accounting experience, with a strong foundation in GAAP.
- Demonstrated proficiency with general ledger systems and modern accounting software.
- Strong technical accounting skills—comfortable owning the close, the audit, and the books end-to-end.
- Excellent communication skills, particularly the ability to translate financial information for non-financial audiences.
- High personal integrity, discretion with confidential information, and sound professional judgment.
- Genuine alignment with the College's Christian faith, mission, and values, and willingness to engage in our ministry-oriented community life.
Preferred Qualifications
- CPA or CMA certification (active or inactive) is welcomed but not required. We weigh deep, demonstrated accounting experience more heavily than the credential itself.
- Prior experience in not-for-profit, higher education, healthcare, or church/ministry accounting.
- Familiarity with fund accounting, restricted gift accounting, and endowment reporting.
- Experience leading external audits as the senior in-house finance leader.
- Experience supervising and developing staff in a lean environment.
- Familiarity with Title IV financial aid accounting, FASB ASC 958, and Form 990 preparation.
- Familiarity with Sage Accounting software, Populi Learning Management Systems, and Ramp ERP.
Personal Characteristics and Cultural Fit
We are looking for a person, not just a résumé. The Senior Accountant should be:
- Mission-aligned: motivated by purpose and service, with genuine respect for and engagement with our faith identity.
- Servant-hearted: comfortable being hands-on in a small institution, where the Senior Accountant may post a journal entry one hour and counsel a student worker the next.
- Steady and trustworthy: a calm presence under pressure, careful with details, and the kind of person colleagues bring problems to early.
- Plainspoken: able to make finance understandable and approachable for faculty, staff, students, and trustees.
- Collaborative and humble: willing to roll up sleeves alongside a small team rather than build hierarchy.
- Discreet: handles personnel, donor, and student information with appropriate confidentiality and care.
Compensation Philosophy and Benefits — A Word of Transparency
We want to be candid up front. As a small, private, faith-based college, we are honest about what we can and cannot offer:
- Compensation is at the lower end of the market for a Senior Accountant level role. We compete for talent on mission, purpose, and meaningful work—not on salary.
- We do not offer employer-sponsored health insurance. This is a real limitation that prospective candidates should weigh carefully against their personal circumstances.
- What we do offer is a chance to use real professional skill in service of something that matters: the formation of students, the strengthening of the Church, and the stewardship of an institution that exists for Kingdom purposes.
- Additional benefits include paid vacation, paid professional development, a stipend equal to 8% of base compensation paid through regular payroll to assist in securing individual insurance coverage, an employer sponsored 401k plan with a match up to 3% of base compensation, and employer sponsored life insurance.
This role is most likely to be a fit for someone whose career has reached a place where the calculus has shifted from maximum earnings to meaningful work, and whose financial and life circumstances allow for that shift. We will be straightforward and respectful about these realities throughout the process, and we encourage candidates to be the same with us.
How to Apply
Interested candidates should submit a résumé, a cover letter, and a brief statement of faith to president@glcc.edu. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.
Great Lakes Christian College is an equal opportunity employer and, as a religious educational institution, exercises its right under applicable law to make employment decisions consistent with its religious mission and identity.
Requirements
Key Responsibilities
Financial Operations and Accounting
- Oversee all day-to-day accounting functions, including general ledger, accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, cash management, and reconciliations.
- Maintain a clean, accurate, and timely financial close on a monthly, quarterly, and annual cadence.
- Ensure compliance with GAAP and applicable not-for-profit accounting standards (FASB ASC 958).
- Maintain internal controls appropriate for a small institution and evolve them as needs change.
Reporting and Analysis
- Prepare financial statements, management reports, and dashboards for the President, leadership team, and Board.
- Support budgeting, forecasting, and long-range financial planning in partnership with executive leadership.
- Provide clear, plain-language financial insight to faculty, staff, and trustees who are not financial professionals.
Audit, Compliance, and Risk
- Lead the annual external audit and serve as primary liaison to auditors.
- Manage Form 990 and related tax filings, regulatory reporting, and required state and federal filings.
- Oversee compliance with grant terms, restricted gift accounting, and donor reporting where applicable.
- Support compliance with Title IV student financial aid accounting and reporting in partnership with the Financial Aid office.
- Ensure appropriate insurance coverage and contribute to enterprise risk management.
Treasury and Stewardship
- Manage cash flow, banking relationships, investment custodian relationships, and endowment accounting.
- Partner with Advancement on gift acknowledgment, restricted fund tracking, and donor-facing financial accuracy.
- Help the leadership team make wise, mission-aligned financial decisions.
Leadership and Collaboration
- Supervise and develop a small business office team.
- Partner cross-functionally with Enrollment, Financial Aid, Advancement, Academics, and Student Life.
- Engage as a member of the college community—not solely as a back-office function.
