Job Description

About the Organization
CLASP serves at the epicenter of collaborative, ambitious efforts to mitigate climate change and expand clean energy access through appliance efficiency. Our mission is to improve the energy and environmental performance of the appliances & equipment we use every day, accelerating our transition to a more sustainable world. Energy-efficient appliances are one of the most cost-effective methods for mitigating climate change. They save money for governments and consumers alike, reduce peak energy demand, and bolster economic and energy security. We work hand-in-hand with governments, experts, industry, consumers, donor organizations and others to accelerate adoption of the highest-quality, lowest resource-intensive appliances possible.

CLASP has worked in more than 100 countries since our inception in 1999. We are headquartered in Washington, DC, with teams in Europe, Kenya, India, China, and Indonesia. We are mission-driven and committed to a culture of diversity, transparency, collaboration, and impact. See our Team Page to learn more about us.

CLASP’s Operations Team
CLASP’s Operations team has grown significantly over the past two years. We work in partnership with our program teams and other key stakeholders to ensure they have the information required to effectively deliver on our mission.

Our team provides support to the organization on finance, reporting, HR, IT, office infrastructure, and management.  We use best-in-class applications to ensure we work efficiently and with the right tools.  As CLASP’s global portfolio continues to grow, we are expanding our team to ensure we have adequate capacity to deliver outstanding service to our stakeholders.  We are looking for motivated professionals who are excited to join a dynamic and diverse team and who are deeply committed to the organization’s mission and values of collaboration, transparency, and service.

About the role – Accounting Associate
CLASP is seeking an Accounting Associate to support the Operations Team to meet the organization’s rapid growth needs. Reporting to the Financial Controller, the Accounting Associate will handle all aspect of Accounts Receivable (AR), Partial to full Accounts Payable (AP), General Ledger Support for the monthly closing process and annual audit. This is a position with a high potential for growth, and a successful candidate will have a desire to maximize this role in terms of creating efficiencies and developing strong working relationships with both staff and vendors. This role will work across the organization and should possess a collaborative communication style.

Your responsibilities will include:

• General Ledger Support- 65%
  • Bank reconciliations
  • Check employees’ timesheets to ensure timely submissions.
  • Reconcile auto posted salary journal entries with payrolls
  • Create monthly closing journal entries for prepayment, depreciation, payroll, and bank transactions including bank fee, credit card and tax payments.
• Accounts Payable- 20%
  • Review and approval of vendor invoices for billing and coding accuracy
  • Ensure proper documentation of related documents such as contracts, procurement, and credit reports as needed.
  • Review, reconcile, and approve employees’ expense reimbursement requests and credit card statements.
  • Assist for annual 1099 preparation.
• Accounts Receivable- 10%
  • Process all payments and supporting documents.
  • Reconcile payments with outstanding invoices, follow up with funders for payments.
  • Generate and issue monthly invoices to funders.
• Other support as needed– 5%

What You’ll Need 

• 0-3 years of overall professional experience.
• Degree in accounting or finance with an understanding of US GAAP.
• Demonstrated comfort and fluency with Excel and numbers generally. Enjoying these will be vital to succeeding in this position.
• Impeccable organization, you are highly detail-oriented, and someone who gets a real sense of satisfaction from producing polished work and managing smooth and orderly processes.
• Ability and willingness to perform a range of tasks – from audit prep to monthly reconciliation to assisting with project reports.
• A growth-mentality, you’re unafraid to shift, stumble, and grow within an ever-changing landscape.
• A commitment to diversity and inclusion. You’re always asking: “whose voice is not at the table?” You have experience working with diverse teams and successfully navigating cross-cultural communication in both local and global contexts, and you deeply value creating a workplace that is supportive of difference.

Skills & Competencies

• Ability to get things done: You are solutions-oriented, a problem-solver looking for the best solution to whatever challenge you’re confronted with. You don’t wait for instruction. Instead, you proactively look for ways to offer support and be of use. You are a master organizer and planner and consistently look ahead and anticipate needs before they arise.
• Flexible: You can manage a diverse set of team needs and aren’t afraid to step outside your job description or comfort zone to help the team reach its goals. You’re comfortable with shifting schedules and don’t expect every day to go “as planned.”
• A Problem Solver: A thought partner who takes great joy in tackling complex problems and prompts, figuring out creative solutions to financial questions. Independently investigates to get to the bottom of a problem.
• A Team Player. Nothing is beneath or above you. You are quick to always lend a hand, or two! You are able to earn influence without authority and naturally seek to support both small projects or large strategic goals.
• Detail-oriented: Meticulous and has excellent organizational skills. Able to work fast without cluttering desk or mind. A knack for project management and a love for bullet points.
• Mission-oriented. You believe in the mission of CLASP and are passionate about climate change, energy efficiency, and creating a more sustainable world. You believe that effective and strategic communications is essential for furthering that work.

Compensation and Location
CLASP provides its employees with a competitive salary that is benchmarked annually with other non-profit organizations in the DC metropolitan area. CLASP also provides a comprehensive benefits package, including fully paid health insurance for individuals and competitive rates for families/dependents, unlimited leave and all federal holidays, an impressive match of employee contributions to the 403b retirement plan and a collegial office environment that supports professional development, wellness and flexible telecommuting options.

Compensation for this role starts at $52k and can increase based on the candidate’s level of experience.

The Accounting Associate will work in CLASP’s Washington, DC office and will work collaboratively with CLASP team members in Europe, Africa, Latin America, and Asia, conducting critical finance tasks and ensuring others on the finance team. This will sometimes require working early mornings or late nights, to accommodate time differences.

How to Apply

The Application Process CLASP has engaged Equitable Hiring Group to support this hiring process. To apply, please visit https://equitablehiringgroup.applytojob.com/apply/BBCZzEJ9Yz/Accounting-Associate?source=CL. Individuals who apply by Monday, June 7th will be given priority; applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis after that date until the position is filled. When you apply, please remove the names of your undergraduate and graduate schools from your resume. There is no need to reformat your resume, but simplify it to “B.A. Economics,” for example. This “bias blind” process is aimed at opening this opportunity to more candidates, reviewing applicants on performance assessments instead of resume proxies (e.g., where you went to school). This evaluation process will follow best practices shown to reduce bias in decision making and may be different from other application processes you have experienced. The overall evaluation process will look to follow this anticipated timeline:

• Early June: Selected candidates asked to complete short answer questions
• Mid-June: Video interview with CLASP Staff
• Mid-June: Finalist candidates will be asked to complete a timed trial assignment
• Late June: Finalists will participate in a multi-team member group interview via video conference. (*due to COVID-19, we will be conducting all interviews via video for the near future)
  • Candidate references will also be checked at this step
• Early July: Offer extended

If you have any questions about the opportunity, please feel free to email [email protected]. CLASP is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Our goal is to be a diverse workforce that is representative, at all job levels, of the citizens we serve. CLASP complies with all federal, state and local employment law in the countries we operate and is committed to providing equal opportunity for all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, disability, political affiliation, personal appearance, family responsibilities, matriculation, genetic information, military or protected veteran status, credit information or any other characteristic protected under federal, state or local law. Each person is evaluated based on personal skill and merit. CLASP’s policy regarding equal employment opportunity applies to all aspects of employment, including recruitment, hiring, job assignments, promotions, working conditions, scheduling, benefits, wage and salary administration, disciplinary action, termination, and social, educational and recreational programs. 

Job Categories: Environmental. Job Types: Full-Time. Salaries: 40,000 - 60,000.

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