Lead Technical Accountant

About This Role

The Wikimedia Foundation is seeking a Lead Technical Accountant to join its Accounting team, reporting to the Senior Manager of Accounting and Financial Reporting within Finance and Administration. In this role, you will serve as a key subject matter expert on accounting policy, financial reporting, and internal controls. You will provide technical accounting guidance, ensure accounting policies remain clear and consistently applied, and lead key components of annual financial statement audits, Form 990 financial reporting, and internal controls over financial reporting.

You will partner closely with colleagues across Finance and Administration, Legal, Advancement, and other functions to ensure high-quality financial reporting for both the Wikimedia Foundation and the Wikimedia Endowment standalone legal entities.

Location: This is a fully remote role; however, candidates must be located within UTC-5 to UTC-8 timezones due to team collaboration requirements.

Key Responsibilities

• Simplify complex financial accounting concepts into actionable strategies and clear guidance for stakeholders
• Maintain and improve the Foundation's accounting and financial governance policies and procedures to enhance financial reporting quality and support GAAP adherence
• Lead key components of annual financial audits for the Foundation and Wikimedia Endowment, including preparing audit support schedules and coordinating responses to auditor inquiries
• Support preparation of Form 990 filings by gathering data, reviewing schedules, and ensuring accuracy and completeness
• Research, evaluate, and document conclusions on new or emerging accounting standards, designing adoption approaches and guiding implementation
• Review and enhance internal controls over financial reporting, including documenting controls, identifying gaps, and recommending improvements
• Lead process improvement projects related to accounting and internal controls, assessing constraints and implementing sustainable workflow enhancements
• Advise departments on revenue and expense recognition matters by evaluating accounting implications
• Support treasury and investment operations, including cash monitoring, investment activity tracking, and cash forecasting for liquidity planning

Required Qualifications

• Active CPA license required or equivalent professional accounting certification