Accounting Associate

Position Overview

The Accounting Associate supports OCI and its member organizations by carrying out day-to-day financial administration tasks in coordination with OCI's bookkeeping team and local leaders. The role focuses on accurate document handling, basic data preparation, communication with bookkeepers, and quality control of financial records within the OCI Financial Stewardship system.

Position Details

Job Title: Accounting Associate
Location: Hybrid (Nuvali, Laguna, Philippines)
Work Schedule: Primarily US time zone overlap (e.g., minimum 3–4 hours overlap with Central Time)

Mission and Values Alignment

Support the mission of OCI by treating ministry funds as a sacred trust and handling all records with integrity, confidentiality, and transparency.

Operate in harmony with OCI's Financial Stewardship Training Operations Manual and related policies, including strict adherence to donor restrictions and no personal expenses on ministry accounts rules.

Key Responsibilities

1. Document Management and Workflow Support

Receive, organize, and verify scanned or photographed financial documents from local outpost leaders (receipts, deposit slips, offering count sheets, bank deposit receipts, reimbursement forms, payroll documents).

Check that each document is labeled correctly following OCI naming conventions (e.g., YYYY-MM-DDExpenseVendorAmount, YYYY-MM-DDDeposit, YYYY-MM-DDOnlineGivingReport).

Maintain orderly cloud storage by sorting files into correct year/month and income/expense subfolders for each outpost.

2. Daily and Weekly Accounting Support

Daily bank reconciliation of all bank accounts

Monitor incoming documents against OCI's Daily, Weekly, and Monthly Checklists, and follow up with outpost leaders when items are missing or incomplete.

Assist outposts in applying the Golden Rule of Daily Bookkeeping (if money moved today, documentation must be uploaded today) through reminders and simple troubleshooting assistance.

Help track petty cash documentation (receipts, petty cash summaries) and flag discrepancies to the remote bookkeeper.

3. Pre‑Accounting Review and Data Preparation

Review receipts and supporting documents for completeness: date, vendor, amount, clear ministry purpose, authorization signature where required, and donor designation if applicable.

Identify and flag potential issues for the bookkeeper, such as missing receipts, unclear purposes, personal expenses accidentally charged to ministry accounts, and possible restricted-fund violations.

Prepare simple Excel or Google Sheets logs (as directed) summarizing uploaded transactions by date, vendor, amount, and basic category hints (e.g., travel, utilities, supplies) to support efficient entry into QuickBooks Online (QBO).

4. Coordination with Remote Bookkeepers and OCI Finance

Serve as a first-line point of contact for questions from remote bookkeepers regarding missing documents, unclear descriptions, or donor restrictions, and coordinate with outpost leaders to resolve them within 48 hours whenever possible.

Track and follow up on open issues raised by bookkeepers until they are resolved, documenting resolution notes where appropriate.

Escalate complex matters (e.g., large unexpected gifts, suspected misappropriation, donor complaints about restricted funds) promptly to the OCI Finance Department following escalation guidelines.

5. Monthly Reporting Support

When monthly financial reports (Statement of Activities, Statement of Financial Position, Cash Flow Summary) are issued by the remote bookkeeper, help ensure they are distributed to the correct outpost contacts on time.

Support outpost leaders in completing monthly review tasks (e.g., verifying that cash balances match bank accounts, checking restricted fund balances, and signing Monthly Financial Review forms) by sending reminders and tracking completion.

Maintain a simple tracking log of which outposts have completed monthly reviews and board/leadership financial reporting.

6. Annual and Special Project Support

Assist with annual tasks such as gathering final December documents, confirming all transactions are uploaded before the books are closed, and organizing files needed for the CPA review and tax filings (e.g., Form 990 or equivalent).

Help compile and clean mailing or email lists and address data needed for year‑end donor giving statements prepared from QBO by the bookkeeper.

Support preparation of budget support files and documentation requested by leadership when outposts finalize annual budgets.

Core Competencies

• Attention to Detail: Carefully reviews financial documents and digital files, catching missing information and inconsistencies before they reach the bookkeeper.
• Integrity and Confidentiality: Handles all donor, staff, and financial information with discretion and in line with OCI's stewardship and governance standards.
• Process Orientation: Follows OCI's documented step‑by‑step procedures and checklists reliably, and contributes to continuous improvement by suggesting practical refinements to workflows.
• Communication: Communicates clearly and courteously in written English (email, chat, ticketing system) with outpost leaders and bookkeepers, especially when clarifying documentation.
• Time Management: Manages workload across multiple outposts, prioritizing time‑sensitive items (e.g., current‑month uploads, payroll support, grant documentation) and meeting agreed turnaround times.

Required Qualifications

Education:

• Associate's degree or higher in Accounting, Business Administration, Finance, or a related field; or equivalent practical experience in bookkeeping or financial administration.

Experience:

• At least 2 years of experience in accounting support, bookkeeping assistance, or financial admin (non‑profit experience strongly preferred).
• Demonstrated experience working with remote or international teams and using cloud‑based tools for document management.

Technical Skills:

• Strong proficiency with spreadsheets (Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets).
• Comfortable working in shared cloud storage systems (Google Drive, OneDrive, or similar) and following structured folder/naming conventions.
• Familiarity with basic accounting concepts: income vs. expenses, assets vs. liabilities, restricted vs. unrestricted funds.
• Experience with QuickBooks Online or other accounting software is highly desirable (even at a basic navigation level).

Language and Availability:

• Strong written and spoken English.
• Ability to work a stable schedule with required overlap with US Central Time and flexibility for occasional meetings outside standard hours.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior work with faith‑based or mission organizations and comfort working in a Christian ministry environment.
• Experience supporting multiple entities or cost centers (e.g., several small non‑profits or branches) simultaneously.
• Familiarity with donor management, online giving platforms, or grant documentation.

Performance Indicators

• Percentage of outposts with 100% of required daily and weekly documents uploaded by the set deadlines each month.
• Number of document issues (missing, incomplete, misnamed) identified and resolved before month‑end close.
• Average response time to bookkeeper and outpost leader queries.
• On‑time completion rate of monthly review tasks and filing of Monthly Financial Review forms.
• Feedback from OCI Finance team, bookkeepers, and outpost leaders on reliability, communication, and accuracy.

Working Relationships

Works closely with:

OCI Finance Department and designated Finance Manager.

Remote OCI bookkeepers assigned to specific member organizations.

Local outpost leaders and admin staff responsible for scanning and uploading documents.

Coordinates as needed with OCI Regional Coordinators, especially on escalated financial issues or policy questions.