Accounting Assistant

The Commercial Club of Chicago and Civic Committee Overview

The Commercial Club of Chicago works to shape Chicago’s future to make our region a better place for everyone to live, work, and do business. Since 1877 we have helped shape Chicago into one of the world’s greatest cities. The Commercial Club of Chicago is a membership organization of senior leaders in the region. Our members span the business, education, civic, cultural, and philanthropic sectors - unified by excitement for the future of Chicago. We believe cooperation and an open exchange of ideas are fundamental to success. Today, the Commercial Club continues to address economic and social issues of importance to the Chicago region.

In 1983, the Civic Committee was formed as an entity within the Commercial Club to identify key issues facing the State of Illinois and the greater Chicago region and providing leadership, high-quality research, long-term policy recommendations and programmatic actions for the benefit of the city and region. The Civic Committee is composed of the leaders of the Chicago region’s leading private sector employers and collaborates with public officials and other civic organizations on transformational initiatives to promote our region's economic and social well-being. The Civic Committee serves as the Commercial Club’s lead on policy and initiatives in public safety, business diversity, transportation and infrastructure, and state and local finance.

We also work alongside, and partially fund, the organizations established by us to tackle key issues head-on:

• Civic Consulting Alliance
• Kids First Chicago
• P33

Terms of Employment

This is a full-time position with benefits. The position reports to the Senior Vice President, Finance and Administration with a secondary reporting relationship to the Accounting Director. Initial employment will be on an introductory basis, with detailed evaluations and feedback for new employees at the 30-, 60-, and 90-day marks.

Position Summary

The Accounting Assistant supports the finance and accounting functions of the organization by performing a variety of clerical, bookkeeping, and administrative tasks. This role ensures timely, accurate financial processing, recordkeeping, and compliance with internal policies and external regulations, providing essential support for organizational decision making

The Accounting Assistant works closely with the finance team and program staff to ensure smooth day-to-day financial operations, including accounts payable, accounts receivable, bank reconciliations, and general ledger entries.

This role provides crucial operational support, ensuring the Accounting and HR team effectively deliver reporting and analysis, to ensure compliance with all rules and regulations of Accounting and HR.

Primary Responsibilities

Financial Reporting

• Support Accounting Director with monthly financial reporting materials for program staff, including reports and details helpful in the review and analysis of financials
• Prepare and post journal entries, as instructed

Accounts Payable

• Enter vendor invoices into accounting system.
• Ensure proper coding and approvals are in place.
• Support vendor onboarding and maintenance in accounting systems.
• Under the supervision of the Accounting Director, assist with the proper recordkeeping and processes for the AMEX Corporate credit card

Accounts Receivable

• Liaise with membership and fundraising on invoices sent to members or donors.
• Assist Accounting Management with cash receipt management and recordkeeping, including recording incoming deposits, researching, etc.
• Assist Accounting Director and Manager with receivable tracking for dues, pledges, misc. A/R, etc.

Payroll & HR Support

• Perform some data entry of payroll changes under the direction of the HR Manager.
• Working closely with the HR Manager, assist with onboarding paperwork and payroll deductions for benefits
• Act as a resource to new hires for onboarding process, including for HRIS system, bill.com and other systems

Reconciliations & Data Entry

• Reconcile monthly bank and credit card accounts.
• Reconcile other accounts under the direction of the Accounting Director and Manager, including Payroll Liabilities, Accounts payable, etc.
• Enter journal entries under the direction of the Accounting Director and Manager, including vacation accrual, etc.
• Assist SVP with Lobbying communications, registrations, and recordkeeping, including bi- monthly filing of Lobbying Exp reports with SOS, quarterly BOE filings, and annual registrations
• Maintain accurate digital and paper files for all financial documents.

Administrative & Audit Support

• Organize and maintain documentation for audits (e.g., grant records and receipts).
• Support audit requests with document retrieval and formatting.
• Assist with audit and tax preparation for the financial audits, 401k audit, and Form 990s
• Manage and complete deadlines for legal and insurance filings including SOS Annual reports, Business Licenses, Census reports, Business Insurance, etc.
• Help gather backup documentation for financial reports and grant claims, including for P33 benefit records.

General Office Finance Tasks

• Responsible for maintaining vendor and customer information, including W9s, for all databases, including in bill.com
• Assist with filing, scanning, and digital archiving of financial documents, other than audits and grants noted above
• Where necessary, work with Office Coordinator for on-going postage needs and record-keeping
• Provide administrative support to Accounting, HR, and IT teams, including meeting scheduling,

Position Requirements

Education and Experience Requirements

• An associate or bachelor’s degree is preferred; candidates with equivalent experience are also encouraged to apply.
• 1–2+ years of experience in bookkeeping, accounting, or administrative finance role.
• Experience using accounting or database systems to enter, manage, or verify financial data, along with the aptitude to learn new systems quickly.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, Teams) and internet search tools. Non-profit experience is beneficial.

Required Personal Attributes

• Highly effective organizer with keen attention to detail.
• Exercises a high level of discretion and maintains confidentiality at all times.
• Strong time management, with the ability to perform and prioritize multiple tasks seamlessly and independently.
• Able to manage numerous requests and deliverables simultaneously in an environment with multiple and shifting priorities.

Competencies

• Integrity and Confidentiality: Maintains strict confidentiality and demonstrates honesty and professionalism when handling financial information.
• Teamwork and Responsiveness: Provides friendly, service-oriented support and works effectively in a fast-paced team environment while remaining capable of working independently.
• Attention to Detail: Completes tasks accurately and thoroughly, carefully reviewing information to prevent errors.
• Data Accuracy and Problem Identification: Ensures precise data entry and proactively identifies issues, offering practical, solutions focused recommendations.

Working Environment

The position is in Chicago. Regular travel within the city is required. We believe that the path to achieving our missions requires our organizations and teams to regularly collaborate, work in teams, maintain collegiality, and provide a space for thought-partnership, all of which are best accomplished in person. However, we also recognize that appropriate flexibility is beneficial to the effectiveness of our employees and our organizations. With that in mind, we offer opportunities for employees to work in a combination of in-person and remote work (“hybrid” option), with 3 expected days onsite.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The Club and its affiliated organizations are equal opportunity employers and do not unlawfully discriminate against employees or applicants for employment on the basis of any legally protected characteristic, whether actual or perceived, including, including, but not limited to, an individual’s race, religion, color, creed, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, marital status, pregnancy, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, order of protection status, arrest or conviction record, unfavorable discharge from military service, credit history, citizenship status, family responsibilities, reproductive health decisions, their (or their family members’) decisions regarding reproductive or gender-affirming care or other legally protected status.

Compensation

Commensurate with experience, starting at $55,000 annually. The Club offers a competitive benefits package, subject to specific policy eligibility guidelines.