Accountant / Bookkeeper

Career Ignition: Senior Specialist Accountant/Bookkeeper - Own the Financial Engine for Santa Barbara's Elite Niche Firms

This is Not a Job. It's an Opportunity to Own Your Impact and Accelerate Your Career.

Are you a top-tier, self-starting accounting professional looking to escape the mundane and step into a high-stakes, high-autonomy role?

Our rapidly growing, niche-focused comprehensive accounting firm in Santa Barbara is looking for a driven expert—a true Go-Getter—to join our core team. We don't hire order-takers; we hire independent, proficient operators who thrive on managing the full financial picture for a diverse, sophisticated client base in the construction, restaurant group, and non-profit sectors.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to become an indispensable financial partner, not just an employee. If you're ready to take complete ownership of client financial health and directly contribute to business strategy alongside our CFO Advisory team, your next career-defining move is here.

The Mission: High-Impact Autonomy & Financial Mastery

You will serve as the financial backbone for a dedicated portfolio of clients. This is a full-cycle, high-level ownership role where your expertise directly translates into client success and drives our firm's rapid expansion. We are not looking for simple data entry; we're looking for an Accountant/Bookkeeper who operates at the advisory level.

Your Core Impact & Deliverables:

• Financial Command Center (Full-Cycle Management): Execute and own the complete Accounts Payable & Receivable cycle, ensuring perfect cash flow management and timely client invoicing/payments.
• Precision and Compliance: Take charge of all payroll processing and guarantee flawless bank/account reconciliations for absolute data integrity. Your work is the foundation for all strategic advice.
• The Critical Close: Lead the entire month-end close process, including preparing and posting complex journal and adjusting entries, ensuring records are ready for timely financial reporting and analysis.
• The Restoration Expert (Fiscal Year Cleanup): Spearhead challenging financial record cleanup and remediation projects. You will fix the past and set clients up for a smooth year-end review, audit, and tax filing.
• Niche Expertise & Strategic Support: Work hand-in-hand with our CFO Advisory team, providing not just data, but the initial, accurate analysis they need to deliver high-level strategy.

The Non-Negotiable Edge: Proficiencies That Set You Apart

We need an applicant who is already operating at an advanced level and understands the nuances of our specialized client base.

Technical Mastery & Proficiency

• Software Power-User: Expert-level fluency in QuickBooks (Desktop and Online) and/or Xero is mandatory. Experience with Sage or other platforms is a significant advantage.
• Foundational Excellence: Unshakeable mastery of GAAP, double-entry bookkeeping, debits & credits, and technical accounting concepts.
• The Niche Advantage (Proven Experience is Key):
• Multi-Entity Sophistication: Demonstrable experience managing interconnected businesses, including proficiency in intercompany transactions and consolidation concepts (critical for our restaurant groups).
• Non-Profit Compliance: Direct experience with fund accounting, preparing 990-ready records, and navigating donor restriction/grant reporting.
• Specialized For-Profit: Working knowledge of job costing (Construction) and inventory/cost management (Restaurant Groups).

The Self-Starter Profile (Your DNA)

• Unrivaled Data Integrity: Your commitment to 100% reliable financial data is your signature. You don't just reconcile; you analyze and assure.
• Organizational Command: You possess the mastery to efficiently manage competing priorities and deadlines across multiple clients without supervision.
• Professional Presence: Exceptional written and verbal communication skills; you can confidently and professionally engage with owners, executives, and internal advisory partners.

Urgency & Next Steps

The window to join our high-growth team at this level of autonomy is extremely limited. We are making a critical hire now to support immediate client demand and firm expansion.

If you are the independent, results-driven professional who sees a clear pathway to high impact and doesn't want to miss out on this fantastic opportunity, apply immediately. We are reviewing candidates on a rolling basis, and this role will be filled quickly.

Job Types: Full-time, Contract

Pay: $ $35.00 per hour

Experience:

• QuickBooks: 4 years (Required)

Ability to Commute:

• Santa Barbara, CA Required)

Work Location: In person