Lead Technical Accountant

About the Role

The Wikimedia Foundation is seeking a Lead Technical Accountant to join our 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. As a Lead Technical Accountant, you are responsible for providing technical accounting guidance, ensuring our accounting policies remain clear, current, and consistently applied.

You will lead key components of our annual financial statement audit, 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.

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 adherence to generally accepted accounting principles
• Lead key components of the Foundation's and Wikimedia Endowment's annual financial audits, including preparing audit support schedules and coordinating responses to auditor inquiries
• Support preparation of Form 990 filings, including gathering data, reviewing schedules, and ensuring accuracy and completeness
• Research, evaluate, and document conclusions on new or emerging accounting standards, selecting appropriate methodologies and leading cross-functional 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, designing and implementing sustainable enhancements in partnership with stakeholders
• Advise departments on revenue and expense recognition matters by evaluating accounting implications and providing clear guidance
• Support treasury and investment operations, including monitoring cash and investment activity and performing cash forecasting to support liquidity planning

Required Qualifications

• Active CPA license (or equivalent international accounting credential)
• Extensive experience in financial accounting, technical accounting, or auditing
• Strong expertise in nonprofit accounting standards and Form 990 preparation
• Demonstrated ability to research and implement complex accounting standards
• Experience with internal control design and evaluation

Remote Work Note: While this is a fully remote role, candidates must be located within the UTC-5 to UTC-8 timezones due to team collaboration requirements.