Senior Accounting Manager

Rockstar is recruiting for a Senior Accounting Manager at an education management organization that partners with public charter schools across Southeast Michigan.

About the Company

Founded in 2003, they support a network of schools serving 3,000+ students and more than 250 employees. They provide the operational, financial, academic, HR, compliance, and student support infrastructure that helps schools run well and serve families effectively. The organization has a stable foundation, a long operating history, and ambitious plans to continue growing.

Position Summary

The Senior Accounting Manager will be a hands-on accounting leader reporting directly to the CFO. This person will support the day-to-day accounting function, including accounts receivable and accounts payable, help execute monthly close, manage payroll-related processes, and support financial reporting across the company and the schools it partners with.

This is a Controller-track role for someone with strong accounting fundamentals who takes pride in being detail-oriented, and wants to grow with the company. The right candidate is comfortable with data/numbers and brings the entrepreneurial drive to build and scale our processes as we grow.

Key Responsibilities

Accounting and Monthly Close

• Support and eventually ownkey parts of the monthly close process
• Prepare and reviewjournal entries, account reconciliations, and supporting schedules
• Maintain accurateUS GAAP-based financial records
• Reconcile AR, payroll-related accounts, intercompany activity, and other key balance sheet accounts
• Help preparemonthly financial statements and reporting packages for review by the CFO

Payroll and Employee-Related Accounting

• Own and supportbiweekly payroll processes for a workforce of 250+ employees
• Work with ADPand internal teams to ensure payroll is accurate, timely, and well-controlled
• Reconcile payroll, benefits, deductions, contractor payments, stipends, and related accounts
• Partner with other functionsto ensure employee changes and compensation updates

Reporting, Budgeting, and Finance Support

• Support budget-to-actual reporting, variance analysis, and recurring reports for leadership
• Help translateaccounting data into clear, useful information for the CFO and senior leaders
• Provide accounting supportfor planning, forecasting, and financial decision-making
• Strengthenaccounting checklists, controls, documentation, and recurring workflows
• Work closelywith the CFO, President / COO, HR, operations, compliance, and school-level teams

What Success Looks Like

• First 6 months:Payroll runs accurately and on time, monthly close is executed flawlessly, reconciliations are current and reliable, and GAAP processes are followed consistently.
• Over time:Becoming the day-to-day accounting lead, owning the close process, managing 2-3 accounting team members, and growing into a Controller-level role as the company scales.

Candidate Profile

Required

• Bachelor's degree
• 5-12 yearsof accounting, finance, payroll, or related experience
• Strong accounting fundamentalsand comfort with GAAP-based reporting
• Experience with payrolland benefits processing
• Experience supporting month-end close, account reconciliations, and financial reporting
• Strong attention to detailand high standards for accuracy
• Clear written and verbalcommunication skills
• Comfort working primarily in personin Southfield, Michigan

Preferred

• Experience in school accounting, school finance, charter schools, or school district finance
• CPAor CPA-track background
• Experience with QuickBooks Onlineand ADP
• Experience in a people-orientedservices-based business or multi-entity environment
• Experience building or improvingaccounting processes, controls, or systems

Personal Qualities

• Detail-oriented, organized, and reliable
• Low egoand willing to be hands-on
• Comfortable operatingin a lean, fast-moving environment
• Interested in growingwith the company and taking on more responsibility over time

Why This Role Is Compelling

This is a chance to join a growing mission-driven organization with a long operating history and ambitious plans for the future. The role reports directly to the CFO and will have exposure to senior leadership across the organization.

For the right person, this is more than an accounting role. It is a path to become the accounting leader inside a growing organization. The individual will help build stronger processes, take on more responsibility, and grow into a Controller-level seat as the company continues to expand.