Senior Corporate Accountant

Position:

Corporate Accountant Business Partner

Company:

Columbia Safety Services, LLC

Location:

Seattle, WA — in-office during training, then hybrid with up to two days per week remote

Reports To:

Controller

Employment Type:

Full-time, salaried, exempt

Bargaining Unit Status:

Non-union

Incentive Eligibility:

Not commission or incentive eligible; see Compensation

Travel:

Minimal — occasional travel to branch offices

About Columbia Safety Services

Columbia Safety Services is the corporate support team for a growing group of fire and life safety businesses across the Pacific Northwest and Intermountain West:

• Columbia Fire, LLC — Seattle, WA

• Valley Fire Control, LLC — Albany and Newport, OR + Spokane, WA

• FFF Protection — Greater Boise, with an office in Nampa, ID

Our companies design, install, inspect, and service fire sprinkler systems, fire alarm systems, suppression systems, portable extinguishers, and the life safety equipment that protects people and property. Columbia Fire has served the Seattle market since 2005. We are a multi-state regional company growing both organically and through acquisition, and we are building efficient, scalable financial operations as we expand.

Our core values guide how we operate: Customer First, Grit, Effective Communication, Own the Outcome, Take Pride in the Work, and Do the Right Thing.

Why This Role Exists

We run AP, payroll-related accounting, sales tax filings, business licensing, vehicle and fleet compliance, and month-end close for multiple companies across three states, and that work sits with a small corporate accounting team that is stretched thin. AP payment runs, certified payroll filings, bank reconciliations, sales tax returns, license renewals, and month-end close all land on the same few desks.

That does not hold as we keep acquiring companies. Every acquisition adds a vendor list, a payroll register, a set of business licenses, a fleet to track, and another general ledger to reconcile.

This seat exists to take real ownership of the accounting operations that keep the corporate team ahead of the business instead of catching up to it.

The Opportunity

This is a hands-on corporate accounting role with real ownership across several distinct functions, not a narrow, single-task seat.

You will process AP payments, own payroll-related accounting entries, file sales tax returns, manage business license renewals, keep our vehicle and fleet records compliant, and support month-end close. In a multi-entity company our size, these functions touch constantly, and someone who can hold all of them well is more valuable than several people who each own one narrow piece.

You will report to the Controller, work closely with the accounting team, and have real influence over how these processes get built as we scale.

Accounts Payable & Payment Processing

• Process vendor invoices and code them to the correct entity, general ledger account, and department

• Prepare and execute AP payment runs (checks, ACH, and wires) in accordance with approval controls

• Maintain vendor records and resolve vendor inquiries and statement discrepancies

• Review company credit card transactions, code expenses, and follow up on missing receipts and coding discrepancies

Payroll Processing & Related Accounting Entries

• Provide backup support for payroll processing, including reviewing employee changes, deductions, and payroll audits

• Assist with weekly certified payroll filings

• Prepare and post payroll-related journal entries, including accruals, tax liabilities, and benefit withholdings

• Reconcile payroll-related balance sheet accounts

Sales Tax Filings & License Renewals

• Prepare and file monthly and quarterly city and state sales tax returns

• Manage business license renewals and regulatory compliance across all operating jurisdictions

• Track filing and renewal deadlines and respond to notices from taxing authorities

Month-End Close

• Manage daily bank transaction matching and bank reconciliations in Acumatica

• Process and record daily cash receipts

• Prepare and post general ledger journal entries

• Reconcile assigned balance sheet accounts and investigate reconciling items

• Support the monthly financial close within established deadlines

Vehicle / Fleet Compliance

• Coordinate vehicle registrations, titling, and renewals across the fleet

• Maintain fleet records and related compliance documentation

• Track compliance deadlines and flag items at risk of lapsing

Excel & Systems Proficiency

• Build and maintain Excel workbooks and schedules used for reconciliations, reporting, and analysis (pivot tables, lookups, and similar tools)

• Serve as an internal resource for accounting system workflows, including Acumatica

• Identify and implement improvements to accounting workflows rather than absorbing their inefficiencies

• Use AI and automation tools where they genuinely reduce manual work, and document what you build so the improvement outlasts you

• Support accounting systems work through acquisitions and integrations

General Ownership & Prioritization

• Own assigned processes end-to-end with minimal supervision

• Prioritize competing deadlines across AP, payroll, sales tax, license renewals, fleet compliance, and month-end close

• Flag issues before they become corrections

• Support special accounting projects and process improvement work

Who You Are

• Detail-oriented

• Organized across several functions with competing deadlines

• Proactive — you flag a problem before it becomes a correction

• Discreet — you will hold confidential financial information every day

• Comfortable working independently with minimal oversight

• Willing to engage conflict — you address issues directly and early

• Strong in Excel and comfortable building your own tools to solve a problem

• Aligned with our values: Customer First, Grit, Effective Communication, Own the Outcome, Take Pride in the Work, and Do the Right Thing

Who Struggles Here

An honest filter, because this seat asks for breadth:

• If you want a single, narrow task and nothing else, this role will pull you across several functions every week

• If you need a fully documented process to follow, a good deal of this is yours to build

• If holding confidential financial information is difficult for you, this is the wrong seat

• If month-end close landing on top of a sales tax filing deadline would rattle you, know that it happens here

• If you are not comfortable in Excel, the reporting and reconciliation work will be a steep climb

Minimum Qualifications

• Five or more years of accounting experience, including AP, payroll-related accounting, and reconciliations

• Experience with general ledger work, journal entries, and account reconciliation

• Strong Excel proficiency (pivot tables, lookups, and building your own reporting tools)

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, payroll software, and ERP systems

• Demonstrated ability to maintain strict confidentiality with financial information

• Strong written and verbal communication, and the ability to build working relationships at every level of the organization

• Must reside in Seattle, WA, or relocate to Seattle, WA before your start date

• Fluent in spoken and written English

• Ability to pass a background check and pre-employment drug screen

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, business administration, or a related field

• Acumatica experience a plus

• WorkForce Go experience

• Multi-entity or multi-state accounting experience

• Construction, field service, or project-based industry experience

• Experience supporting acquisitions or system integrations

• Experience at a small or mid-sized company where you carried a broad range of responsibilities

Compensation

• Base salary: $90,000 – $110,000 annually, depending on experience and demonstrated capability

• Classification: full-time, salaried, exempt

• This role is not commission or incentive eligible. Discretionary bonus consideration may apply based on company and individual performance; bonuses are not guaranteed.

The upper end of this range is for candidates who bring genuine depth in accounting, along with multi-entity or multi-state experience.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance through Regence BlueShield, Delta Dental of Washington, and VSP — available to employees scheduled 30 or more hours per week, effective the first of the month following or coinciding with your hire date

• The company pays approximately 90% of the employee premium on the HSA-qualified medical plan, plus a substantial share of dependent premiums

• Health Savings Account with a $600 annual company contribution

• 401(k) with Safe Harbor employer match up to 3.5%

• Paid time off starting at 10 days annually and increasing with length of service

• Eight paid holidays

• Company-paid basic life and AD&D insurance

• Employee Assistance Program, telehealth access, and optional pet insurance

• Paid training, certifications, and continuing education

• Company laptop and technology package

Schedule & Work Environment

• Full-time, Monday through Friday, 40 hours per week, based in our Seattle office

• Standard business hours, with additional hours around payroll cycles, sales tax filing deadlines, and month-end close

• Primarily office-based with extended computer use and occasional light lifting of files and supplies

• Occasional travel to branch offices