About the Position
We are looking for an experienced, dependable Senior Bookkeeper to join our small entrepreneurial team in Knoxville.
This is a long-term, part-time position replacing our current bookkeeper, who is retiring after 18 years with us. She will be hard to replace, but her tenure says a lot about the kind of stable, comfortable, respectful working relationship we hope to build with the next person. She has agreed to stay on for several weeks of paid overlap to train her replacement and hand off every account personally, so you will not be walking into this cold.
The person in this role manages day-to-day bookkeeping, bill payment, and tenant receipts for approximately 15 real estate-related LLCs. Most are rental-property holding entities with relatively low transaction volume, so "15 companies" is far less overwhelming than it sounds. What the job does require is someone who keeps multiple companies, properties, bank accounts, loans, and deadlines cleanly separated and accurate.
This is a senior, full-charge bookkeeping position, not an entry-level role.
An Important Note On QuickBooks
Our entities are maintained in QuickBooks Desktop, with a separate company file for each LLC, and some of those are older legacy files. We are looking for someone genuinely proficient in QuickBooks Desktop who is also comfortable in QuickBooks Online. Strong, current Desktop skills are the priority.
Position Details
- Approximately 15-20 hours per week
- Flexible weekday schedule; you largely set your own hours
- On-site at our office near Baum Drive in the Bearden area
- $25-$32 per hour, based on experience
- Several weeks of paid training and overlap with our retiring bookkeeper
- Casual, comfortable office with no dress code
- Long-term position, established organization, consistent and predictable workload
What You Will Be Doing
- Manage accounts payable: review, code, obtain approval for, and pay bills on time
- Receive and record tenant payments and apply them to the correct property and entity
- Maintain accurate books for approximately 15 separate LLCs in QuickBooks Desktop, with a separate company file for each entity, including older legacy files
- Record deposits, expenses, journal entries, owner contributions, owner distributions, and intercompany transfers
- Reconcile bank accounts, credit cards, loans, mortgages, and escrow accounts
- Maintain clean general ledgers and make sure every transaction lands under the correct company and property
- Correctly distinguish operating expenses, repairs, and capital improvements
- Monitor cash balances and give ownership a heads-up on upcoming bills or funding needs
- Maintain vendor and tenant records, invoices, receipts, and payment documentation
- Prepare routine financial reports for ownership
- Coordinate with our CPA and provide organized records for tax preparation and year-end
- Handle 1099 preparation and other annual bookkeeping requirements
- Flag discrepancies, unusual transactions, missing documents, and anything that does not look right
- Help maintain and improve our established bookkeeping procedures
Please note: payroll is not part of this role, and tenant collections are handled by someone else. Your side of receivables is recording and applying payments accurately, not chasing them.
What We Are Looking For
- At least 3-5 years of hands-on, full-charge bookkeeping experience
- Strong, current proficiency with QuickBooks Desktop, including older legacy company files
- Working proficiency with QuickBooks Online
- Experience keeping books for multiple companies or entities in separate company files
- Solid experience with accounts payable, accounts receivable, bank reconciliation, and general ledger maintenance
- Strong Excel or spreadsheet skills
- Excellent organization and genuine attention to detail
- Ability to manage recurring deadlines without being supervised
- Sound judgment and discretion with confidential financial information
- Willingness to speak up and ask questions when something does not look right
- Reliable, consistent, and interested in a long-term working relationship
Nice To Have
- Bookkeeping for rental property, commercial real estate, property management, construction, or real estate investment companies
- Experience recording tenant receipts across multiple properties and entities
- Familiarity with mortgage, escrow, security deposit, and property-level accounting
- Experience coordinating records with an outside CPA
- 1099 preparation experience
An accounting degree is helpful but not required. Relevant experience, reliability, accuracy, and good judgment matter more to us.
A Note On Our Hiring Process
Because this role carries real responsibility for cash and entity-level records, we ask finalists to complete a short, practical QuickBooks exercise during the in-person interview. It is straightforward for anyone who works in QuickBooks regularly.
About Our Team
We are a team of about eight people working out of a comfortable office in the Baum Drive area of Bearden. Our group is involved in commercial and residential real estate, vacation rental management and a handful of other projects.
The office is relaxed, friendly, and low on bureaucracy. There is no dress code, and people here are trusted to own their work. Although our businesses are varied, this position stays focused on bookkeeping and financial administration.
Why This Job Is Worth A Look
Our last bookkeeper stayed 18 years. That is not an accident. If you are looking for a stable, respectful, part-time position where your work is valued, your schedule is flexible, and you are not managed over the shoulder, we would like to hear from you.
Pay: $25.00 - $32.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Flexible schedule
- Paid training
Application Question(s):
- Describe any experience you have with real estate or rental property bookkeeping, including mortgage, escrow, security deposit, owner distributions, or capital improvement accounting.
- This role is about 15-20 hours per week, on-site in Bearden, with a flexible weekday schedule. Which days and roughly what hours would you want to work?
- What hourly rate are you looking for? The posted range is $25-$32 per hour based on experience.
- Our books are kept in QuickBooks Desktop, including some older legacy company files, and we also use QuickBooks Online. Please describe your recent hands-on experience with each, and how many separate companies or entities you have kept books for at the same time.
- This role includes receiving and recording tenant payments and applying them to the correct property and entity (collections are handled by someone else). Describe your accounts receivable experience, ideally across multiple properties or entities.
Experience:
- QuickBooks Desktop: 3 years (Preferred)
- full-charge bookkeeping: 3 years (Preferred)
- QuickBooks Online: 2 years (Preferred)
Work Location: In person
