The historic Carolina Theatre of Durham is looking for a Senior Accountant to join our Finance and Administration team. We strongly value a diversity of people and experiences and encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply. Come join a vibrant team of individuals dedicated to the performing arts and the role the theater plays in the community. As a small non-profit organization, there are many opportunities to get involved and learn about all aspects of this historic venue and its operations. You will play an important role in the evolution of our 100-year-old home, ensuring that every guest coming through our doors has the best experience possible. Reporting to the Chief Financial Officer, the Senior Accountant will be a key member of the Finance and Administration team. If you want to be a part of an organization committed to driving the cultural, educational, and economic vitality of the Triangle, this might be the job for you.
Carolina Theatre of Durham, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that manages the City-owned Carolina Theatre complex, including the 1,100-seat historic Fletcher Hall and two cinemas which screen independent films, as well as festivals and retrospectives, 365 days per year and up to 3,500 screenings per year. The organization presents more than 75 performances by national touring stars per year in Fletcher Hall and provides 35 educational performances for more than 15,000 school children from 12 counties in our Arts Discovery Educational series. Fletcher Hall is also home to several performing arts resident companies and hosts a variety of non-profit and commercial community events throughout the year, keeping our mainstage in use roughly 300 nights a year. The theater supports a number of events designed to ensure the whole community can experience arts programming, including free offerings such as sensory-friendly and family programs. The theater will be celebrating a century in downtown Durham in 2026.
As a City-owned, nonprofit-run facility, we believe that our entire community should be welcomed and celebrated here. We are committed to approaching all our work, programs, and policies focused on ensuring that all voices are heard and valued and that each is respected and included. Our staff, volunteers, vendors, partners, and guests come from every imaginable walk of life. Diversity, equity, and access for all are the focus we also expect from all with whom we work, contract, or partner.
POSITION SUMMARY
Reporting to the Chief Financial Officer, the Senior Accountant is responsible for the accurate and timely execution of day-to-day accounting operations — accounts payable, accounts receivable, general ledger, month-end close, account reconciliations, and the preparation of schedules, filings, and reporting. You will play an important role in The Carolina Theatre's financial operations, ensuring accuracy in accounting and financial reporting.
If you are a superstar nonprofit accountant who is energized by working in a mission-driven arts organization with a 100-year legacy in downtown Durham, this may be the position for you!
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Accounting Operations
- Manage day-to-day accounting operations, including accounts payable, accounts receivable, cash flows, and general ledger activity.
- Accurately record all theater activity in QuickBooks, including ticket sales, concessions, donations, grants, vendor invoices, payroll, and fixed assets.
- Lead month-end and year-end close, including journal entries, accruals, and account reconciliations.
- Maintain the chart of accounts, class structure, and accounting system configuration.
- Maintain the fixed asset register and depreciation schedules.
- Collaborate with the CFO to ensure proper controls are in place and documented for all financial activities.
- Track budget-to-actual performance and produce variance reports.
- Monitor cash balances and produce a rolling 13-week cash flow report for CFO review.
Compliance and Reporting
- Ensure compliance with U.S. GAAP, including ASC 958 (Not-for-Profit Entities), and apply appropriate technical accounting treatment for restricted and unrestricted net assets, contributions, grants, and in-kind donations.
- Prepare grant financial reports, reconcile actuals to grant budgets, and submit drafts to the CFO for review and signoff; flag any variances or compliance concerns in advance.
- Prepare state and federal regulatory filings, including sales and use tax, property tax, and 1099s.
- Provide supporting data and schedules for the annual Form 990 prepared with external accountants.
- Partner with the CFO in budgeting, forecasting and ad hoc strategic planning for the CFO and Board of Trustees.
Audit
- Prepare audit schedules, workpapers, and prepared-by-client (PBC) items for annual audit and Form 990.
- Maintain orderly documentation throughout the year that supports clean audit results.
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
Required
- Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a closely related field.
- Three or more years of progressive accounting experience, including at least one year in nonprofit accounting.
- Demonstrated experience with month-end close, journal entries, and account reconciliations.
- Working knowledge of nonprofit accounting concepts including restricted vs. unrestricted net assets and basic grant accounting.
- Proficiency with QuickBooks (or comparable general ledger system) and advanced Excel skills (pivot tables, lookups, multi-tab models).
- Experience with a modern payroll platform; familiarity with Paycom is a plus.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills and the ability to explain accounting matters to non-accountants.
Preferred
- CPA license or actively pursuing CPA certification.
- Prior experience supporting an external audit — preparing PBC items, workpapers, and schedules.
- Familiarity with Form 990 source data and grant financial reporting.
- Prior experience in an arts, cultural, or performing-arts nonprofit, or a venue with ticketed-revenue operations.
- Familiarity with reporting to a Finance Committee or Board of Trustees.
KEY COMPETENCIES
- Reliability and follow-through — takes accountability for delivering accurate, timely work without prompting.
- Strong attention to detail balanced with the ability to see how transactions fit into the larger financial picture.
- Curiosity and willingness to ask questions; comfortable peeling back the layers of complex transactions to confirm and explain the accounting result.
- Discretion and integrity in handling confidential financial information.
- Comfortable working in a small finance team and partnering across departments (development, programming, operations).
- Process-improvement orientation — continuously looks for ways to make the close faster, the records cleaner, and the reporting clearer.
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
- This full-time position includes health, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance benefits, a very generous PTO program, and employee-contributed retirement plan.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
The Carolina Theatre is an Equal Opportunity Employer, values a diversity of people and experiences, and strongly encourages qualified candidates from all backgrounds to apply.
