About the role

As an Accounting & Finance Manager, you will play a key role in Athena’s operations, taking ownership of our day-to-day accounting and finance function and working closely with company leadership. This is a hands-on role responsible for both executing Athena’s core accounting activities – including month-end close, accounts payable and receivable, payroll coordination, cash management, and reconciliations – and supporting budgeting, forecasting and financial analysis. In this role you’ll have the opportunity to build strong, scalable financial processes and provide the timely, accurate financial information Athena needs to support continued growth. WHAT YOU’LL DO In this role, you will serve as the hands-on, day-to-day owner of Athena’s accounting function, working closely with company leadership to ensure our financial operations run accurately, efficiently, and predictably. You will manage recurring accounting processes, prepare monthly and quarterly financial reporting, coordinate with external tax and accounting partners, and proactively communicate priorities, deadlines, and issues. You will also identify opportunities to strengthen our accounting and finance processes, systems, and controls as Athena continues to grow. Your Key Responsibilities: - Own and execute the monthly close process, including preparing journal entries, completing account reconciliations, and preparation of financial statements - Maintain accurate books and records in accordance with accrual accounting principles - Manage accounts payable, accounts receivable, client invoicing, and collections processes - Coordinate payroll processing and related accounting and reconciliations - Monitor cash balances and maintain short-term cash flow forecasts - Prepare timely financial statements, management reporting, and budget-to-actual reporting for company leadership - Prepare initial drafts of annual budgets and period reforecasts, and support analysis of financial results and key business trends - Company and project-level financial performance/reporting – revenue, profitability, cash flow, receivables, etc. - Coordinate with external tax advisors, auditors, banking partners, and other specialized financial resources - Maintain appropriate documentation, processes, procedures, and internal controls - Identify and implement opportunities to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and scalability of Athena’s finance processes and systems - Proactively communicate accounting priorities, deadlines, open items, risks, and financial insights to company leadership - Demonstrate exemplary levels of personal and professional integrity, and ability to support and promote Athena’s mission and values WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR Must Haves: - 5+ years of hands-on accounting experience, including direct ownership and execution of month-end close and financial statement preparation - Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field - Strong understanding of GAAP and accrual-basis accounting - Experience with general ledger accounting, account reconciliations, accounts payable, accounts receivable, and payroll accounting - Strong Microsoft Excel skills and experience working with accounting and financial systems - Strong organizational and project management skills with demonstrated ability to independently manage recurring responsibilities and deadlines - Demonstrated ability to take ownership of work from beginning to end, proactively identify issues, and drive them through resolution - Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to proactively communicate status, priorities, questions, and risks - Ability to work independently in a remote environment - Demonstrated commitment to Athena’s mission, vision, and values Nice To Haves: - Experience working in a professional services, consulting, or government contracting environment, specifically with project-based accounting and different co