What the job actually looks like
No mission statement. Here is the day to day.
YFG runs the back office for US businesses, so everything you touch is live client work on a real deadline. A restaurant group needs its month-end package before the ownership meeting. A construction client needs the AP run released Thursday so subs get paid Friday. A staffing firm needs payroll funded and filed on time in five states. You are not producing internal reports nobody opens. Somebody is waiting on what you send.
The work runs on a calendar, not on inspiration. Bank and credit card feeds stay coded through the week, AP runs go out on the client's set day, payroll follows a semi-monthly or biweekly cycle, the close lands on an agreed business day each month, and quarterly filings such as Form 941 and state unemployment reports have dates that do not move. That structure is the point. You always know what is due, for whom, and when.
Nothing reaches a client unreviewed. Every preparer has a reviewer, review notes are written down instead of mentioned in passing, and a repeat issue gets fixed in the client's standard operating procedure so it stops recurring. The practical effect is speed of correction. You find out exactly where your work was wrong within days, not at year-end when nobody remembers the entry.
Our teams work with US clients across time zones, so written communication carries most of the load. Tidy workpapers, a short and honest open item list, and a clear explanation of a variance count for more here than being the loudest voice on a status call.
The roles we hire for
We hire on a rolling basis as client work grows. These are the seats the work is organized around.
Staff Accountant
You keep a set of books current. Feed categorization in QuickBooks Online or Xero, vendor bill entry, prepaid and accrual schedules, and the first pass of the month-end close checklist. Your file goes to a reviewer before anything reaches the client.
Senior Accountant
You own the close for a small portfolio. Reconciliations for cash, credit cards, loans and intercompany accounts, deferred revenue and fixed asset schedules, and the financial package the owner reads. You answer questions on the numbers directly.
Payroll Specialist
You run payroll cycles in Gusto, ADP or Paychex. New hire setup and Form W-4 collection, biweekly and semi-monthly runs, garnishments, PTO accruals, quarterly Form 941 and state unemployment filings, annual Form 940, and W-2 season.
AP/AR Specialist
You move money on schedule. Bill.com approval routing, weekly check and ACH runs, vendor onboarding with Form W-9 collection for 1099-NEC tracking, customer invoicing, collections follow-up, and aging reports an owner can act on.
Reviewer
You are the second set of eyes. You tie the trial balance to source documents, test reconciling items, challenge variances against prior period and budget, confirm accrual or cash basis treatment, and write notes preparers can learn from.
Engagement Lead
You own the relationship and the calendar. Scope, the monthly and quarterly deliverable schedule, staffing the work, running the close status call, and escalating anything that affects the client's tax filings or lender reporting.
What we look for
Credentials help. These matter more.
- US GAAP fundamentalsYou can explain accrual versus cash basis, when to capitalize instead of expense, and why a reconciliation matters beyond checking a box.
- QuickBooks and Xero fluencyReal hands-on time in QuickBooks Online or Desktop and in Xero. Exposure to NetSuite, Sage Intacct, Bill.com, Gusto, ADP, Paychex, Expensify or Ramp is a plus, not a requirement.
- Accuracy under a fixed deadlineCloses land on a calendar. We look for people whose work on the fifth business day is as careful as their work on the first.
- Clear written EnglishMost client contact is written. You need to explain a variance or a missing statement in three sentences a busy owner will actually read.
- Discretion with client dataYou will handle bank feeds, payroll registers and tax documents. We look for people who treat system access as a responsibility and follow the rules without reminders.
- A documentation habitIf you fixed something, the workpaper shows what you did and why. Someone else should be able to pick up your file the day you are out.
- Judgment about when to askGuessing on a reclass costs far more than a two-line question in the client channel. We would rather you ask early.
- Follow-through on open itemsOpen item lists should get shorter each week. We look for people who chase the missing bank statement before it becomes a close blocker.
How careers move here
Movement is tied to what you can own without rework, not to time served.
| Stage | What you own | What you are working toward |
|---|---|---|
| Staff Accountant | Transaction coding, bill entry, bank and credit card reconciliations, first pass on the close checklist. | Reconciliations that come back with no rework, and one full close prepared start to finish. |
| Senior Accountant | The full close for a portfolio of books, the financial package, and variance commentary. | Direct client conversations, plus technical areas such as deferred revenue, inventory and fixed assets. |
| Reviewer | Second review on other preparers' files, the tie out of the trial balance, and written review notes. | Consistent quality across a team, and training the next group of preparers. |
| Engagement Lead | Scope, deliverable calendar, staffing, the client relationship and escalations. | New client onboarding, software conversions, and the standard operating procedure for each engagement. |
Scroll the table sideways on a small screen.
How we train and develop people
Training here is built into the production schedule, not saved for a slow week that never comes.
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Onboarding on our close process
You start on our close checklist and workpaper templates before you touch a client file. You learn how a reconciliation is documented here, what a supported balance looks like, and where each client's standard operating procedure lives.
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Prepare under review from day one
New team members prepare and a reviewer signs off. Notes are written, specific and kept, so you can watch your own error patterns shrink over two or three close cycles instead of guessing at them.
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Take a book of your own
Once your reconciliations stop coming back for rework, you take ownership of a client book, then a small portfolio. The reviewer stays in place. The volume of notes drops.
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Go deep on a specialty
Multi-state payroll tax, sales tax nexus and filings, inventory and cost of goods sold, revenue recognition, or cleanups and software conversions. Specialties are assigned deliberately rather than picked up by accident. You get files in that area and a reviewer who knows it well.
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Feedback on a set cadence
Written feedback after close cycles and a longer conversation each quarter covering accuracy, turnaround, client communication and readiness for the next stage. You should never have to guess where you stand.
The software you will work in
Client stacks vary. Most people work across several of these in a given month.
- General ledgerQuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop, Xero, NetSuite and Sage Intacct. Small business files are usually QuickBooks Online or Xero. Larger files are more often NetSuite or Sage Intacct.
- AP and spendBill.com for approval routing and payment runs, Ramp and Expensify for cards and expense reports, plus vendor Form W-9 collection and 1099-NEC tracking maintained through the year rather than in January.
- PayrollGusto, ADP and Paychex. Pay runs, garnishments, PTO accrual setup, quarterly Form 941, state unemployment filings, annual Form 940, and W-2 and 1099-NEC production.
- Banking and reconciliationUS bank and credit card feeds, merchant and processor settlements, lockbox deposits, and the monthly tie out of every balance sheet account to a real supporting document.
- Sales tax and complianceNexus tracking by state, filing calendars, exemption certificate files, and the year-end support schedules a client's CPA asks for at tax time.
Questions candidates ask
How do I apply?
Email your resume to info@yfgconsultants.com. Put the role you are targeting in the subject line, for example Payroll Specialist or Senior Accountant. In the message, tell us the accounting software you have used, the size and industry of the clients or employers you supported, and your availability.
Why are there no specific openings listed with salaries?
We hire on a rolling basis for the roles on this page, and what is open depends on client demand the week you write to us. Rather than post positions that may close before you see them, we keep resumes on file and reach out when a matching seat opens. Compensation is discussed directly with candidates once the role and scope are clear.
What happens after I send my resume?
We read it and reply either way. Candidates who fit move to a conversation about their experience, then a short practical exercise, then a discussion of references. We tell you where you stand at each step instead of leaving you waiting.
What does the practical exercise involve?
Something close to the real work. A bank reconciliation with a few planted issues, a trial balance to review, a batch of transactions to code, or a payroll scenario with a multi-state wrinkle. How you document your answer counts as much as the answer itself.
Do I need to be a CPA?
No. Some roles benefit from the credential and some do not. What matters more is that your GAAP fundamentals are solid, your software work is fast and accurate, and your written English is clear enough for direct client communication.
My background is bookkeeping, not full close work. Should I still apply?
Yes. Tell us plainly what you have owned, such as feed categorization, AP runs, invoicing or payroll input, and what you have not done yet. We would rather place you at the right level and train you up than stretch a resume and correct it three months later.
How is client data handled?
Access is granted per engagement and per system, and only to the people assigned to that file. Confidentiality terms apply to everyone on the team, client credentials are never shared outside the assigned group, and client documents stay inside the systems we work in rather than on personal machines.
Apply, or ask us for a free consultation
Candidates: send your resume to info@yfgconsultants.com with the role you are targeting in the subject line, and we will reply either way. Business owners reading this page can call (209) 456-5966 or email the same address for a free consultation and a no-cost quote on running your back office.