Staff Accountant

WHAT TO EXPECT

Wonderist Agency is a full-service marketing agency that supports 1,200+ dentists around the country. We pride ourselves on ditching the old fashioned marketing model of stock photos and templated sites. We strive to tell our clients’ stories with bespoke brands, impactful photo and video shoots, and stunning website design (Here is a great example of our work: ---------- )

We’re a team of over 90+ passionate marketers with our headquarters nestled in sunny San Diego. We are walking distance from local hangouts, bars, and the famed Liberty Station. While many companies simply check the required boxes when it comes to culture, a well-balanced team and positive office culture has been the core of our success from the start. We are a social team at heart, and that is one constant that hasn’t changed with all the movement this economy and industry has seen. We have embraced a hybrid work model where local team members come in at least two days a week. This allows us to work from home and have flexibility, without altogether forgoing the excitement and moments of collaboration and inspiration you can only get from in-person time. Not to mention, we also genuinely enjoy spending time together and socializing.

We celebrate new ideas and prioritize a culture of trust and respect where team members can grow and take risks. Each quarter we host events under our four cultural pillars; health & wellness, personal & professional development, social good, and social. We are proud to have been named: San Diego Business Journal’s Best Places to Work in: 2018, 2021, 2022 and 2023, Inc 5000 Regionals Fastest Growing Companies in: 2021, 2022, 2024, 2025, and 2026, San Diego Business Journal’s Fastest Growing Private Companies list in 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, and 2024. Inc Best Workplaces list in: 2024, 2025, and 2026, and Inc. 5000 for the last 7 years ( ---------- )!
If you work at Wonderist, you likely enjoy a challenge, appreciate autonomy, actually care about clients, and are looking for a team that you can enjoy being part of.

JOB DESCRIPTION

The Staff Accountant keeps Wonderist’s day-to-day accounting operations accurate, current, and organized. This role owns the core transactional accounting work that keeps the books clean and month-end close on track, including accounts payable, employee reimbursements, bank feed management, AR support, recording payroll in QuickBooks Online, and the recurring close-related entries like deferred revenue and prepaid expenses.
This is a hands-on accounting seat, not a systems or management role, but it is not a purely manual one either. The right person is detail-oriented, comfortable with a recurring rhythm of daily and monthly tasks, and takes pride in accurate, well-documented books. You’ll work closely with the Controller and finance team, use AI tools to build and sharpen the processes behind your own work, and pitch in on special projects as the agency’s needs evolve.
The right candidate is organized, dependable, and genuinely enjoys the mechanics of accounting: coding transactions correctly, keeping accounts reconciled, and making sure nothing falls through the cracks. Just as important, this person must be able to innovate and do. They should be comfortable identifying where AI and automation can remove manual busywork, and just as comfortable rolling up their sleeves to execute the accounting work itself.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Daily / Ongoing

● Process accounts payable, including entering and coding vendor bills, obtaining approvals, and preparing payments on schedule.
● Review and process employee reimbursement requests, confirming proper documentation, coding, and policy compliance before payment.
● Manage bank feeds in QuickBooks Online, categorizing transactions, clearing exceptions, and keeping feeds current so reconciliations stay accurate.
● Support accounts receivable, including applying payments, assisting with invoicing questions, and helping resolve unapplied payments or discrepancies.
● Respond to internal questions about bills, reimbursements, coding, or payment status.
● Flag unusual transactions, missing documentation, or coding issues to the Controller before they become bigger problems.

Monthly

● Record payroll entries in QuickBooks Online, ensuring wages, taxes, benefits, and deductions are coded accurately and tie out to payroll provider reports.
● Prepare and post deferred revenue entries, ensuring revenue is recognized in the correct period as services are delivered.
● Prepare and post prepaid expense entries, amortizing prepaid balances on schedule and maintaining supporting schedules.
● Reconcile assigned bank, credit card, and balance sheet accounts, researching and resolving open items promptly.
● Support month-end close by preparing assigned journal entries and ensuring AP, AR, and payroll activity is fully recorded before close.
● Maintain clean, organized supporting documentation for all recurring entries and reconciliations.
As Needed
● Support special projects as assigned, which may include process cleanup, audit support, system testing, or ad hoc analysis.
● Assist the Controller with other accounting tasks during busy periods, transitions, or process improvements.
● Use AI tools to create, test, and improve accounting processes, templates, and checklists, reducing manual work without sacrificing accuracy.
● Identify repetitive or error-prone tasks in AP, AR, reconciliations, or close, and propose or build a better way to do them.
Core Competencies: What you’ll bring to the role
Accounting Fundamentals
● Solid understanding of debits, credits, and basic GAAP concepts.
● Comfortable with accounts payable, accounts receivable, and bank reconciliations.
● Understands the mechanics of accruals, prepaids, and deferred revenue.
● Experience recording or supporting payroll journal entries.

Accuracy & Organization

● Detail-oriented with a strong eye for catching errors before they compound.
● Able to manage recurring monthly deadlines without missing steps.
● Keeps clean, well-labeled supporting documentation.
● Comfortable following (and improving) checklists and procedures.

Communication & Collaboration

● Clear, proactive communicator who flags issues early rather than letting them sit.
● Comfortable asking clarifying questions when something looks off.
● Works well with the Controller and broader team, and welcomes feedback.

Innovation & Execution

● Comfortable using AI tools to build, test, and refine accounting processes, not just to answer questions.
● Able to spot a manual, repetitive, or error-prone task and take initiative to improve it.
● Balances innovation with follow-through: proposes a better process, then actually builds and runs it.
● Open to process changes as the finance function grows and improves.

Adaptability

● Comfortable in a fast-moving, entrepreneurial environment.
● Willing to pitch in on special projects outside the core role.

PERSONALITY MUSTS

Our perfect fit is someone who is a problem solver who understands the difference between “yes, and…” and “yes, but…”. You should be a hungry, scrappy personality with a positive attitude and aims to deliver. Working in the client service industry can mean going the extra mile, and we need someone who is always willing to rise to the occasion and strives to put forward accurate, dependable work. Someone who is detailed and organized, driven, and comes ready to play every day. Confidence, self-discipline, and a congenial, curious mind are things we love and admire.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

● 5+ years of accounting experience, including AP, AR, or bank reconciliation responsibilities. Candidates with less than 5 years of experience need not apply.
● Solid understanding of basic accounting principles and debit/credit fundamentals.
● Experience with QuickBooks Online is required.
● Experience recording or supporting payroll entries.
● Comfort with recurring monthly close tasks such as prepaids, accruals, or deferred revenue.
● Strong Excel or Google Sheets skills.
● Strong attention to detail and organizational skills.
● Ability to manage multiple recurring deadlines and maintain accuracy under time pressure.
● Comfort working in a fast-moving, entrepreneurial environment.
● Experience in using AI or automation tools to improve accounting processes.

Bonus Points for Applicants With…
(if you don’t have these but are organized and want to learn, we want to hear from you!)

● Experience in a marketing agency, professional services business, or other recurring revenue environment.
● Experience with ---------- , PandaDoc, Rippling, or similar platforms.
● Experience supporting month-end close for a growing company.
● Coursework or a degree in accounting or finance.
● Interest in growing into a more senior accounting or Junior Controller-track role over time.

This is a Full-Time Salaried position. This role is structured as an EOR agreement with Rippling EOR and Wonderist Agency.
Working hours are expected to overlap with US pacific time and that is factored into the compensation range.