Bookkeeper / Finance Operations Analyst

About The Training Center

The Training Center is a New Jersey-based trade school and leader in career development programs for the skilled trades. We provide top-rated training programs across HVAC, Electrical, Plumbing, Welding, Boiler Operation, and more, supporting state licensing, national certification, and career development. For over 40 years, we have helped thousands of industry professionals build successful careers in the trades.

Our sister company, Essential Services (The Training Center Group), provides plant boiler operations and services to commercial and institutional clients. This role supports both companies.

Our Culture and Values

We believe our employees are our greatest asset. We are committed to a positive, inclusive, and collaborative workplace where people grow professionally and personally while contributing to the success of the organization. Our core values are Teamwork, Collaboration, Transparency, and Open Communication.

Benefits

Health and medical insurance, dental and vision, life insurance, PTO, sick time, paid holidays, and 401(k) with company match.

The Role

The Bookkeeper / Finance Operations Analyst owns the books for The Training Center and Essential Services and turns them into the reporting leadership runs the business on. You will run the month-end close in QuickBooks, manage invoicing and collections, and produce the monthly and quarterly reporting packages. You will also be our go-to person for making finance and back-office workflows run better: documenting them, tightening them, and automating what can be automated.

You will report to the CFO. This is a hands-on, high-ownership role in a small, fast-moving company. It is a good fit for an experienced bookkeeper or staff accountant who wants their work to be visible to decision-makers and who likes fixing processes as much as running them.

What You Will Do

Accounting and Month-End Close

Own the month-end close for both entities: reconcile all bank, credit card, loan, and balance sheet accounts; post accruals and adjustments; and close the books on a fixed schedule.

Maintain QuickBooks daily: record and categorize transactions, manage the chart of accounts, and keep vendor and customer records clean.

Manage accounts receivable: generate and send monthly invoices, track outstanding balances, and follow up on overdue accounts.

Manage accounts payable: enter bills, schedule payments, and reconcile vendor statements.

Investigate and resolve discrepancies and bring anything material to the CFO promptly.

Support the outside accountants with year-end close, tax preparation, and any lender or audit requests.

Management Reporting

Produce the monthly and quarterly reporting package for leadership: P&L by entity and program, cash position and forecast, AR aging, and key operating metrics.

Pull data from QuickBooks, payroll, and our enrollment and CRM systems, and maintain the spreadsheets and dashboards leadership uses to track performance.

Deliver reports on a fixed calendar, accurately and in a format that is easy to act on.

Process Improvement and Automation

Review recurring finance and back-office workflows for bottlenecks and manual effort, and recommend tools or changes that reduce it.

Lead or support automation projects end to end: scope the requirement, coordinate with stakeholders, test, roll out, and document.

Build and maintain standard operating procedures for every recurring task you own.

What We Are Looking For

3+ years of hands-on bookkeeping or staff accounting experience, including owning a month-end close.

Strong QuickBooks skills (Online or Desktop) and advanced Excel or Google Sheets (pivot tables, lookups, building reports from raw data).

A track record of producing clear, accurate financial reports for owners or management.

Exceptional attention to detail and the ability to run multiple recurring deadlines without being chased.

Comfort learning new systems and a genuine interest in improving how work gets done; experience with process improvement, workflow automation, or light project management is a plus.

Familiarity with payroll processing and basic HR administration is a plus.

Clear, professional written and verbal communication; dependable and collaborative.

Associate's or bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, or business is preferred. Equivalent experience is welcome.