Bookkeeper

Job Description

Job Description

Historic South Downtown
Bookkeeper

Part-time/Non-Exempt/Temporary to permanent

Time and Classification

This position is responsible for tracking and documenting the day-to-day financial activities of Historic South Downtown Seattle. It is expected that the bookkeeping function will take 10 hours a week, with some variation based on deliverables that are due and projects in progress.

This position is non-exempt as defined by WAC 296-128-520.

The position will be considered TEMPORARY until after the 2026 Legislative Session. At that time, staff and leadership will review available resources to determine if there is sufficient capacity to make this role permanent.

The Organization

The Historic South Downtown Community Preservation & Development Authority is a state-created entity responsible for preserving, restoring, and promoting the health, safety, and cultural identity of Seattle’s Pioneer Square and Chinatown-International District neighborhoods.

HSD was created by the Washington State Legislature as the first community preservation and development authority in the state. HSD exists to respond to impacts from ongoing construction of major public projects in both neighborhoods. It is governed by a board of thirteen volunteer, elected directors who represent community sectors from Chinatown-International District, Pioneer Square and local legislature. As the first CPDA in the State of Washington, HSD participates in the formation and success of new CPDAs as they develop.

HSD is funded by a combination of direct allocations from the State of Washington and some County and City investments.

Between 2019 and 2022, HSD granted about $7.5M to local organizations and projects, including $550,000 in additional emergency funding during the first year of the pandemic. Our grantmaking program is currently on hiatus, but the following is provided anticipating its restart in 2026 or 2027. Our grantmaking program is distinguished by its intense focus on neighborhood self-determination of the issues to be addressed and the solutions necessary to address them. Similarly, our advocacy work focuses on elevating the voices of the neighborhood, helping to ensure issues in these communities are addressed based on the interests, ideas and priorities of those who live, work and play in the historic neighborhoods of South Downtown. We seek to bring an equity focus to all we do.

Historic South Downtown works out of the Bush Hotel in the National Register Historic Chinatown District. We share this space with the CID Business Improvement Area staff. We require some in office presence each week and do allow work from home. We can provide office equipment for home use as appropriate.

Detailed Position Requirements – Bookkeeper

The HSD Bookkeeper will provide accurate maintenance of financial records for the authority. To succeed in this role, the Bookkeeper will be a self-directed, independent worker, willing to seek clarification when needed and present new ideas, be detail and task oriented, and able to manage a varied and dynamic list of responsibilities.

This position is part-time and temporary, but after Q1 of 2026, we may opt to make it permanent and increase the hours. At this point, the role is not eligible for benefits, but may become so in 2026, if it becomes permanent and the hours are expanded.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

● Day-to-day Bookkeeping using QuickBooks Online

• Have and maintain Quickbooks Skills sufficient to understand and manage on a daily/monthly/quarterly and annual basis
• Manage accounts payable system to ensure timely payment of bills
• Receipt and records control to ensure proper tracking and reporting of expenses, reliable audit trail

● Billing/Invoicing

• Management of accounts receivables, accurate tracking of time and expenses, timely issuance of invoices, adherence to government invoicing requirements, troubleshooting and follow up

● Payroll

• Manage payroll every two weeks via the Gusto Portal
• Understand Gusto and related legal requirements
• Payroll includes management of benefits including pension and health care payments, and proper tax payments. Candidate must be able to follow all applicable laws and procedures regarding these transactions.
• Ensure payroll is managed in a timely and accurate fashion, with no missed deadlines

● Audit support

• Act as lead in organizing and maintaining progress on financial and/or performance audits
• Respond to Auditor requests, collaborating with Executive Director to ensure prompt and accurate responses
• Assist Executive Director in understanding process steps, responding to inquiries, supporting Auditor
• Maintain approved board minutes files, forward approved minutes to Communications and Policy Manager for posting, provide approved minutes as requested by Auditor.

● Board support

• Organize and attend monthly board Finance Committee meetings, prepare monthly financial reports as instructed by the Executive Director, distribute reports a week early, support Board Treasurer in performing monthly reconciliations
• Interact with outside CPA consultant as needed, make corrections as instructed, report to ED with questions or need for clarification
• May be asked to attend monthly Board meeting
• With the ED and others, assist in organizing board training in relation to the financial function of the authority
• In every interaction with Board, prioritize their connection to the organization, elevate issues to ED effectively

● Filing and organization of online server

● Other duties as needed

QUALIFICATIONS

Skilled in the following tools and applications:

• Gusto for payroll and benefits management
• Quickbooks online for managing all financial transactions and creating an audit trail
• Excel

Educational Requirements;

• No specific degrees are required. The successful candidate will have credentials and/or experience sufficient to demonstrate skills and experience in the above qualifications and job duties

Additional:

• Familiarity with or ability to self-train on cloud-based services such as Suralink, Secure Access Washington, DR portal
• Ability to work with persons of diverse backgrounds, including some non-English speakers, and diverse community members
• Ability to speak Cantonese, Mandarin, Vietnamese, Tagalog or another AAPI language a plus
• Ability to work from Historic South Downtown Office as needed
• Excellent communication skills to maintain workflow, avoid mistakes and recognize situations that need to be elevated to the Executive Director
• Interest in moving to permanent status a plus but not required