Staff Accountant – Catalyst Education
Build the Financial Backbone of a High-Growth EdTech Company
Catalyst Education is transforming how college science courses are taught—bringing high-quality digital learning tools to universities across the country. As demand grows, we’re expanding our financial operations and hiring our first in-house Staff Accountant to help build a scalable, and efficient finance function. This will be a hybrid role where you will have the opportunity to work along-side the CFO in our Hyde Park office location.
If you’re someone who thrives in a fast-paced environment, loves owning processes end-to-end, and wants visibility with executive leadership, you’ll fit right in.
You will be the foundation of our accounting function, working directly with the CFO to manage the monthly close, improve processes, and support financial operations across the business—including institutional partners, bookstores, and resellers. Your work will influence how we scale, forecast, report, and make decisions.
This isn’t a narrow bookkeeping role. It’s a hands-on position with room to grow into Senior Staff Accountant and beyond.
Prepare reconciliations, roll-forwards, schedules, and journal entries
Maintain and improve the accuracy of the GL
Support a 5-day monthly close
Assist with financial statement preparation and variance analysis
Manage billing, invoicing, and collections for university partners
Navigate bookstore and institutional systems for product setup and payment resolution
Maintain accurate revenue schedules and reconciliation support
Troubleshoot discrepancies with high-volume partners
Own AP, AR, bank reconciliations, and vendor management
Maintain documentation for internal controls
Provide support for tax compliance, and reporting
Analyze workflow inefficiencies and propose improvements
Create and refine SOPs as we scale
Collaborate with People Ops and Financial Ops
Support budgeting, forecasting, and operational initiatives
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field
2+ years of accounting experience (industry or public)
Strong understanding of GAAP
Proficiency in Excel (VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, PivotTables, logic functions, etc.)
Experience with accounting systems (QuickBooks Online a plus)
Ability to manage multiple priorities in a growing, fast-changing environment
Clear communication across technical and non-technical teams
High degree of ownership and professionalism
Experience in SaaS, EdTech, or high-growth startup environments
Experience with revenue operations or B2B/institutional AR
CPA or progress toward the credential
Familiarity with CRM platforms (Salesforce / HubSpot)
Sales and use tax experience
You’re proactive, curious, and not afraid to fix things others overlook
You enjoy building structure where it doesn’t exist yet
You’re comfortable working directly with leadership
You want a role where your impact is visible and meaningful
You like solving operational puzzles and improving systems
You take pride in accuracy and understand the importance of clean financial data
You want to enjoy your work, and the people you work with
Base Salary: $65,000 – $75,000 (DOE)
Health, dental, and vision insurance
401(k) with company match
Flexible PTO
Hybrid work schedule
Home office stipend
You won’t be a cog in a 20-person accounting department. You’ll be part of a small, passionate team building financial infrastructure for a rapidly scaling EdTech company. Your work will matter from day one—and you’ll have room to grow as we grow.
If you want ownership, impact, and a meaningful role that shapes the future of learning, we’d love to meet you.
Important Note: In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to undergo a background check, verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States by completing the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.
This description is for reference only. It is not meant to provide an exhaustive description of the duties that may be required of an employee in this position. It does not create a contract between the Company and any employee.