Accounting & Operations Specialist (Remote or Hybrid)

Catalyst Education•Austin, TX

3d•$65,000 - $75,000•Remote

About The Position

Accounting & Operations Specialist – 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 Accounting & Operations Specialist to help build a scalable, and efficient finance function. This is a remote role, with a preference to those located in the Austin area or are willing to relocate and work hybrid 2-3 days a week at our office in Hyde Park. 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. Why This Role Matters You will be the foundation of our accounting and business operations, 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 a senior role and beyond.

Requirements

Experience: 2+ years of accounting experience (industry or public) with a strong understanding of GAAP. Sales and use tax experience is highly desired.
Education: Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field; a CPA or progress toward one is a plus.
Technical Skills: Proficiency in Excel (VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, PivotTables) and experience with accounting systems like QuickBooks Online. Familiarity with CRM platforms (Salesforce / Hubspot), is highly desired.
Operational Mindset: Strong analytical and problem-solving skills are required. Experience in SaaS or EdTech, particularly with B2B/institutional Accounts Receivable, is highly desired.
Communication: Ability to communicate clearly across technical finance teams and non-technical university partners.
Growth Stage Agility: Ability to manage multiple priorities in a growing, fast-changing environment, while maintaining a high degree of ownership and professionalism.

Nice To Haves

Sales and use tax experience is highly desired.
A CPA or progress toward one is a plus.
Familiarity with CRM platforms (Salesforce / Hubspot), is highly desired.
Experience in SaaS or EdTech, particularly with B2B/institutional Accounts Receivable, is highly desired.

Responsibilities

Month-End Close & Technical Accounting: Core Accounting: Prepare reconciliations, schedules, and journal entries to maintain a high-accuracy GL. While also owning AP/AR and bank reconciliations.
The 7-Day Close: Support a 7-day monthly close process and assist with financial statement preparation and variance analysis.
Compliance: Maintain documentation for internal controls and provide support for tax compliance and reporting.
University Partnerships: Manage billing, invoicing, and collections specifically tailored to university partner requirements.
Access Programs & Bookstores: Navigate complex bookstore and institutional systems for product setup and payment resolution.
Vendor & Partner Management: Own vendor relationships and troubleshoot discrepancies with high-volume partners to ensure seamless service delivery.
Student Access Support: Help the support team troubleshoot student access code issues.
Finance: Perform variance analysis on a monthly basis, and ad-hoc reporting projects to inform company leadership
Budgeting: Partner with People Ops and Financial Ops support budgeting, forecasting, and operational initiatives.