Root Cause Controller

Established in 2004, Root Cause is a nonprofit research and consulting firm that partners with nonprofits, philanthropy, government, and business to advance solutions to today's toughest social issues. We are committed to shaping the future of social problem-solving, believing that sustainable social impact is possible if leaders from all sectors can work together through social impact markets that provide information and incentives to distribute resources based on performance.

Position

Reporting to the CEO, the Controller is responsible for oversight of all finance, accounting, and reporting activities for Root Cause's $4-5 million operating budget and works closely with the senior leadership team.

The Controller will lead all day-to-day finance operations – including functional responsibility over accounting, accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, and grants administration. The Controller will ensure that Root Cause has the systems and procedures in place to support effective program implementation and ensure outside auditors will conduct flawless audits. The Controller will be responsible for assisting program managers in the annual budgeting and planning process for all Root Cause programs and assist with budget presentations to the Board committee.

The Controller will work closely with program managers and their staff, not only to educate them regarding finance and accounting procedures, but also to explore how the finance function can support program operations.

General Responsibilities

• Oversee all accounts, ledgers, and reporting systems ensuring compliance with appropriate GAAP standards and regulatory requirements
• Maintain internal control and safeguards for receipt of revenue, costs, program budgets, and actual expenditures
• Consistently analyze financial data and present financial reports in an accurate and timely manner; clearly communicate financial statements; monitor progress and changes and keep senior leadership abreast of Root Cause's financial status
• Administer and review all financial plans and compare to actual results with a view to identify, explain, and correct variances as appropriate
• Monitor and analyze budget to actual performance for individual projects; review the financial and liability aspects of client contracts
• Oversee all financial, project/program and grants accounting; ensure that expenditures are consistently aligned with grant and program budgets throughout the grant/fund period; collate financial reporting materials for government, corporate, and foundation grants
• Manage organizational cash flow forecasting by working in partnership with senior leadership
• Continuously collaborate with senior leadership to assess the financial efficacy of program operations with the development and use of financial models for programs
• Develop tools and establish finance and administrative systems to support program operations as needed
• Ensure all regulatory filings are submitted in a timely manner; manage bank relationship; interface where necessary with outside legal counsel
• Manage benefit plan renewals

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, or similar field of study, plus CPA preferred
• 5 to 6 years accounting experience. Experience in grant and project accounting within professional service organizations in either the for-profit or non-profit sectors is particularly desirable
• Strong interpersonal skills, including the ability to manage relationships at different levels
• Ability to take initiative and operate with limited oversight/direction within a small organization with an entrepreneurial environment
• Strong research, analytical, writing and presentation skills
• Excellent organizational skills, ability to manage and prioritize multiple projects/tasks, and attention to detail
• Experience working collaboratively as part of a team
• Strong Microsoft Office skills (Word, PowerPoint, Excel), including experience using Excel for data analysis and financial modeling
• Experience with QuickBooks and Salesforce are a plus
• Salary will be commensurate with experience