Controller

About the Diamond Approach and the Ridhwan Foundation

The Diamond Approach is an original teaching drawing from modern psychology and ancient spiritual wisdom.  Rather than bypassing the messiness of the human experience, this path helps us to not only embrace all of who we are and to see everything that arises as a doorway to transformation. The central practice of Diamond Inquiry supports us in touching into our true spiritual nature—its strength, compassion, love, clarity, freedom, and many other qualities—and helps us to bring those qualities into every part of our life. 

The Ridhwan Foundation is a Berkeley, CA based nonprofit that supports the work of the Diamond Approach (www.diamondapproach.org) and the worldwide Ridhwan School.

About the Role

Reporting to the Executive Director, the Controller is responsible for the oversight of all finance, accounting, and reporting activities of the Ridhwan Foundation and associated organizations. The Controller supervises three accounting staff members and manages all day-to-day financial operations of the Ridhwan Foundation, including accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, granting activities and functional responsibility over organization-wide accounting in compliance with generally accepted accounting principles and internal policies and procedures. The Controller plays a key role in the development and implementation of financial policies and procedures that contribute to the overall financial success of the Ridhwan Foundation and the Diamond Approach worldwide.

The Controller is responsible for ensuring that financial systems and processes are in place to support internal programs and activities. They will work closely with all staff as needed to educate them in accounting procedures and explore how the finance team can better support the Foundation’s internal operations. 

This position serves as a member of the senior management team within the Foundation, advising on various facets of internal operations such as HR, communications, productivity tools, technology management, etc. 

The ideal candidate for this position is a committed leader and highly skilled communicator that is incredibly organized and detail oriented. This position requires extensive collaboration across the entire organization and a willingness to engage with new technology to support the mission. This role will be hands-on in the accounting processes while providing strategic thought leadership to upper management regarding the current and future finances of the organization.  

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

• Oversee all accounting systems, policies, procedures, auditing, payroll (oversee + review), accounts payable and receivable, general ledger, and financial reporting in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and internal policies and procedures. 
• Oversee the Foundation’s financial and related administrative processes and lead the org-wide budgeting process. Collaborate with the Director of HR/Operations, Director of Programs and Communications, Web Manager, and Group Programs Administrative Manager to prepare annual operating and program/department budgets.  
• Establish and maintain internal controls and safeguards to support the school’s financial infrastructure, including cash management, receipt of revenues, cost control, and program budget vs. actuals. 
• Interpret legislative and programmatic rules and regulations, especially as they relate to foreign exposure; ensure that policies and procedures comply with professional standards and with state and federal regulatory requirements. 
• Execute all fiscal reporting activities for the organization, including organizational revenue/expense and balance sheet reports, as well as generating reports that assess the financial health of the Foundation, the financial effectiveness of programs, and potential financial risks.
• Maintain the integrity of accounting data; prepare, analyze, and interpret accounting data for executive decision-making purposes; recommend changes to improve systems, financial performance, and reporting; notify executive and senior management of potential risk areas. 
• Monitor and analyze quarterly operating results against budget. 
• Oversee financial forecasting and cash flow in collaboration with executive management. 
• Ensure cost analysis support and compliance with all contractual requirements.  
• Manage and track fixed assets; maintain proper depreciation schedules. 
• Attend Board Finance Committee meetings; participate as active, advising member. Assist in preparation of Finance Committee reports. Assist in performing all tasks necessary to support the organization's strategic planning. 
• Manage all financial functions related to the Friends of Ridhwan, including accounting and reporting. 
• Oversee all banking activities. 
• Ensure correct accounting and manage VAT payables/receivables; update documentation on VAT rules in Europe. 
• Trains Foundation staff and other stakeholders to increase knowledge of financial management matters, financial program reporting and performance, and initial training for payroll execution.
• Hire, train, supervise, evaluate, and support 3-4 accounting team members; provide positive, learning-oriented team leadership; ensure processes are followed, performance standards are met, and that controls are in place and documented. 

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, with at least 5 years of experience serving as the primary accounting manager for a complex nonprofit organization, including budgeting, payroll, general ledger and financial reporting in accordance with GAAP.  
• 2-3 years of experience supervising teams of 3 or more people.
• Extensive experience using and managing Intacct software.
• Extensive experience with Microsoft Excel (vlookup, pivot table, match and index, etc.) and working in a cloud based, remote environment. Must be self-starter and adept with remote synchronous and asynchronous communication tools. We are a camera-first organization and expect video to be used during all synchronous meetings. 
• Strong skills with various office productivity tools (Outlook, SharePoint, Word, PowerPoint, Dropbox)
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Must be able to communicate and present effectively to different types of stakeholders (Board, staff, funders, founders) in a wide range of settings.
• Strong interpersonal skills. Must be a team player able to think strategically and collaborate with all levels within the organization.
• Must exhibit independent leadership skills guided by integrity. This position includes exposure to confidential information and requires considerable use of tact, diplomacy, discretion, and judgment.   
• Ability to assess/ develop project plans, manage deadlines and goals. Ability to think critically and problem solve.
• Can shift readily between the “big picture” and the small-but crucial details, knowing when to concentrate on each.
• Cool, calm, and collected. Works well under pressure and comfortable with change and complexity in dynamic environment. 
• Strong organization and time management skills.
• Ability to work occasional evening and weekend hours as required by deadlines.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• CPA or MBA
• Familiarity with Nexonia, Emburse, Slack, Zoom, LastPass, and Click-Up.
• Knowledge of VAT rules is a plus.
• Familiarity with or interest in spiritual or personal growth paths and organizations is preferred, but not required.

Location: Employee may choose to be fully remote, hybrid remote, or on-site in Berkeley, CA, if preferred. No relocation assistance provided. Pacific, Mountain, Central, or Eastern time zones preferred. Meetings and business operations generally revolve around Pacific time, but care is taken to recognize our colleagues in different time zones.   Note: If this position operates as a remote role, some travel may be required to attend in-person meetings, likely only 1-2 times per year.   

We expect that the employee will engage in work activities solely on behalf of the Ridhwan Foundation during the agreed upon weekly work schedule and hours of collaboration. 

The Ridhwan Foundation offers pro-rated vacation, holiday leave, and sick time for employees who work an average 20 hours/week or more. This position offers 25 days of vacation, 8 sick days, and 8 paid holidays per year. Additionally, the offices are closed for the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day. Staff are paid their regularly scheduled hours during this closure. This position is also eligible to participate in the Foundation’s 403b retirement savings plan.

  The Foundation does not provide healthcare benefit plans. The above compensation includes a monthly stipend of $1095 in lieu of medical plan coverage.