Controller

Purpose Statement

The renowned North Bennet Street School (NBSS), an esteemed Boston institution where the time-honored tradition of fine craftsmanship remains a vital influence on the City’s culture and economy, seeks a collaborative and experienced Controller who can move seamlessly between tactical work and thought partnership to help the School reach ambitious goals, anticipate future needs, and establish best financial practices.

With a refreshed strategic plan underway and a newly forming operations team, this is a special moment to bolster finance and accounting systems and design integrated business processes to make it more fully possible for NBSS faculty, staff, and students to do their best work. This role is well-suited to a proactive, analytical, detail-oriented, and hands-on accounting and finance professional with a successful track record of teamwork, creative problem-solving and effective resource management.

The Position

Reporting to the Senior Director of People and Operations and overseeing a part-time bookkeeper, the Controller will manage finance, accounting, and reporting activities for an $8M budget as well as reporting on its $29M endowment. They will serve as an advisor and partner to the President, Provost, and Board of Directors in all accounting activities including annual planning and budgeting; and ensure that NBSS has the systems and workflows in place to support outstanding program implementation and mission attainment.

This role is uniquely student-facing. 70% of NBSS students receive financial aid, so experience in financial aid management or a similar federal funding model is highly desired, although on-the-job training in this area will be provided. The Controller will partner with the Scholarship Committee, a cross-department team of student services, development, enrollment, and financial aid, to manage and inform the scholarship budget and ensure that students are being served by the School from a financial standpoint.

The Controller will also be charged with identifying new opportunities to improve efficiencies and respond proactively to department needs. This includes supporting the Development team as they report out to corporate and foundation funders, and with the Provost’s office particularly during financial aid cycles each semester to ensure that payments and reimbursements are administered properly and efficiently. They will need to analyze the existing processes to ensure compliance and mitigate risk, work closely with colleagues to streamline financial operations, leverage new information technology, and establish standard processes that provide maximum benefit to all parties involved, including students.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Manage all aspects of finance and accounting: financial statements, general ledger, cost accounting, AP/AR, invoices, budgeting, tax compliance, inventory accounting, and revenue recognition, with support from part-time Bookkeeper
• Comply with all local, state, and federal laws regarding finances, tax filings, and reporting.
• Prepare quarterly/annual financial reports and manage fiscally responsible quarterly/annual budgets and forecasts.
• Consistently analyze financial data and present financial reports in an accurate and timely manner; clearly communicate monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements and overall financial status.
• Partner with the Senior Director to staff the Finance and Audit Committees.
• Prepare and organize financial statements for record and review and coordinate all audit activity including the annual 990 process.
• Ensure compliance and reporting for grants, collaborating with the Director of Development and supporting program audits and grant writing activities.
• Manage organizational cash flow, forecasting by working in partnership with the administrative and program directors.
• Stay informed about changes in accounting standards for nonprofit organizations.
• Manage all full-time student accounts, collections, including payment plans and disbursement of financial aid, with support from the Academic Administrator, and Bookkeeper.
• Reconcile Title IV disbursements to student accounts with COD data from the Financial Aid Office on a monthly basis.
• Manage Federal G6 system as the primary user and ensure Federal Funds bank account is segregated for G6 cash drawdowns only, including return of Title IV funds.
• Interface with counselors at the Department of Veterans Affairs to arrange receipt of veteran education benefits to appropriate student accounts.
• Manage refunds of payments to third party payers, including the VA and private lenders, and scholarship provided in accordance with NBSS and organization refund policies.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• 5+ years of progressively responsible finance and/or accounting experience in an educational setting or nonprofit with a similar finance structure.
• Exceptional knowledge of finance, accounting, budgeting, cost accounting and cost control principles, internal controls, and GAAP.
• Prior work with federal funding and reporting, or the willingness to learn and develop a skillset in Federal Student cycle and compliance and reporting requirements, specifically in the areas of Title IV cash management and disbursement.
• Analytical ability to develop and implement improvements or recommendations including experience implementing automated accounting systems.
• Detail-oriented with excellent project management skills, including the ability to handle multiple tasks and deadlines.
• Lives the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion with the ability to express these through day-to-day work.
• Ability to build sincere relationships with a variety of internal partners with whom no direct line supervision exists, as well as external individuals from board members to volunteers.
• Impeccable discretion in handling all matters of confidentiality.
• Bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, or business administration, or equivalent business experience. CPA or CMA is helpful.
• Experience with QuickBooks, Raiser’s Edge, and Blackbaud is helpful. Gravitas paired with kindness and professional integrity to effectively represent and promote NBSS externally at the highest levels.
• An appreciation for trade and craft and an understanding of the unique nature and mission of North Bennet Street School.