Controller

POSITION SUMMARY

Reporting to the Chief Financial Officer (CFO), the Controller manages and evaluates a broad spectrum of financial operations, including designing and implementing the Alliance’s accounting and financial control frameworks, while also supervising the general ledger, financial grant reporting. This is an Exempt full-time paid position.

ABOUT THE ALLIANCE

The Alliance for Children’s Rights is a nonprofit organization that provides free, holistic, legal services and advocacy to youth and families impacted by child welfare and juvenile justice systems in Los Angeles County. Our lawyers, advocates, and social workers, together with hundreds of pro bono attorneys and community volunteers, work to ensure young people in foster care and guardianships can overcome barriers to stability and success and access to the education, healthcare, and financial supports they need. Since 1992, we have helped over 178,000 children and young adults. For more information, visit: www.allianceforchildrensrights.org.

To advance our mission of stability, equity, and justice for young people across the state, the Alliance also identifies systemic issues and barriers that impact our clients and advocates for comprehensive solutions and improvements through groundbreaking child welfare policy reform at the state and local levels.

WHAT YOUR IMPACT WILL BE

The Controller will collaborate closely with the CFO to develop and propose the organization’s annual operating budget, as well as departmental and grant budgets. The Controller will also manage accounts receivable and accounts payable functions, ensure contract compliance, and oversee the audit processes. With the assistance of the Staff Accountant, the incumbent oversees all financial operations, ensuring accurate reporting and effective financial management. The Controller will oversee accounting ledgers and reporting systems to ensure accuracy and full compliance with relevant GAAP standards and grant or funder requirements.

The position collaborates with all functional areas and programs, engaging internal and external stakeholders, including clients, staff, the Board of Directors, executive leadership, department heads, auditors, financial institutions, and other vendors. The Controller plays a key role in managing daily accounting activities, establishing policies, and enhancing procedures and internal controls.

Additional duties include:

• Oversee internal audit and IRS Form 990 preparation, ensuring timely and accurate completion within expected timelines. Prepares IRS Form 990 in a timely manner.
• Maintain accounting policies, internal controls, and asset safeguards.
• Create and maintain annual budgets by program and for the overall organization.
• Analyze cash flow and project future revenues to ensure the organization maintains adequate liquidity for operations.
• Oversee monthly, quarterly, and annual closing processes.
• Develop and implement financial processes and systems.
• Oversee processing of payroll functions on ADP, including implementation of promotions and increases, setting up benefits deductions, issuing provider payments, and ensuring administration of bi-weekly payroll and PTO management.
• Oversee financial aspects of grants, subgrants, and independent contractor agreements, ensuring expenditures align with contract terms and regulatory requirements. Prepare reports and collaborate with teams to resolve issues.
• Develop and maintain a system to accurately and efficiently track grants in Financial Edge.
• Work closely with the CFO, Development team, and Program Directors to help draft MOUs for subgrantees and subcontractors.
• Direct and supervise the work of the Staff Accountant, including hiring, training, and performance management.
• Oversee the reconciliation process, ensure the Staff Accountant is accurately entering data into Blackbaud’s Financial Edge monthly, and verify that reconciliations are conducted on schedule.
• Audit and oversee accounts payable Systems, including Bill.com, ACH payments, and checks.
• Generate monthly budget versus actual reports for program staff.
• Create credit card policies and audit credit card activity.
• Ensure that Fixed Assets are accurately set up and maintained.

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Accounting, or Finance required, Master’s degree a plus.
• Accounting designation (CPA) a plus.
• 7+ years of work experience in accounting or finance in a medium-sized non-profit is helpful but not required. Prior work in a legal service organization is a plus.
• 3+ years of previous supervisory experience required
• Advanced technical proficiency in fund accounting software, knowledge of The Financial Edge and Raisers Edge, a plus.
• Advanced proficiency with ADP Workforce Now, or a comparable system, to process payroll, manage employee benefits, and track paid time off; ability to utilize ADP’s reporting module to track and monitor payroll and benefits expenses.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook), Office 365 (Teams, OneDrive, etc.), and Adobe
• Demonstrated skill in preparing budgets and projections using spreadsheets and databases. Ability to design, execute, and maintain complex spreadsheets
• Demonstrated skill in financial analysis, long-range and short-range budget planning, preparation, and administration of a multi-million-dollar budget with numerous funding sources.
• Excellent analytical skills and ability to assess financial information, anticipate problems, make recommendations, develop solutions, and implement changes
• Ability to work independently, accepting challenging circumstances and taking initiative to solve problems where solutions are not always readily apparent
• Excellent communication skills to obtain and convey information professionally with diplomacy and clarity
• Ability to respond to and maintain a congenial, helpful attitude when faced with difficult situations and to respond with sensitivity and diplomacy
• Problem-solving skills are essential for determining when and how to address issues that can be managed at a lower level and recognizing when they require the immediate attention of the CFO

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE WILL POSSESS

• Possesses a detailed understanding of fund accounting concepts and practices.
• Has strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Is extremely detail-oriented and ensures accuracy in all aspects of work; has a strong customer service orientation.
• Able to communicate clearly and effectively in written and verbal form.
• Demonstrate an openness to feedback and a commitment to learning and improving.
• Embraces change and ambiguity with a positive attitude. Willingness to adapt to new situations, challenges, and information. Resilient in handling complex situations and environments.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, results-oriented environment while maintaining quality attention to detail.
• Ongoing use of good judgment, tact, and diplomacy in all professional matters.
• High degree of integrity, strong work ethic, and commitment to the efficient and effective use of resources.
• A commitment to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment for all staff members.

This job description is of a general nature and does not constitute an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and duties associated with the position.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, this position worked full-time from our Los Angeles office. However, since the pandemic, this position is hybrid, involving a mix of work-from-home and work-from-office arrangements to complete administrative tasks. This position may be asked to return to work in the office at any time, and at the employer’s discretion. The candidate must be Los Angeles-based.

Vaccination Requirement 

The Alliance is committed to prioritizing and safeguarding the health and well-being of our employees, their families, clients, and community members against the COVID-19 coronavirus. In response to COVID-19 and the increased transmissibility with recent variants, and to support a safe environment for everyone, all new Alliance employees must provide original documentation confirming they are fully vaccinated, and or evidence of an approved qualifying medical exemption or religious-held belief exemption at the time of hire.

Salary Range

This is an exempt position with a target starting salary range of $120,000 to $135,000, set commensurate with experience. Benefits include generous vacation and paid holidays; comprehensive health plans covering 100% of the employee cost of medical, dental, and vision insurance; life insurance; flexible spending accounts for childcare and health expenses; a generous retirement savings plan with organization contributions to your 403(b) after one year of employment; and access to staff member discounts on fitness memberships and entertainment venues.

Applying

Email resume and cover letter to Nina Bailey, Human Resources Coordinator at nbailey@alliancecr.org. Due to the high volume of interest, we are unable to contact each interested applicant. No calls, please. If selected for consideration, candidates will be contacted to discuss our recruitment process and next steps.

The Alliance for Children’s Rights is committed to building and supporting a culturally diverse and inclusive environment that values all staff members’ backgrounds and perspectives in our work. We strongly encourage individuals from all traditionally underrepresented communities to apply. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. We are an Equal Employment Opportunity employer, and prohibit discrimination against employees or applicants because of ace, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, veteran status, or any other unlawful basis.

The Alliance for Children’s Rights will consider qualified applicants with a criminal history pursuant to the California Fair Chance Act. You do not need to disclose your criminal history or participate in a background check until a conditional job offer is made to you. After making a conditional offer and running a background check, if the Alliance is concerned about conviction that is directly related to the job, you will be given the chance to explain the circumstances surrounding the conviction, provide mitigating evidence, or challenge the accuracy of the background report. Find out more about the Fair Chance Act by visiting the Civil Right’s Department Fair Chance Act webpage.

Benefits include generous vacation and paid holidays; comprehensive health plans covering 100% of the employee cost of medical, dental, and vision insurance; life insurance; flexible spending accounts for childcare and health expenses; a generous retirement savings plan with organization contributions to your 403(b) after one year of employment; and access to staff member discounts on fitness memberships and entertainment venues.