If you’re a seasoned financial professional looking for a mission-driven career opportunity, then join us as Controller. Working closely with our chief financial officer, you’ll oversee our corporate accounting and financial reporting functions, help prepare financial and management reports, and ensure we have proper financial and administrative controls in place — all with the purpose of helping us create lasting change for learners from low-income backgrounds. To excel in this role, you should be a self-starter who’s comfortable communicating with leadership and collaborating across departments.
This position is based at our Madison, Wisconsin, headquarters. You’ll have a hybrid schedule, working both remotely and at the office.
Job Responsibilities
On a day-to-day basis, you may do the following.
Finance Operations
- Manage accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, and financial reporting transactions.
- Analyze financial results, trends, costs, and budgets.
- Prepare forecast reports for income, expenses, and earnings.
- Ensure accounting activities comply with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), as well as state and federal regulations.
- Ensure corporate income tax compliance is accurate.
- Support regulatory filings.
Budgeting
- Coordinate and manage the annual budget process, including providing budget support and analysis.
- Direct and lead financial analysis and develop short- and long-term financial forecasts.
- Communicate the company’s actual performance versus budgets and objectives to senior management, recommend growth strategies, and identify areas for improvement.
- Develop operating budget and forecasts by estimating the costs and benefits of operating plans during the annual budget development cycle.
Strategy
- Create and implement policies and procedures to identify, resolve, and document accounting issues.
- Create procedures to make close and reporting processes more efficient and accurate.
- Establish and maintain sound relationships with financial institutions, including commercial and investment banks.
- Collaborate with departmental leaders to prepare for critical business opportunities.
- Recommend financial capital investment optimizations.
Planning and Management
- Hire and retain finance staff.
- Support the professional growth and development of team members through coaching, external opportunities, and regular feedback on performance and individual objectives.
- Participate in and contribute to cross-functional development teams to address strategic issues.
- Help develop strategic plans and objectives.
- Foster a culture of continuous improvement with accounting processes and systems.
- Test fiscal and budget assumptions during operating plan development.
- Identify and resolve complex issues using corporate finance, financial analysis, and critical thinking experience.
Other
- Participate in professional development opportunities to maintain Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Qualifications
A highly qualified candidate will possess the following.
Education and Professional Experience
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in accounting, finance, or a related field.
- CPA license.
- Ten or more years of progressively responsible experience in a finance department, including at least five years of leadership experience.
- Experience in nonprofit or foundation sectors preferred.
Knowledge and Skills
- Proficient in using Oracle or other database software and the Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Excel.
- Ability to present complex financial concepts in a way that nonfinancial leaders can easily digest.
- Highly effective interpersonal skills with the ability to successfully negotiate with high-level internal and external audiences.
- Excellent leadership, time management, and communication skills.
- Ability to think critically, ask relevant questions, and develop meaningful solutions to challenges.
- Ability to evaluate information and make effective decisions.
- Ability to manage multiple tasks and ongoing initiatives in a fast-paced environment.
Other Information
Ascendium offers anâ¯outstanding benefits packageâ¯designed to provide employees and their families with a high degree of security. These benefits include, but are not limited to:
- Comprehensive medical, dental and vision insurance.
- Generous time off, including up to eight weeks of paid parental leave.
- Student loan repayment assistance and tuition reimbursement.
- Paid volunteer time off.
- Flexible schedule.
Ascendium provides equal employment opportunity to all individuals regardless of their race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, creed, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law.
H-1B sponsorship (initiation or transfer) is not available for this position.
If you would like assistance with the application process, please email Ascendium Human Resources. We invite all applicants to complete the Voluntary Affirmative Action questions when submitting application materials. The questions are found at the end of the online application process. To learn more about our commitment to Equal Employment Opportunity, please visit the Ascendium Careers webpage.
Ascendium requires criminal, employment, and education background investigations before hiring.
