Description

The American Counseling Association (ACA) is the world’s largest organization representing professional counselors in various practice settings. 

Our vision: We are the preeminent advocate and resource for professional counselors and their clients in a world where everyone has access to mental health services.

Our mission: Advancing mental health and well-being through advocacy, community, inclusion and research.

Our values: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Integrity, Proactive Leadership, Professional Community & Relationships, Scientific Practice & Knowledge, Social Justice & Empowerment. 

All American Counseling Association team members are encouraged, supported, and expected to demonstrate The Way We Work Values: Be Flexible, Be Creative, Be Empowered, Be Inquisitive, Be Collaborative and Be Respectful. 

Job Purpose

The Controller is an essential leader of the organization, responsible for all financial functions of the organization. The position is responsible for working with internal and external stakeholders and providing strategic financial analysis and leadership. The Controller’s responsibilities straddle strategic planning for the enterprise, hands on responsibility for accounting and financial operations, and reporting that includes general ledger, accounts receivable, accounts payable, fixed assets, investments, and taxes. The Controller reports directly to the Chief Financial Officer. 

Finance and Accounting:

• Ensure accounts, ledgers and reports comply with GAAP and regulatory requirements.
• Review and approve financial statements, reporting package and month-end entries for accuracy and timely distribution to management. 
• Monitor and evaluate financial performance monthly and communicate status to all staff on a monthly basis.
• Prepare financial analysis, forecasting and reporting to staff, senior leadership, and board of trustees.
• Serve as primary point of contact with outside auditors to coordinate audit activity.
• Serve as Finance lead on tax compliance and reporting. Oversee the preparation and required filings of annual tax reporting including but not limited to the IRS Forms 990, 990-T, 1099, and unclaimed properties as well as all state tax and charitable registration filings.
• Recommend and implement improvements for accounting processes to increase efficiency and accuracy.
• Provide guidance to stakeholders on finance and accounting best practices to support effective program implementation.
• Perform other related duties, as assigned.

Annual Budget and Strategic Plan Process:

• Lead the annual budget process and the monthly department budget review meetings.
• Monitor and report on budget to actual performance at the organization, division and department level.
• Recommend creative solutions to budgetary challenges.
• Develop and support multi-year budget projections and trend analysis.
• Responsible for proper preparation of financial analysis related to strategic planning, contract negotiation, or pricing analysis.

Cash Management and Investments:

• Prepare cash flow projections, monitor operating account balances, and recommend necessary cash transfers.
• Review monthly investment reconciliations and investment performance to ensure investment mix is in compliance with the current investment committee guidelines; assist with evaluation of the effectiveness of the investment advisors; and coordinate approval fund transfers with investment custodian.

Internal Controls:

• Develop, communicate, update, and monitor Finance and Accounting policies and procedures.
• Review and update Finance SOPs to clarify roles and responsibilities. Coordinate with Finance management to assign system rights and responsibilities to ensure separation of duties with appropriate access.
• Enforce established internal controls and recommend changes as necessary.
• Maintain internal control and safeguards for receipts, payments, fixed assets and recording transactions.

Team Leadership:

• Lead the Accounting and Finance team (approximately 5 staff), including hiring, training, performance feedback, and establishing performance objectives.
• Motivate and implement training programs for team members to develop skills and increase knowledge base; clarify roles and responsibilities while building a supportive team environment.
• Embrace diverse and inclusive perspectives across the organization, elevate voices not always heard in analysis and strategy.
• Understand a variety of perspectives, manage priorities, and decisively meet expectations.
• Challenge current practices thought processes and perspectives.
• Establish, support and monitor team goals with steps that are realistic and achievable.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, Finance, or Business Administration; CPA is preferred.
• Minimum 10 years’ experience in accounting, financial reporting and generally accepted accounting principles and practices and risk management.
• Must have at least five years of supervisory experience and eight to ten years of progressive experience in finance or accounting.
• Demonstrated familiarity with non-profit accounting practices.
• Solid experience in coordinating audit activities and managing reporting, accounts payable and receivable, general ledger, fixed assets, and accounting for investments.
• Experience in an entity with multiple subsidiaries is desired.
• Proven experience in the implementation of operational best practices.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, ability to interact with all levels of staff and to explain accounting terms to non-accountants, experience in effectively communicating key data, including presentations to senior management.
• Outstanding analytic, organization and problem-solving skills for strategic data interpretation versus simple reporting.
• Demonstrates proficiency in taking complicated financial information and presenting it in a form (financial and written) that is easily understandable and meaningful to an audience that may not be well-versed in financial terms. 
• Demonstrated experience with full range of payroll-related activities.
• Understanding of member -based operations desirable. 
• Technology-savvy with experience selecting and overseeing software and systems implementations; advanced knowledge of accounting and reporting software.
• Advanced Microsoft Office Suite skills, especially Excel and PowerPoint. Experience with Association Management software is desired.
• Demonstrated ability to apply innovative and resourceful solutions to solve complex challenges.
• Excellent written and verbal skills with the ability to clearly organize thoughts and/or document content and convey complex concepts effectively to a variety of audiences.

Location and Flexibility:  Hybrid, expected 2 times a week in the office. Candidates must reside within the Washington DC metro area.