Controller

WHAT WE DO

Our Mission: to build self-reliance among youth, adults, and families through high-quality, community-based services.

Our Vision: to foster both long-lasting personal growth and systemic change to improve the adverse social conditions impacting youth, adults, and families. Lifeline seeks to build resiliency within those we serve, thereby empowering them to reach their highest potential.

Our Core Values:

• Prevention: to provide the earliest intervention to reduce system involvement.
• Quality: to pursue excellence in client intervention and clinical oversight.
• Collaboration: to build mutually beneficial partnerships to increase impact.

For 50 years, Lifeline Community Services (Lifeline) has been helping low-income youth and families achieve self-reliance. With more than 125 full-time staff members and 215 dedicated volunteers, we offer over 30 unique programs across our five focus areas: youth development, family strengthening, housing and stabilization, behavioral health, and anti-human trafficking. With a current annual operating budget of $17M, we are continuing to grow as an organization and expand our services region-wide. From our original base in Vista, we now operate nine sites across the county, including Oceanside, San Marcos, Vista, Escondido, and San Diego. Last year, we served 4,304 clients through intensive case management, coaching, and clinical interventions, and 27,259 with educational outreach services and referrals. Our clients are predominantly low to extremely low-income from communities across San Diego County. Most of our programs are clinically based, with a focus on integrating services across the organization to break down programmatic silos and apply a true wrap-around approach for the individuals and families we serve.

LEADERSHIP & CULTURE

Lifeline is a highly trusted partner and a backbone organization for the community. As a key service provider, convener, and collaborator, we are guided by a committed board of recognized leaders and pride ourselves on a supportive culture where team members stay for up to 25 years. Staff recently noted that “leadership is highly visible” and “team members are empowered to use their autonomy as professionals.”

Lifeline is led by CEO Lisette Islas, a powerhouse in the nonprofit sector known for her "people-first" philosophy. Lisette remains focused on ensuring Lifeline remains grounded in its history while steadily aligning with the social, economic, and behavioral health realities shaping today’s communities. The Controller will report directly to CFO Alejandra Alvarez, who brings over a decade of elite financial rigor from Ernst & Young’s (EY) Assurance practice. As a dedicated mentor and community advocate, Alejandra provides an ideal environment for a leader to grow under high-caliber executive guidance.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

• Salary – $120,000 - $140,000
• Medical, dental, vision, chiropractic, acupuncture, and life insurance
• Matched 403(b) retirement plan
• PTO: 0-2 years: Vacation 15 paid days off, 6 sick days, 14 paid holidays
• Employee assistance program
• Training and education assistance
• Flexible spending accounts
• Menu of optional benefits, including short-term disability, critical illness, accident, hospitalization, pet insurance, and cancer policy

LOCATION

This is a hybrid role with an office at Lifeline Community Services, located at 200 Michigan Avenue, Vista CA 92084.

POSITION SUMMARY

Reporting to the CFO, the Controller will serve as a strategic leader overseeing Lifeline’s day‑to‑day financial operations and strengthening the organization’s fiscal infrastructure. As a key bridge between finance and operations, they will help turn data into clear insights that guide mission‑driven decisions, while supervising and developing a five‑member accounting team. As a member of the senior leadership team, the Controller will have a voice in major organizational conversations and decisions, assisting to modernize financial processes, formalize policies, and advance Lifeline’s innovative pay‑for‑performance models to ensure the organization’s financial health fuels its community impact.

This is an especially exciting moment to join Lifeline, as the CEO builds a world‑class leadership team to accelerate our growth. The Controller will play a pivotal role in launching new revenue streams, coaching the fiscal team, and strengthening core systems. For a leader eager to run their own department, serve on the leadership team, and partner closely with the CFO, CEO, and Program Directors, this role is a great choice. The new Controller position offers the chance to build something meaningful and help propel Lifeline into its next chapter.

Year One Priorities:

• Enhance our month-end close process to ensure accurate, timely reporting to leadership. Identify and eliminate manual accounting steps by implementing scalable, automated workflows.
• Fully operationalize pay-for-performance funding model to provide advanced cost and revenue forecasting needed for 2026/2027 planning.
• Partner with leadership to select and implement a new HR and payroll system, creating a unified data infrastructure.
• Refine and strengthen documentation of internal controls with scalable policies, documentation and review procedures.
• Coach and mentor the team to help further develop technical accounting acumen.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Own and oversee all aspects of accounting, including general ledger, payroll and month-end close process that ensures accuracy and transparency.
• Serve as the primary liaison for the annual external audit and tax filings (Form 990); maintain an "always-ready" audit posture by enforcing high-quality standards across all fiscal activities.
• Synthesize financial data into compelling, easy-to-digest narratives for non-finance leaders; clarify the "human story" behind the numbers to help Program Directors see how fiscal health directly drives community impact.
• Function as the CFO’s right hand. Prepare Board and management internal financial reporting packages, including analytical review. Design high-level dashboards and mission-critical KPIs that provide a transparent, data-driven roadmap for organizational governance.
• Serve as an internal business advisor to guide program expansion and resource allocation; develop sophisticated "what-if" scenarios and long-range forecasts to assess the viability of new programs.
• Build the financial infrastructure and compliance frameworks necessary to navigate new business and revenue streams, diversifying Lifeline’s long-term funding base.
• Direct the annual budgeting process; collaborate with department heads to align fiscal planning with Lifeline’s strategic goals and operational realities.
• Provide direct, hands-on supervision for a team of five; foster a culture of professional accountability where staff are coached to move beyond transactional tasks toward technical, analytical, solution-oriented thinking.
• Lead the evolution of the finance division by recrafting internal controls and standard operating procedures (SOPs); transition the team from siloed workflows to a unified, high-performance operational standard.

BACKGROUND PROFILE

• Demonstrated mastery of GAAP and the ability to maintain high-quality standards across accounting operations. Experience with ASC 958 (Not-for-Profit Entities) and ASC 842 (leases) preferred.
• A seasoned supervisor with a track record of leading diverse teams; you prioritize mentorship and professional development to build a high-accountability team.
• Deep familiarity with sophisticated funding environments, such as performance-based contracts or public grants, and the ability to navigate their unique compliance nuances.
• A "process-first" professional who has successfully led software implementations or workflow redesigns to eliminate inefficiencies and improve data visibility and reporting.
• An exceptional communicator who bridges the gap between finance and operations by making complex financial concepts relatable to non-financial stakeholders.
• A deep-seated passion for serving and uplifting communities in need, with the ability to see how financial precision directly supports community impact.

REQUIREMENTS

• Background check and compliance with pre-employment screening, including drug tests.
• Flexibility to work outside of traditional business hours as needed to meet organizational priorities.