Los Alamos Public Schools

Position Description: Comptroller

Department: Business Services

Reports To:The Assistant Superintendent of Operations and Finance and Business Manager

Classification: Exempt / Professional

Salary: Begins at $78,000 and scales upward based upon relevant experience and credentials

Position Summary

The Comptroller oversees, validates, and optimizes the daily fiscal and accounting operations of the District's Business Department. Under the strategic direction of the Assistant Superintendent of Finance & Business Manager, this role ensures absolute alignment with federal, state, and local regulatory frameworks, safeguarding the district’s financial integrity through robust internal controls, accurate financial reporting, and diligent fund management.

Education, Experience, & Credential Requirements

A Bachelor’s or Associate degree preferred in Accounting or Business Administration, or a certification as a Public Accountant.. Must possess the ability to successfully qualify for and obtain a valid School Business Official license through the Public Education Department (PED).

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Financial Governance & General Ledger Management

• System Oversight: Direct and maintain the integrity of the District’s general ledger system, ensuring all financial transactions are recorded accurately and in compliance with GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles).
• Year-End Closures: Spearhead fiscal year-end closing processes, including managing the technical execution of system-wide rollovers (e.g., Visions/Tyler ERP system) to guarantee seamless transition between fiscal cycles.
• Treasury & Cash Management: Monitor district banking activities, authorize fund transfers, and optimize cash flow distribution to satisfy accounts payable and payroll commitments. 
• Debt Service Administration: Maintain direct accountability for the punctual execution of principal and interest payments; coordinate and validate all necessary debt service wire transfers to ensure fiscal precision.
• Monthly/Quarterly reconciliation of internal and external accounts

Auditing, Compliance, & Reporting

• Internal Controls: Develop and sustain a continuous internal audit program across all district and activity funds; deliver technical training and oversight to campus and departmental staff managing local fund books.
• External Audit Facilitation: Serve as the primary liaison for annual external audits; synthesize, package, and verify all requisite financial disclosures, schedules, and source documentation.
• Regulatory Submissions: Compile and submit mandatory state reports, including quarterly Cash Reports and Actuals, to the Public Education Department (PED) within strict statutory deadlines.
• Request for Reimbursements (RFR) Management: Lead and manage the entire Request for Reimbursement (RFR) process for all federal, state, and local grants, ensuring flawless documentation, timely financial reporting, and compliance with specific grant funding guidelines.

Strategic Fiscal Operations & Debt Service

• Budgeting Collaboration: Provide analytical support and data-driven insights to executive leadership during the annual budget formulation and revision processes.
• Bond Administration: Partner with executive leadership in the structuring and preparation of municipal bond sales; take direct accountability for the punctual execution of principal and interest debt service payments.
• Ad-Hoc Analytics: Generate sophisticated, compliance-driven financial summaries and miscellaneous reports as requested by the Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent of Finance, or legislative bodies.

Human Capital & Professional Leadership

• Talent Management: Participate actively in the recruitment, rigorous selection, onboarding, and performance evaluation of Business Services personnel.
• Professional Alignment: Maintain an advanced command of emerging institutional finance trends, legislative updates, and best practices by representing the District in professional bodies, such as the Association of School Business Officials (ASBO).

Supervisory Scope

Provides direct supervision, professional mentorship, and performance evaluation for core finance department personnel, including:

• Accounting Technician(s) – Bookkeeping 
• Other Relevant Business Office Staff As Needed

Qualifications & Core Competencies

• Regulatory Knowledge: Deep familiarity with public sector accounting standards (GASB) and state educational funding mechanisms (PED frameworks).
• Analytical Rigor: Proficiency in enterprise financial software and data 

Physical Demands:  

While performing the duties of this job, the employee regularly is required to sit, walk and stand; have manual and finger dexterity; stoop, and talk or hear.  The employee is frequently required to climb stairs.  The employee is occasionally required to bend, reach above shoulder level, crouch, kneel, balance, push/pull, and carry.  The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 5 pounds. The employee may occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds with the assistance of another person or appropriate equipment.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, sit, and talk or hear.  The employee is occasionally required to reach with hands and arms and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.  The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds.  Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment: 

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The noise level in this environment is quiet to moderate depending upon the activity in the particular part of the day.

The information contained in this description is for compliance with the American with Disabilities Act (A.D.A.) and is not an exhaustive list of duties performed for this position.  Additional duties are performed by the individuals currently holding this position and additional duties may be assigned as reasonably determined by the immediate Supervisor.

Salary : $78,000