VP, Controller

Role Profile:

The Vice President, Controller serves as the strategic leader of the credit union’s accounting, financial reporting, and internal control functions, ensuring the accuracy, integrity, and clarity of financial information. The role oversees compliance with GAAP and all state and federal regulations while strengthening the organization’s financial infrastructure and enabling data-driven decision-making.

The Controller guides financial strategy, treasury activities, forecasting, and budgeting, leveraging financial technology, automation, and analytics to enhance performance and operational efficiency. Managing and developing the Finance team, the controller maintains a strong internal control environment to mitigate risk, modernizes financial processes and systems to support organizational growth.

As a key advisor to senior leadership and the Board, the Controller provides insights into financial results, trends, and emerging risks, helping shape long-term strategy and organizational priorities. The role requires a strategic, self-starting leader capable of building scalable systems, improving reporting capabilities, and transforming the finance function into a forward-looking, analytical, technology-enabled operation.

This position is intentionally designed as a succession path to the Chief Financial Officer, offering a unique opportunity for an experienced finance leader to influence enterprise strategy and step into the top financial leadership role of the organization.

Key Success Factors

• Hands-on leadership that develops the team: Provide day-to-day coaching and structure for a largely junior accounting staff, elevating capability, confidence, and cross-training while modeling strong communication and accountability.
• Modernize and streamline finance operations: Introduce automation, workflow improvements, data visualization, and system efficiencies to transform a legacy environment into a more scalable, technology-enabled function.
• Establish a highly reliable financial engine: Build a “set it and forget it” accounting environment that delivers consistently accurate, timely information, restoring full confidence from senior leadership and the Board.
• Demonstrate strategic thought leadership: Bring forward solutions, challenge existing processes, and help shape the financial roadmap—showing the ability to lead rather than wait for direction.
• Accelerate mastery across treasury, ALM, liquidity, and investments: Develop the deeper balance-sheet, profitability, and risk-management skills required to step into broader financial leadership roles.
• Position the role for CFO succession: Show readiness through strategic insight, executive communication, scenario thinking, and the ability to guide decisions that impact the organization’s long-term financial health.

Responsibilities Include:

Financial Leadership & Reporting

• Oversee all accounting operations to ensure timely, accurate, and transparent financial reporting for Senior Management, the Board of Directors, and regulatory agencies.
• Maintain the integrity of financial records through strong internal controls, sound accounting policies, and comprehensive documentation.
• Direct general ledger management, accounts payable, fixed assets, investment accounting, borrowings, retirement plan accounting, participation loan reporting, and mortgage servicing rights.

Team Leadership & Talent Development

• Provide strategic leadership to the accounting team, building a high-performing function that delivers accuracy, accountability, and operational excellence.
• Directly supervise employees and carry out all managerial responsibilities in accordance with organizational policies and applicable laws, including interviewing, hiring, and training; planning, assigning, and directing work; evaluating performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; and addressing complaints and resolving issues.
• Foster a culture of communication, continuous improvement, and professional growth through regular staff meetings, structured monthly one-on-one discussions, and consistent coaching.
• Ensure team members understand evolving policies, procedures, and expectations, and are equipped to meet quality standards and support enterprise objectives.

Strategic Finance, Planning & Analysis

• Support the CFO in CECL preparation, financial modeling, and enterprise-level reporting.
• Assist with the annual budget process and conduct ongoing variance analysis to inform business decisions.
• Conduct profitability analyses across branches, products, and services to evaluate performance and recommend strategic improvements.

Treasury, Liquidity & Investment Oversight

• Oversee daily cash management and liquidity monitoring, including short-term borrowings to support balance-sheet stability.
• Serve as custodian of the credit union’s investment portfolio, safeguarding funds and securities while maintaining strong relationships within financial markets to ensure access to capital.

Governance, Committees & Executive Engagement

• Serve as a member of ALCO, the Product & Pricing Committee, and the Credit Risk Committee.
• Present financial insights, trends, and recommendations to the Board and committee structures, and serve as the delegate for the SVP/CFO when needed.
• Participate in capital planning and merger evaluation activities to support enterprise growth and strategic positioning.

Internal Controls, Audit & Compliance

• Maintain and enhance a documented system of internal controls, accounting policies, and procedures to ensure compliance and operational rigor.
• Review financial operations—including accounting, finance, investments, and purchasing—for proper controls and process efficiency.
• Partner with internal and external audit teams to assess systems and controls and ensure implementation of recommended improvements.
• Anticipate changes in the financial reporting environment and lead proactive planning efforts.

Cross-Functional Partnership & Stakeholder Support

• Serve as a knowledgeable resource to internal divisions, auditors, examiners, and members on accounting policies and financial reporting matters.
• Lead or support ad hoc initiatives and strategic financial projects at the direction of the SVP/CFO.

Community & Industry Engagement

• Promote the credit union’s commitment to community engagement and industry involvement, modeling leadership internally and externally.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, Business, Finance, or a related field; CPA or Master’s degree strongly preferred.
• Minimum of ten years of progressive experience in accounting or financial management, ideally within a credit union, bank, or other regulated financial institution.
• Demonstrated mastery of GAAP accounting, financial reporting, internal controls, and risk management, with the ability to ensure accuracy, compliance, and operational integrity.
• Strong experience with automated financial systems, financial modeling, data visualization, and process automation; proven ability to modernize workflows and leverage technology to enhance efficiency.
• Hands-on leadership capabilities with experience managing and developing staff, providing coaching and performance feedback, and fostering a collaborative, accountable, high-engagement culture.
• Ability to communicate complex financial concepts clearly and confidently to staff, senior leadership, Board members, auditors, and regulators.
• Proven decision-making skills grounded in sound judgment, analytical thinking, and an enterprise-wide perspective.
• Demonstrated ability to operate as a strategic thought partner—bringing forward solutions, contributing to long-term planning, and helping shape the financial roadmap.
• Ability to build credibility and strong relationships across the organization, working effectively with members, staff, senior management, and directors.
• Experience or strong aptitude in balance-sheet strategy, asset/liability management, liquidity, treasury, and investment concepts, or the ability to quickly develop this expertise.
• High ethical standards and professional integrity consistent with the responsibilities of a senior financial leadership role.
• This position may be subject to SAFE Act Registration Requirements.
• Leadership potential and intellectual curiosity aligned with the role’s succession path to Chief Financial Officer, including the ability to demonstrate readiness through strategic insight, scenario thinking, and executive communication.

Salary Range: $180,000 - $205,000 plus bonus. Additional flexibility will be considered for the right candidate

SE: 510751311