Controller, Management, Accounting & Finance

Position Summary

Overseeing the functions of accounting, audit, and budgeting for the school, the Controller is responsible for coordinating, preparing, and reviewing financial reports and analyses, including income statements, balance sheets, long-range forecasts, budgets, and analyses of historical and future income and expenses. The position is a supervisory role that reports to the CFO, with three direct reports in the Business Office and direct responsibility for managing the school’s dining services program and school store.

The ideal candidate will hold a bachelor’s degree in business, accounting, or finance with a minimum of 5-7 years of experience in non-profit accounting, including managerial experience. The candidate must have experience in a similar role; independent school experience is a plus. A working knowledge of nonprofit accounting and proficiency with spreadsheet programs are essential. Excellent organizational and analytical skills, effective interpersonal communication, a positive attitude, and the ability to effectively collaborate with a highly motivated team are critical to the success of this role.

Should be knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the mission of The Bryn Mawr School. Opportunities to participate in extracurricular programs (e.g., athletics, arts, after-school programming) are available.

General Accounting and Financial Reporting:

• Responsible for managing the Business Office staff and accounting responsibilities, ensuring accurate and timely financial information preparation and review.
• Preparing monthly financial statements, including variance analyses.
• Supervising student billing, accounts payable, accounts receivable, cash receipts, payroll, and general accounting operations.
• Preparing and/or reviewing account reconciliations monthly.
• Providing support in the hiring, training, and professional development of Business Office, Dining Center, and Brynmawrket (school store) staff.
• Assisting the CFO in the preparation and monitoring of departmental and divisional budgets and forecasts, working with other administrators and department heads concerning budget performance.
• Communicating accounting policies to affected employees and ensuring compliance with such policies.

Audit and Tax:

• Taking the lead position on the preparation of schedules for the annual financial statement audit.
• Taking lead position on Form 990 preparation, drafting all schedules required for its completion, and reviewing preparation and filing of other tax returns, including payroll and property tax returns.

Surveys and Peer Reporting:

• Supervising and reviewing the preparation of all periodic surveys and reports for the School’s trade organizations (e.g., NAIS, NBOA, and BIIS).
• Preparing other similar data as requested.

To perform the job successfully, an individual should demonstrate the following competencies:

• Judgment
  :
  Has solid decision-making skills and outstanding judgment, including discretion in the management of confidential information.
• Ability to learn and teach others established processes
  :
  Recognizes the importance of learning and motivates others through their own enthusiasm. Can learn and reproduce the current processes and recommend best practices to streamline them.
• Time Management: Manages many tasks and projects simultaneously while adhering to deadlines.
• Effective Organization: Creates action plans to meet goals and objectives. Conducts periodic reviews of progress and measures against goals. Establishes broad policies for the office to ensure success.
• Verbal Communication: Effectively communicates accounting and financial issues that are complex in nature. Maintains open communication channels with peers, administrators, and all school community members.
• Written Communication: Effectively communicates broad and complex business issues.
• Problem Solving: Considers a broad range of internal and external factors when solving problems. Grasps complexities and perceives relationships among different problems or issues.
• Relationship Building: The Controller must exhibit excellent relationship-building skills, including a positive attitude and willingness to participate in…