Controller, Finance & Banking, Financial Manager

About the role

The Controller serves as the senior technical accounting expert and operational lead for the Business Office at Epiphany School, ensuring accurate, timely, and compliant financial operations across the school. This role acts as the primary operational lead for day-to-day financial functions such as accounting, financial reporting, budgeting, internal controls, compliance, and financial aid administration while supporting the Chief Financial & Operating Officer (CFOO) in strategic planning, financial oversight, and policy implementation.

The Controller bridges the gap between transactional workflow and strategic finance leadership, providing redundancy and continuity for key functions and serving as a trusted partner to the CFOO, Head of School, department heads, and Board of Trustees This role ensures that financial systems and policies align with best practices, regulatory requirements, and the school's mission and values. The Controller provides accurate financial information, strategic analysis, and risk-aware decision support.

The Controller also directly supervises the Staff Accountant & Payroll Specialist, providing guidance, review, and quality control while maintaining appropriate segregation of duties and strong internal controls.

This is a full-time, exempt, year-round, administrator position reporting to the CFOO.

Location

The person in this role must work in-person on the school campus in the Madrona neighborhood of Seattle, Washington. Epiphany School does not cover or reimburse relocation costs and/or expenses.

Standard work hours are typically Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:00pm. Staff meetings typically run through 5:00pm on Wednesdays (dates will be communicated ahead of time).

This position may require infrequent evening and weekend work to support school community events such as the school auction.

Working from home is permitted occasionally after the 90-day probationary period.

What you'll do

Financial Accounting & Reporting

• Produce monthly financial statements, variance analyses, and operational dashboards for internal and external users.
• Oversee tuition management and family billing in coordination with the Admissions team and the Financial Aid committee.
• Manage financial aid modeling, tuition receivables, and enrollment-related accounting.
• Prepare and manage annual budgeting and multi-year forecasting in partnership with the CFOO and department heads.
• Strengthen internal controls and implement standardized processes across the Business Office, including AP, AR, Payroll, HR, and other departmental budgets.

Operational Oversight & Staff Management

• Supervise the Staff Accountant & Payroll Specialist; review, approve, and ensure accuracy of their work.
• Oversee day-to-day accounting operations, providing guidance and coaching to the Specialist.
• Ensure segregation of duties, compliance with internal controls, and alignment of workflows to school policy and GAAP.
• Serve as first point of contact for vendor contract reviews before CFOO or Head of School approval.

Strategic & Leadership Support

• Serve as CFOO proxy in Finance Committee meetings, audits, and vendor meetings as needed.
• Collaborate with department heads to support financial planning, operational decision-making, and cost management.
• Identify operational inefficiencies and recommend solutions to improve accuracy, timeliness, and effectiveness.
• Provide continuity and redundancy for critical finance functions to ensure smooth operations.

Typical Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

Required:

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or related field (CPA preferred).
• Minimum of 5+ years of progressive accounting or financial management experience, including oversight of accounting operations, ideally in nonprofit or school settings.
• Strong knowledge of nonprofit accounting principles, GAAP, and internal controls.
• Proven experience in budgeting, forecasting, and financial statement preparation.
• Experience supervising staff and reviewing transactional accounting work.
• Excellent communication skills in the English language (fluency in additional languages a plus), including the ability to convey complex financial information clearly and effectively.
• Strong project management, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• High degree of integrity, confidentiality, and ethical judgment.

Preferred:

• Independent school or nonprofit experience.
• Experience with financial aid modeling, tuition management, and enrollment-related accounting.
• Familiarity with Blackbaud Financial Edge, Rippling, Sawyer, or similar systems.

Compensation & Benefits

The salary range for this role is between $120,000 - $140,000 based on years of experience, education, skill, and internal equity in line with our school's Administrator pay scale. When determining an initial offer, we carefully consider these factors.

Alongside salary, Epiphany School offers a comprehensive benefits package including:

• Benefits stipend to put towards employee benefits including medical, dental, vision…