Controller, Accounting, Financial Compliance

Controller

Seattle Chamber Music Society (SCMS)

Seattle Chamber Music Society is seeking a Controller to lead and strengthen our accounting and financial operations at a pivotal moment of organizational growth. This role will oversee day‑to‑day accounting and financial management while helping build the systems, clarity and operational structure needed to support a dynamic and evolving organization.

SCMS operates at the intersection of artistic excellence and community impact, with programming that spans festivals, year‑round concerts, education initiatives, digital broadcasting, a record label, and community engagement throughout the region and beyond. We are looking for someone who is equally comfortable ensuring the numbers are right and asking how the systems behind them could work better.

This is an opportunity for a finance professional who wants meaningful ownership, cross‑functional partnership, and the chance to help shape how a growing arts organization manages and uses its resources. The ideal candidate enjoys building systems, solving operational problems, and creating organizational clarity in a fast‑moving environment.

The Controller reports directly to the Chief Executive Officer and supervises the organization’s part‑time bookkeeper.

• Oversee day‑to‑day accounting operations, including AP, AR, payroll coordination, contractor payments, and monthly close
• Prepare timely and accurate financial statements, dashboards, and internal reporting
• Manage cash flow and ensure financial visibility across the organization
• Lead annual budgeting, forecasting, and scenario planning processes
• Support audit preparation and serve as the primary point of contact for auditors
• Coordinate preparation of Form 990 and related tax filings
• Oversee regulatory, tax, compliance, and reporting requirements, ensuring filings and financial obligations are completed accurately and on time
• Lead management of restricted funds, grants, annual fund and campaign fund financial tracking, and project‑based reporting
• Partner closely with development staff to help structure clear, viable gift agreements and ensure donor intent can be effectively tracked, managed, and reported on financially
• Oversee financial planning and control of capital projects, including budgets, project cash flow, and financing

• Evaluate and improve financial workflows, controls, and documentation
• Partner across departments to streamline processes and improve operational clarity
• Help implement scalable systems that reduce manual work and increase accuracy
• Identify opportunities to better leverage technology across financial operations and reporting
• Support integration and optimization of systems including Accounting Software, Patron Manager, payroll platforms, and related operational tools

• Work closely with the CEO and Senior Director of Business Operations to support planning and organizational decision‑making
• Support preparation of financial materials for board and finance committee meetings, ensuring clarity, accuracy, and alignment with organizational priorities
• Translate financial data into clear, actionable insights for leadership and the board
• Help bring structure, consistency, and accountability to financial processes across departments
• Support long‑range planning as SCMS continues to expand its artistic, digital, and institutional initiatives

• Serve as the organization’s lead internal finance professional, with full responsibility for accounting and financial reporting integrity
• Supervise and support the organization’s part‑time bookkeeper
• Coordinate external accounting, audit, tax, payroll, and compliance partners as needed
• Establish and maintain clear roles, workflows, and controls across all finance‑related functions

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business administration, or a related field
• Strong understanding of GAAP and experience managing full‑cycle accounting operations
• Experience preparing financial statements, budgets, forecasts and cash flow analyses
• Ability to…