Job Details
The Carthage College Controller serves as the chief accounting officer for the college reporting to the Vice President for Finance/Chief Financial Officer (CFO), the Controller will be responsible for oversight of all finance, accounting and reporting Activities.
The Controller will ensure that the College has the systems and procedures in place to support effective program implementation and conduct audits and will work closely with campus stakeholders, not only to educate them regarding finance and accounting procedures but also to explore how the finance function can best support program operations.
Responsibilities:
- Develops and oversees the College’s financial accounting system to account for the receipt and expenditure of all funds and to report operating results in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). This includes review of all daily, monthly, quarterly, and annual journal entries and reconciliations.
- Maintain internal control and safeguards for receipt of revenue, endowments, restricted gifts, grants, budgets, and expenditures.
- Coordinate all audit and compliance activity, including the financial audit, single audit, in conjunction with Financial Aid, the Defined Contribution Plan audit, IRS Form 5500, Form 990, Form 990-T, and various other higher education mandated reporting.
- Ensure that a documented system of accounting policies and procedures is in place and operating effectively.
- Support the CFO in engaging the board’s audit and finance committees around issues and trends in financial operating models and delivery.
- Oversee all financial, project/program and grants accounting; ensure that expenditures are consistently aligned with grant and program budgets throughout the grant/fund period; collate financial reporting materials for grants.
- Oversee the accounts payable process.
- Manage organizational cash flow forecasting by working in partnership with the CFO.
- Manage and track the performance of invested assets and endowments in keeping with policies and investment guidelines.
Qualifications:
- A degree in Accounting or Finance is mandatory. A CPA certification is strongly preferred. If the candidate is not a CPA, a master’s degree in a related field (such as Management, Accounting, or Business) is required.
- Minimum 7 years of progressive increase in responsibility in supervisory and accounting management.
- Familiar with nonprofit higher education finance and accounting regulations. Experience at a college or university is preferred.
- Exceptional written, oral, interpersonal, and presentation skills and the ability to effectively interface with senior management, faculty, and staff.
- Solid experience coordinating audit activities and managing reporting, budget development and analysis, accounts payable, endowments, restricted gifts, grants, general ledger, and accounting.
- Commitment to recruiting, mentoring, training, and retaining a diverse team; the foresight and ability to delegate accordingly.
- Keen analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills, which allow for strategic data interpretation versus simple reporting.
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills; experience in effectively communicating key data, including presentations to senior management, board or other outside partners.
- Proven ability to lead successful teams.
- Proficiency with Workday and Adaptive is a plus but not required.
- The ability to travel occasionally to complete college business is required
About Carthage
Located on the shore of Lake Michigan in the thriving Chicago-Milwaukee corridor, Carthage College blends the best liberal arts traditions with desirable degree programs, transformative learning opportunities, and personal attention from dedicated faculty and staff. Our beautiful campus, an 80-acre arboretum with stunning lake views, is home to 2,600 undergraduate students and 200 graduate students. Founded in 1847, Carthage is consistently named a Best Midwestern College by The Princeton Review and a Most Innovative School by U.S. News & World Report. All Carthage employees play a vital part in the success of our students, as we work together to create an environment where all can achieve their true potential. Grow with Carthage. Carthage College is an equal opportunity employer (EOE) dedicated to the goal of building a culturally diverse community. We welcome applications from a broad spectrum of people, including members of ethnic minorities, women, veterans, and individuals with disabilities. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender expression, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, protected veteran status or status as an individual with a disability.