Controller - Finance Department

Description

ABOUT PUBLIC COUNSEL 

Public Counsel is the nation’s largest provider of pro bono legal services. Founded in 1970, it is dedicated to advancing equal justice under law and addressing economic, racial, social, and other inequities by delivering free legal and social services to the most vulnerable members of our community. Public Counsel operates eight legal projects: Children’s Rights, Community Development, Consumer Rights & Economic Justice, Homelessness Prevention, Immigrants’ Rights, Veterans’ Rights, the Audrey Irmas Project for Women & Girls’ Rights, and our impact litigation project, Opportunity Under Law. 

Public Counsel has a full-time staff of over 150. We are committed to building a diverse staff and encourage applications from people of color, people with disabilities, and people of all gender identities, gender expressions, and sexualities.  

JOB SUMMARY

Now in its 53rd year of operations, Public Counsel seeks a mission-driven Controller with previous nonprofit accounting experience. Reporting to the Chief Financial Officer, the Controller will manage the day-to-day finance operations of a $20 million budget. The Controller will join the five-member Finance Team in planning, budgeting, accounting, and reporting on a diversified funding stream, including donations, private grants, government contracts, attorney fees, and investments. 

ESSENTIAL JOB SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Oversee day-to-day accounting and finance activities
• Supervise Assistant Controller, Staff Accountant and Finance Associate
• Partner with Chief Financial Officer, and the Executive and Grants teams in creating the fiscal year budget
• Produce monthly internal and quarterly Board financial statements including review of budget to actual with justifications of variances
• Assist Grants team in timely creating grant budgets for grant applications and renewals
• Review and approve the following:
  • Payroll prior to submission
  • Grant expense reports
  • Program Service Fee invoices
  • Check requests, credit card expenditures and accounts payable invoices including proper expense account coding
  • Bank Positive Pay Exceptions
  • Bank reconciliations for accuracy and timeliness
  • Journal entries
• As needed, partner with Chief Financial Officer to prepare cash flow forecasts, financial analyses, and projections
• Maintain compliance with appropriate GAAP standards, FASB guidance and other regulatory requirements
• Ensure proper controls are observed throughout the department and Accounting Policy Manual is updated as improvements in processes occur
• Participate in grant launch meetings and put procedures in place to comply with reporting intervals and obligations of each grant
• Oversee compilation of quarterly financial data for spend down of grants
• Monthly reviews and reconciliations:
  • Reconcile all Balance Sheet accounts
  • Raiser’s Edge to Financial Edge postings
  • Accounts Receivable and manage follow up of open invoices
  • Accounts Payable for past due or erroneous postings
  • Revenue recognition and release from restriction
  • Monthly compilation of grant hours reporting from Legal Server for accuracy of grant allocations.
• Lead on the following:
  • Annual audit, including the organization and submission of information, audit schedules, and statements.
  • Forms 990, 199 and RRF-1
  • Form 1099 filings
  • Employee Benefit Plan audit
  • Indirect cost rate review
• Espouse a system of rigorous cross-training and documentation of job duties to ensure the ability to function smoothly when team members are out of the office
• Foster a culture of mentoring and encouraging professional growth of staff
• Special projects and additional duties as assigned

Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s Degree in accounting, finance, business administration, or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience
• Minimum 5 years of nonprofit finance experience in a senior accounting or financial management role with an organization having a budget of at least $10 million
• Exceptional knowledge of finance, accounting, budgeting, and GAAP
• Excellent computer skills in accounting software and Microsoft Office Suite
• Financial Edge experience highly preferred
• Analytical ability to develop and implement improvements and recommendations
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Strong interpersonal competencies to work well with a diversity of people
• Responsiveness to requests from management, staff and outside stakeholders
• Self-motivated and self-directed
• Must have the highest integrity and exceptional ethics   

JOB TYPE AND BENEFITS

• Full-Time, Exempt position
• Non-Bargaining
• Salary Range: Salary is commensurate with experience and ranges from $120,000 to $150,000
• Public Counsel offers a competitive benefits package including:
  • Medical, dental, and vision coverage with both HMO and PPO options, 
  • The option to enroll in a Flexible Spending Account, 
  • A 403(b) retirement plan with elective contribution and a discretionary employer contribution after a year of employment, and       
  • Employer-paid life insurance and disability plans.
• Generous paid time off
• Parking and transit benefits

HOW TO APPLY

We value lived experiences and experiences working with clients across a range of settings. Please consider discussing such experiences in your cover letter, especially if they are not reflected in your resume. 

PUBLIC COUNSEL VACCINATION POLICY AND COVID-19 PROTOCOLS

Public Counsel requires vaccination against COVID-19 for all employees, including new hires. Pursuant to federal and state laws, Public Counsel will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified employees with disabilities or sincerely held religious beliefs, unless doing so would pose an undue hardship.

Public Counsel is generally office-based, but remote work has been permitted during the pandemic. As of June 6, 2022, all employees with Public Counsel will be required to work in the office at least one day per week, at the discretion of the head of department. This policy is subject to redesign by leadership. Public Counsel will work in a manner consistent with public health and local and state emergency orders. 

PUBLIC COUNSEL EEO POLICY

Public Counsel is an Equal Opportunity Employer that does not discriminate against employees or prospective employees on the basis of union membership or activity, race, religious creed, religious observance, ethnicity, color, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information or predisposition, military service, military and veteran status, pregnancy, child birth and related medical conditions, marital and family status, national origin, ancestry, age, medical conditions as defined by state or federal law, or disability, or any other basis prohibited by law.

All qualified applicants with criminal histories will be considered in a manner consistent with the requirements of the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring.

Our leadership team is dedicated to this policy with respect to recruitment, hiring, placement, promotion, transfer, training, compensation, benefits, employee activities discipline, discharge and general treatment during employment. 

Salary : $20 - $120,000