Assistant Controller for Financial Operations

inc•Brooklyn, NY

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Assistant Controller is a key member of the Finance team responsible for strengthening the day-to-day operations, management, and effectiveness of the department. Reporting to the Controller, the Assistant Controller will provide hands-on supervision and support to Finance staff, establish clear expectations and accountability for recurring work, strengthen internal processes and controls, and improve communication and coordination across Finance functions. This role is well suited for a strong people and process manager who understands accounting operations and is interested in continuing to develop their technical finance expertise. The Assistant Controller will work closely with the Controller, CFO, Grants & Budget Director, and Finance staff to build consistent, reliable processes and ensure that financial work is completed accurately and on schedule.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in business, finance, accounting, or a related field, or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
At least five years of progressively responsible experience in accounts payable, accounting operations, finance operations, purchasing, or a related function.
Demonstrated experience supervising staff, including assigning and monitoring work, coaching employees, addressing performance issues, and developing staff.
Working knowledge of accounting operations, including accounts payable, accounts receivable, reconciliations, general ledger processes, and financial controls.
Experience developing or improving workflows, procedures, and internal controls.
Strong organizational and project-management skills, with demonstrated ability to manage multiple deadlines and follow work through to completion.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to work effectively with staff at different levels of experience and technical expertise.
Demonstrated ability to identify problems, clarify ownership, and move work toward resolution.
Experience with financial management systems required; experience with Sage Intacct strongly preferred.
Experience in a nonprofit, government-funded, or other complex multi-program environment preferred.

Responsibilities

Provide day-to-day supervision, direction, and support to assigned Finance staff, establishing clear responsibilities, priorities, deadlines, and expectations for completion of work.
Build staff accountability and performance through regular follow-up on assignments, identification of barriers, coaching and training, and appropriate documentation of persistent performance issues.
Strengthen communication and coordination across the Finance team, ensuring staff share information, escalate problems promptly, and understand how their work affects other Finance functions and the organization.
Support the development and implementation of a consistent monthly close process, including tracking assigned tasks, reconciliations, deadlines, and outstanding items, and escalating delays or issues to the Controller.
Oversee and strengthen assigned AP, AR, cash-management, and general accounting workflows, with particular attention to timely processing, reconciliations, supporting documentation, and resolution of outstanding items.
Support the implementation and monitoring of internal controls, including appropriate segregation of duties, payment authorization processes, approval workflows, and review procedures, in partnership with the Controller and CFO.
Serve as an operational liaison between General Accounting and the Grants team, helping resolve handoff issues, clarify ownership, coordinate deadlines, and ensure information needed by either team is provided on a timely basis.
Improve Finance processes and staff use of systems by identifying unnecessarily manual or inefficient workflows and helping staff adopt tools, templates, automation, and consistent procedures that improve accuracy and productivity.
Support the integrity of financial systems and coding structures, including timely creation and closure of programs, cost centers, and other Sage Intacct dimensions and resolution of coding or classification issues.
Develop and maintain Finance procedures, calendars, checklists, and other management tools that establish clear ownership of recurring responsibilities and provide visibility into work that is complete, overdue, or at risk.