Assurance Principal - Higher Education

CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen)•Boston, MA

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

CLA is a top 10 national professional services firm where our purpose is to create opportunities every day, for our clients, our people, and our communities through industry-focused wealth advisory, digital, audit, tax, consulting, and outsourcing services. Even with more than 9,000 people, 130 U.S. locations, and a global reach, we promise to know you and help you. CLA is dedicated to building a culture that invites different beliefs and perspectives to the table, so we can truly know and help our clients, communities, and each other. CLA is currently seeking an Assurance Principal to join our Southern New England Higher Education team. You will be serving community colleges, private universities and public institutions, drive business development, and build an infrastructure of talent to support growth across Higher Education with support to Healthcare and SLG. The Principal contributes at the highest level in their industry and excels at client advisory, service advocacy, relationship development, and leadership.

Requirements

Bachelor's or Master's in Accounting, Taxation or related field
Current CPA licensure required.
10+ years of public accounting experience in an assurance role with a public accounting and/or professional services firm
Experience leading teams of high performing people and managing governmental audits and/or nonprofit (higher education) and Single audits strongly preferred

Responsibilities

Assume full responsibility for all services for clients in a book of business.
Review and sign engagement letters, discuss the nature and terms of assignments with clients and staff, and approve fees.
Establish KPI dashboards for HE leaders (e.g., net tuition revenue, retention, instructional cost per credit hour, program margin, research/auxiliary performance) and track outcomes.
Ensure project teams deliver defensible methodologies and documentation aligned to HE leading practices and sponsor/federal requirements where applicable.
Drive adoption of best‑practice HE methodologies; codify playbooks and accelerators for repeatable delivery (cost models, revenue analytics, benchmarking).
Demonstrate deep understanding of HE economics (student lifecycle, aid, auxiliaries, research, clinical/continuing education) and relevant accounting/OMB guidance as applicable.
Own a prioritized pursuit plan; manage multiple HE engagements; mentor and scale a delivery team with consistent quality and client satisfaction.
Stay current on HE regulatory and operating trends (financial aid, cybersecurity, ESG reporting) and technology transformation (cloud, AI, data analytics).
Develop and execute a segmented business development plan targeting community colleges, private universities, and public institutions.
Periodically review engagement progress to determine whether all phases of the engagement are being carried out properly.
Review time budgets and deadlines, provide ongoing attention to client’s management, and attend final client meetings.
Communicate with managers and staff regarding engagement status, client problems, findings, and recommendations.
Assist clients in obtaining necessary funding to continue to positively impact their community.