Controller

Behavioral Health Allies•Kansas City, MO

7d•Onsite

About The Position

The Controller is the senior accounting leader responsible for the accuracy, integrity, timeliness, and control of BHA’s financial operations. Reporting to the CFO, the Controller owns the accounting close and financial reporting process; establishes and maintains accounting policies and internal controls; leads audit, tax, treasury, accounts payable, revenue cycle, restricted-fund accounting, and financial systems activities; and develops the Business Office team. The Controller converts financial data into actionable information for executive leadership while ensuring that financial operations support BHA’s clinical, residential, educational, and transportation services. Guided by BHA’s Core Values—Empower Through Innovation, Integrity in Action, Advocate with Passion, Leaders in Learning, Compassionate Care Always, and Sustainable Growth, Lasting Impact—the Controller establishes a culture of accountability, disciplined financial management, continuous improvement, and responsible stewardship across the organization. This position serves as the CFO’s primary accounting partner and is expected to independently resolve complex accounting matters, anticipate financial and compliance risks, strengthen scalable processes, and ensure that executive leadership receives transparent, timely, and decision-useful financial information.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or related field required; CPA, CMA, or Master’s degree strongly preferred.
Minimum 7 years of progressive accounting or finance experience, including at least 3 years in a supervisory or management role; healthcare, behavioral health, ABA, education, Medicaid-funded services, or other regulated service environments preferred.
Advanced knowledge of GAAP, financial statement preparation, internal controls, account reconciliation, and regulatory reporting.
Demonstrated experience leading month-end and year-end close, budgeting and forecasting, external audits, tax compliance, cash management, and financial analysis.
Demonstrated success leading and developing accounting, billing, or finance staff and establishing clear performance expectations and accountability.
Ability to lead multiple financial workstreams and deadlines while maintaining accuracy, accountability, and appropriate segregation of duties.
Demonstrated professional integrity, ethical conduct, and confidentiality.
Ability to operate independently as a senior financial leader while partnering effectively with executive, operational, clinical, education, and human resources leaders.
Ability to research, evaluate, document, and resolve complex accounting, reimbursement, compliance, and financial-control matters.
Strong organizational and time management skills.
Advanced Excel and financial systems proficiency, with the ability to design reporting, controls, dashboards, and scalable workflows.
Strong analytical, strategic thinking, business-partnering, and problem-solving skills, including the ability to translate financial results into operational actions.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
High ethical standards and commitment to confidentiality.
Ability to prioritize complex tasks, establish team deadlines, and deliver accurate financial information within strict reporting and audit timelines.
Demonstrated initiative, sound judgment, and professional integrity.

Nice To Haves

CPA, CMA, or Master’s degree strongly preferred.
healthcare, behavioral health, ABA, education, Medicaid-funded services, or other regulated service environments preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead implementation and optimization of financial systems, software solutions, dashboards, automation tools, and reporting processes.
Design and standardize scalable financial workflows across billing, collections, cash receipts, purchasing, accounts payable, credit cards, reconciliations, and documentation.
Establish measurable close, A/R, A/P, revenue-cycle, and reporting processes that improve timeliness, accuracy, visibility, and accountability.
Own the integrity of financial reporting, reconciliations, vendor payments, revenue recognition, balance-sheet support, and internal controls.
Maintain strict confidentiality of client data, payroll information, contracts, staff files, and other sensitive materials.
Establish and monitor compliance with GAAP, state and federal requirements, audit standards, payer requirements, contractual obligations, and BHA financial policies.
Uphold compliance with DMH restricted fund standards (G&S, PSA & NAFS) and ensure timely monthly disbursement and reconciliation.
Protect the financial interests of clients, families, and the organization by ensuring responsible stewardship of resources.
Serve as a senior financial partner to department leaders, providing analysis, guidance, challenge, and support for financial and operational decisions.
Lead, coach, supervise, and develop accounting and revenue-cycle team members; establish goals, performance standards, cross-training, and succession coverage.
Build cross-training, documented procedures, and backup coverage to strengthen Business Office continuity and reduce key-person dependency.
Maintain expertise in accounting standards, Medicaid and payer requirements, regulatory changes, and industry practices that affect BHA’s financial operations.
Provide responsive and professional communication to vendors, districts, state partners, staff, and families.
Ensure financial processes (e.g., vendor payments, contract renewals, restricted funds) support service continuity.
Approach internal and external partners with respect, professionalism, and a solution-focused mindset.
Lead financial reporting, forecasting, variance analysis, and decision support that informs long-term organizational planning and sustainable growth.
Lead the annual budget process with the CFO and department leaders and maintain disciplined monthly forecasting and variance review.
Identify margin improvement, cost-control, cash-flow, and operational-efficiency opportunities and partner with leadership on corrective action plans.
Maintain oversight of revenue-cycle performance, including billing timeliness, collections, denials, cash application, A/R aging, payer trends, and related key performance indicators.
Own preparation and review of timely, accurate monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements, management reports, dashboards, variance analyses, and supporting schedules.
Lead internal and external audit preparation, coordinate requested schedules and documentation, resolve findings, and track corrective actions through completion.
Coordinate financial reporting, tax, regulatory, lender, insurance, and other compliance requirements in partnership with the CFO and external advisors.
Own the monthly and year-end close calendar, including journal entries, accruals, allocations, reconciliations, review controls, and timely resolution of reconciling items.
Review and approve balance-sheet reconciliations, including cash, receivables, prepaid expenses, fixed assets, liabilities, payroll-related accounts, intercompany balances, and other material accounts.
Oversee reconciliation of employee benefit invoices, payroll withholdings, payroll-related liabilities, and related general ledger activity; coordinate exceptions with Human Resources and payroll personnel.
Oversee complete and accurate revenue recording, cash application, contractual adjustments, and reconciliation to billing and payer systems.
Lead A/R oversight and revenue-cycle performance management, including aging, denials, collections, timely filing, payer issues, and key performance indicators.
Establish controls and approval requirements for client financial agreements, payment plans, write-offs, credits, refunds, and collection escalations consistent with BHA policy.
Oversee accounts payable and payment cycles, including approval controls, segregation of duties, vendor setup, payment methods, and cash requirements.
Establish and monitor controls over corporate credit cards, purchasing cards, expense documentation, coding, approvals, and reconciliation.
Oversee vendor financial administration, including payment performance, W-9/1099 processes, contract-related financial obligations, and resolution of significant vendor issues.
Oversee financial administration of utilities, leases, and sublease arrangements for residential and other BHA locations, including appropriate coding, reconciliation, and payment controls.
Own accounting controls and oversight for client restricted funds, including G&S, PSA, and NAFS, to ensure disbursements align with approved budgets, authorizations, and applicable DMH requirements.
Ensure timely monthly reconciliation, supervisory review, exception resolution, and documentation of client fund accounts and related custodial activity.
Provide financial review and oversight for letters of intent, contracts, and new revenue arrangements, including pricing, payment terms, financial risk, and accounting implications.
Maintain financial oversight of renewals for school, transportation, out-of-state, payer, vendor, and other material contracts in coordination with operational and executive leadership.
Partner with operations leadership to identify, quantify, implement, and monitor cost-saving, productivity, margin, and process-improvement initiatives.
Lead finance-side technology implementation, system controls, testing, documentation, data integrity, and adoption for financial systems and integrations.
Prepare and present recurring and ad hoc financial reports, forecasts, analyses, and recommendations for the CFO and executive leadership.
Lead resolution of escalated billing, collections, vendor, client-fund, reconciliation, and other financial matters, escalating material risks to the CFO as appropriate.
Perform special projects, due diligence, financial modeling, policy development, and organizational initiatives as assigned by the CFO.