Controller

Valley First Credit Union•Modesto, CA

24d

About The Position

The Controller is responsible for ensuring the Credit Union’s financial records are accurate, complete, consistent, and compliant with generally accepted accounting practices and regulatory requirements. The role performs financial analyses for management, the Board of Directors, and outside agencies; manages balancing and reconciliation functions; supports financial systems and reporting; and oversees accounting staff and accounts payable. The Controller owns the monthly financial close, including its calendar, assignments, deadlines, reviews, and escalation process. The position ensures general ledger reconciliations are timely, supported, independently reviewed, approved, and certified in BlackLine or the designated platform. It also maintains controls for reconciling items and clearing accounts, accounting policies and procedures, segregation of duties, journal entries, system permissions, and supporting documentation. The role oversees external financial and regulatory reporting, including the NCUA Call Report, financial statements, tax reporting, and regulatory schedules. It coordinates the CECL process and maintains audit- and examination-ready records, while leading remediation of accounting-related findings and commitments. The Controller reports close status, control issues, staffing capacity, and remediation progress to the CFO and executive management, escalates material issues, develops accounting staff, and serves as the primary accounting liaison with external auditors, Internal Audit, the Supervisory Committee, and NCUA examiners under the CFO’s direction. The position requires strong analytical, problem-solving, organizational, communication, and decision-making skills. Work is performed indoors in a climate-controlled shared work area with minimal noise. The role typically involves sitting and computer work for six to eight hours daily, with occasional lifting or moving of up to 20 pounds. Extended hours may be required or requested by management.

Requirements

Degree in Accounting or Finance.
8 to 10 years of experience in a financial institution; credit union experience is preferred.
Demonstrated experience managing financial close, general ledger reconciliation governance, regulatory reporting, and remediation of audit or examination findings.
Working knowledge of GAAP, CECL, NCUA Call Reports, credit union accounting, and internal-control principles.
Experience with BlackLine or a comparable reconciliation platform and a financial institution core system.
Prior management experience with responsibility for deadlines, quality control, staff development, issue escalation, and sustainable corrective action.
Technical aptitude to understand complex programs and applications.
Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal skills; courtesy, tact, and diplomacy in interactions with others.
Detail-oriented, organized, accurate, and adaptable, with strong decision-making and time-management skills.
Well-developed analytical and problem-solving skills, including troubleshooting and researching current or proposed product capabilities.
Ability to work independently or as part of a team, follow written and oral instructions, manage multiple changing priorities, and exercise discretion with confidential matters.
Ability to work extended hours if required or requested by management and maintain regular, reliable, and timely attendance.
Ability to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects weighing up to 20 pounds occasionally.
Ability to sit for most of the workday, maintain computer work for an average of six to eight hours daily, and perform close-vision tasks such as analyzing data, typing, viewing a computer screen, and reading.
Ability to climb or descend stairs in an emergency and operate routine office equipment.

Nice To Haves

CPA.
Experience in the credit union sector.
Symitar experience.

Responsibilities

Ensure Credit Union financial records are properly accounted for and comply with GAAP and applicable regulatory requirements.
Perform financial analyses for management, the Board of Directors, and outside agencies.
Manage bank reconciliations, investment accounting, general ledger and subsidiary report balancing, shared branching settlement, fixed asset accounting, budget accruals, and prepaid expense accounting.
Research and develop Symitar accounting software and other Finance Department tools; recommend relevant upgrades and efficiencies.
Prepare or review ALM Committee and Board financial reports, subsidiary ledger balancing reports, Federal Reserve deposit reports, and NCUA 5300 quarterly reports.
Manage ongoing ProfitStars cost accounting system activities, including monthly data uploads, output accuracy, software changes, and monthly reports for the Board, ALM Committee, management, and Retail Staff.
Supervise, train, coach, and evaluate accounting staff; establish goals and objectives and provide guidance.
Manage accounts payable for accurate and timely payments.
Ensure appropriate data collection and IRS communications for annual 1099-MISC reporting; ensure accurate and timely member state and federal tax reporting, including annual IRS 945 reporting, and resolve discrepancies with the IRS.
Own the monthly financial close process, including a documented calendar, assigned responsibilities, deadlines, quality review, and escalation of delays or unresolved issues.
Ensure required general ledger reconciliations are timely, fully supported, independently reviewed, approved, and certified in BlackLine or the designated platform.
Maintain formal aging and resolution controls for reconciling items, including root-cause analyses, action plans, owners, target dates, and escalation of aged, recurring, or material exceptions.
Establish and enforce clearing-account standards, including timely clearing and correction of recurring exceptions at their source.
Maintain accounting policies, procedures, process inventories, control documentation, and backup assignments for material accounting functions.
Design and monitor segregation-of-duties controls, including general ledger posting access, independent preparation and approval, journal-entry approval, and periodic access reviews.
Review and approve journal entries and account adjustments according to authority, supporting-documentation, materiality, and risk requirements.
Oversee the accuracy, completeness, reconciliation, and documentation of the NCUA Call Report, financial statements, regulatory schedules, tax reporting, and other external financial reports.
Coordinate the CECL process, including data validation, methodology governance, qualitative-factor support, management review, and reconciliation of the allowance to the general ledger.
Maintain audit- and examination-ready records and lead timely, sustainable remediation of accounting-related DOR commitments, examination findings, management-letter comments, and internal audit exceptions.
Report close status, unreconciled accounts, aged items, control exceptions, staffing capacity, and remediation milestones to the CFO and executive management.
Promptly escalate material errors, suspected losses, missed deadlines, control breakdowns, and resource constraints.
Develop accounting staff through documented training, cross-training, performance standards, succession planning, and backup coverage.
Evaluate accounting staffing, workflow, system configuration, data integrity, access controls, and automation needs; recommend supplemental or outsourced resources when deadlines or control requirements are at risk.
Serve as the primary accounting liaison with external auditors, Internal Audit, the Supervisory Committee, and NCUA examiners under the direction of the CFO.