Controller

YMCA of Columbia Willamette•Portland, OR

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About The Position

Position Summary The Controller provides operational ownership of the Association’s accounting function, ensuring the integrity of the general ledger, multi-fund accounting, internal controls, and month-end close process across all regions. This role supervises the Revenue Integrity Manager and Accounts Payable staff and maintains disciplined accrual-based accounting standards across programs and departments. The Controller operates with significant autonomy to enforce financial standards, close timelines, and documentation requirements. This position strengthens enterprise accounting controls, supports ERP transition, and ensures audit readiness. Financial strategy, board communication, and investment direction remain under the CFO. WHO WE ARE: We’re an organization like no other. The YMCA is the leading nonprofit committed to strengthening community by empowering young people, improving the health and well-being of people of all ages and inspiring action in and across communities. The Y is a powerful association of men, women, and children of all ages and from all walks of life joined together by a shared passion: to strengthen the foundations of community. OUR MISSION: To put the Christian principles of love, respect, honesty, responsibility, and service into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind, and body for all. ABOUT THE YMCA OF COLUMBIA-WILLAMETTE: The YMCA of Columbia-Willamette is an equal opportunity employer committed to valuing diversity and practicing inclusion. The Y proudly serves as a hub of health and community engagement for individuals and families across six counties in the Portland metropolitan area and Southwest Washington with a population of 2.7 million. https://www.ymcacw.org/ EQUITY STATEMENT: Our Y is committed to treating everyone with dignity and empowering all to reach their full potential as we build thriving, inclusive communities. While we have not always lived up to that vision, our Y is on a journey toward creating an organization that fully embodies anti-racist, multi-cultural values and advances equity for all.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting required; CPA preferred.
7–10 years of accounting experience, including at least 4 years in nonprofit multi-fund environments.
Demonstrated ability to independently manage complex general ledger operations with minimal oversight.
Proven experience leading a clean audit process with limited audit adjustments.
Advanced proficiency in accrual-based accounting, restricted revenue compliance, and interfund transactions.
Experience enforcing close discipline within a decentralized or multi-site organization strongly preferred.
ERP implementation experience strongly preferred.
Strong nonprofit fund accounting expertise.
Practical internal control design and enforcement capability.
Experience reconciling CRM and operational system data to the general ledger.
Clear communicator capable of holding cross-functional accountability conversations.
Strong analytical and organizational skills.

Responsibilities

Own the integrity and accuracy of the general ledger across six funds, including interfund and due-to/due-from activity.
Reconcile complex balance sheet accounts including deferred revenue, investments, receivables, payroll liabilities, and restricted funds.
Oversee payroll-related general ledger reconciliations in coordination with HR.
Maintain disciplined accrual-based accounting standards across all revenue streams.
Partner with the CFO on chart of accounts simplification and ERP preparation.
Oversee accounting and reconciliation of pooled investments and intermingled endowment activity (does not direct investment strategy).
Lead and enforce the monthly close process within established timelines.
Enforce submission standards for deposits, AR activity, and financial documentation across regions.
Provide consistent financial standards and documentation expectations that enable regional leaders to operate with confidence and accountability.
Identify process waste and implement improvements
Supervise and develop the Revenue Integrity Manager.
Oversee deferred revenue and ensure accurate timing of revenue recognition across all system feeds.
Ensure system-to-system revenue integrity and alignment between donor CRM data and the general ledger.
Oversee grant revenue recognition and restricted gift reconciliation in compliance with donor intent and accounting standards.
Strengthen governance around billing accuracy, write-offs, and cross-functional revenue processes.
Develop and implement internal controls aligned with policies established by the CFO and Board committees.
Serve as the operational authority for accounting internal controls and enterprise-level adherence to documented standards.
Identify and remediate control weaknesses; implement practical, scalable improvements.
Co-lead annual audit preparation, own PBC coordination, and support a clean audit process.
Own financial configuration integrity within the accounting system under CFO approval.
Serve as operational finance lead during ERP implementation, including chart of accounts mapping, workflow design, internal control alignment, System Integration Testing (SIT), and User Acceptance Testing (UAT).
Collaborate with IT and Systems & Data teams to ensure financial data integrity and workflow effectiveness.
Support the CFO in annual budget development by validating historical data and assisting with allocation methodologies.
Supervise and develop accounting staff, building contingency readiness and accountability across the function.