Controller

Careers In Nonprofits•Menlo Park, CA

31d•Onsite

About The Position

The Controller will own the day-to-day accounting operations of the Foundation and is the subject matter expert on private foundation financial compliance. The Controller produces accurate, timely financial statements; safeguards assets through sound internal controls; ensures grantmaking and operating activities are recorded and reported in accordance with GAAP and the private foundation rules under the Internal Revenue Code; and gives the Senior Management team the financial information they need to make sound stewardship decisions.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, or a related field
CPA license is required
10+ years of progressively responsible accounting experience
4+ years at a Controller level at private grant-making and/or operating foundation(s)
Demonstrated expertise in nonprofit GAAP and financial statement preparation
Strong working knowledge of the private foundation rules under IRC Chapter 42 and the Form 990-PF, or comparable exempt organization tax experience with the ability to come up to speed quickly
Knowledge of standard payroll laws, policies, procedures, and regulations
Exceptional accuracy and follow-through, with the judgment to know which details matter
Ability to prioritize and balance multiple projects simultaneously, with proven effective time-management skills
Operates independently in a lean team; identifies problems and brings solutions
Clear written and verbal communication, including the ability to explain technical accounting and compliance issues to non-finance colleagues
Advanced Microsoft Excel skills
Proficiency with NetSuite, Concur, Adaptive, Salesforce, and Google Workspace

Nice To Haves

Experience with international grantmaking, expenditure responsibility, or equivalency determination
Experience with investment accounting with alternative asset classes, including partnership accounting and K-1s

Responsibilities

Own the monthly, quarterly, and annual close, including journal entries, reconciliations, and the general ledger
Prepare GAAP-basis financial statements for nonprofit entities (standalone and consolidated), including the statement of financial position, statement of activities, statement of functional expenses, and statement of cash flows
Prepare monthly and quarterly financial reporting packages and analysis for the Senior Management team
Manage accounts payable, expense reimbursement, corporate card administration, and payroll processing and reconciliation
Monitor liquidity and cash forecasting to ensure grant payments and program operating needs are funded without forced sales
Maintain the Foundation’s financial compliance and reporting calendar, and drive it proactively so filings, audit deadlines, and payout requirements are met without last-minute pressure
Document and maintain internal controls over financial reporting and disbursements, including segregation of duties, approval authorities, and fraud prevention over payments
Serve as the primary liaison for the annual financial statement audit: prepare the PBC schedules and resolve auditor requests through to closure
Identify and implement process improvements that reduce manual work and close time, including AI-enabled workflows and the automation of spreadsheet-driven processes
Serve as an AI champion for the finance function: evaluate new capabilities, train colleagues, and lead responsible adoption within appropriate governance and data-security controls
Supervise, coach, and develop finance staff; set priorities, review work, and build bench strength
Partner across the organization — program, grants management, operations, and legal — as a service-oriented resource rather than a gatekeeper
Manage preparation of the annual Form 990-PF for the Foundation, including the qualifying distribution and minimum distribution requirement calculations under IRC §4942 for the grantmaking foundation, and the net investment income excise tax under IRC §4940, including the quarterly estimated payments
Monitor for self-dealing (§4941), excess business holdings (§4943), and jeopardizing investments (§4944), maintaining the disqualified persons list and escalating potential issues to the Senior Management team
Maintain charitable registrations and other periodic regulatory filings
Coordinate Form 990-T and unrelated business income tax filings arising from alternative investments, and manage Forms 1099, 1042-S, W-2, and state and local filings
Account for grants payable in accordance with ASC 958, including multi-year commitments, present-value discounting, conditional versus unconditional promises, and modifications or cancellations
Partner with the grants management team to reconcile the grants management system to the general ledger and to ensure payment schedules, currency, and coding are accurate
Maintain the accounting and documentation supporting compliance with the taxable expenditure rules under IRC §4945, including expenditure responsibility grants, equivalency determinations for foreign grantees, and grants to individuals requiring advance IRS approval
Ensure grantee due diligence controls operate as designed, including tax status verification, OFAC and anti-terrorism screening, and W-9/W-8 collection
Track and account for program-related investments (PRIs), including funding, valuation, repayments, and their treatment as qualifying distributions
Participate in the annual operating and administrative budget process in partnership with the Senior Accounting Director and department leaders
Produce budget-to-actual reporting with substantive variance analysis, not just variance tables
Build multi-year payout and spending models that connect portfolio performance, the grantmaking foundation's minimum distribution requirement, and grantmaking commitments
Support the annual spending policy calculation and coordinate the flow of investment results into the budget and long-range financial model
Support program management with decision-making and problem-solving by effectively communicating with non-financial staff and providing concise and user-friendly spreadsheets and analysis
Support the Senior Management team in evaluating budget and forecast alternatives, modeling the cost and trade-offs of each