Accounting Controller

Bartz-Altadonna Community Health Center; Lancaster (CA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Bartz-Altadonna Community Health Center seeks an Accounting Controller to oversee the organization’s accounting operations and close process. Reporting to the CFO, this hands-on role requires strong NetSuite expertise and experience in an FQHC or comparable healthcare environment.

The Controller will manage accounts payable, general ledger, grant reconciliations, financial reporting, and audit preparation while upholding segregation of duties and policy compliance.

Qualifications

• Active CPA license in good standing and degree in accounting/finance or related field.
• 7+ years of progressively responsible accounting, including leadership roles in healthcare.
• Direct accounting experience in an FQHC or similar healthcare org.
• Advanced NetSuite expertise for GL, AP, close, reporting, and controls.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily accounting operations and supervise staff.
• Maintain complete and timely GAAP-compliant general ledger and close process.
• Oversee accounts payable, cash disbursements, and vendor management.
• Reconcile grants, restricted funds, and healthcare revenue with program records.
• Prepare financial statements, reports, and schedules for CFO/auditors.
• Coordinate audits and ensure compliance with Uniform Guidance and grants.

Skills

CPA license

NetSuite expert

Leadership

GAAP knowledge

FQHC experience

Financial reporting

Audit preparation

Budgeting

Education

Bachelor’s degree in accounting/finance

Master’s degree preferred

Tools

Epic/OCHIN

Payroll integrations

Job description

The Accounting Controller is BACHC’s senior operational accounting leader and is responsible for the accuracy, integrity, timeliness, and control of the organization’s financial records. Reporting to the CFO, the Controller directs day-to-day accounting operations, including accounts payable, the monthly and annual close, general ledger, bank and grant reconciliations, financial reporting, audit preparation, and accounting-system controls. This is a hands-on leadership position requiring strong NetSuite expertise and direct experience in a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) or comparable healthcare environment.

The Controller ensures bills are processed accurately and paid on time while preserving segregation of duties and all approval requirements. The Controller does not replace the CFO’s responsibility for financial strategy, capital planning, financing, enterprise forecasting, Board-level financial leadership, or final treasury authority.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Accounting Operations and Close

• Lead the daily accounting function and supervise accounting staff, including accounts payable and other assigned team members.
• Maintain a complete, accurate, and timely general ledger in accordance with U.S. GAAP, federal grant requirements, and BACHC policies.
• Own the monthly, quarterly, and annual financial close; maintain a close calendar, assign responsibilities, resolve outstanding items, and deliver reliable financial statements to the CFO by established deadlines.
• Prepare and review journal entries, accruals, prepaid expenses, fixed assets, depreciation, intercompany or interfund activity, allocations, and supporting schedules.
• Review the balance sheet and operating results for accuracy, investigate variances, and correct accounting errors promptly.
• Maintain the chart of accounts and ensure transactions are consistently coded by entity, department, location, program, grant, funding source, and other required dimensions.

Accounts Payable and Cash Disbursements

• Direct the full accounts-payable cycle, including invoice intake, three-way matching when applicable, coding, approval routing, entry, payment scheduling, vendor communication, and record retention.
• Ensure approved bills, debt obligations, payroll-related liabilities, leases, utilities, taxes, insurance, and recurring commitments are paid accurately and on time, avoiding late fees, service interruptions, and duplicate payments.
• Maintain an AP aging and weekly payment calendar; elevate cash needs, disputed invoices, missing approvals, and urgent obligations to the CFO before due dates.
• Review payment batches and supporting documentation for completeness. Payment release, bank authorization, and check-signing authority will remain with designated approvers under BACHC policy; the Controller may not both create and independently approve the same payment.
• Maintain vendor files, W-9 documentation, payment terms, and annual Form 1099 preparation and filing; monitor vendor changes for fraud risk.

Reconciliations and Financial Integrity

• Ensure all bank, credit card, investment, debt, payroll, clearing, and balance-sheet accounts are reconciled monthly, reviewed, documented, and cleared of stale reconciling items.
• Perform or review bank reconciliations independently from staff who initiate or release payments and promptly investigate unusual or unauthorized activity.
• Reconcile grants and restricted funds to the general ledger, award budgets, drawdowns, expenditures, receivables, deferred revenue, and supporting program records.
• Reconcile patient-service revenue, accounts receivable, cash receipts, contractual allowances, PPS/wrap activity, and other healthcare revenue accounts with billing and revenue-cycle records.
• Maintain schedules for fixed assets, construction in progress, leases, debt, donor restrictions, prepaid expenses, accrued liabilities, and other significant accounts.

FQHC, Grant, and Regulatory Accounting

• Apply FQHC accounting knowledge to Medi-Cal and managed-care revenue, PPS and wraparound payments, Medicare, HRSA awards, Ryan White and other restricted programs, and applicable cost-reporting support.
• Partner with grant and program leaders to monitor allowable costs, grant budgets, match requirements, reporting deadlines, drawdowns, and spending periods.
• Ensure grant expenditures are adequately supported, properly allocated, within the approved period of performance, and compliant with Uniform Guidance, award terms, and organizational policy.
• Prepare grant reconciliations, financial reports, schedules, and documentation for funders, auditors, and monitoring visits; promptly identify questioned costs or compliance risks.

NetSuite and Accounting Systems

• Serve as the functional accounting lead for NetSuite and use the system to strengthen close management, workflows, approvals, reporting, audit trails, and dimensional accounting.
• Maintain user roles and accounting permissions in coordination with IT, applying least-privilege access and appropriate segregation of duties.
• Improve NetSuite dashboards, saved searches, reports, recurring entries, reconciliations, vendor workflows, and supporting documentation.
• Ensure reliable interfaces and reconciliations among NetSuite, banking platforms, payroll, Epic/OCHIN or other revenue-cycle systems, purchasing, grants, and expense-management tools.

Financial Reporting, Controls, and Audit

• Prepare timely monthly financial statements, management reports, account analyses, variance explanations, and supporting schedules for CFO review.
• Develop, document, implement, and monitor accounting policies, standard operating procedures, close checklists, and internal controls.
• Maintain effective segregation of duties across vendor setup, invoice entry, payment preparation, payment approval, bank release, posting, and reconciliation.
• Lead accounting preparation for the annual financial statement audit, Single Audit, tax filings, lender requests, grant reviews, and other examinations; maintain an organized, audit-ready electronic workpaper system.
• Coordinate audit requests, prepare schedules and confirmations, respond to questions, and drive timely correction of findings and management-letter items.
• Support the CFO with annual budgeting, forecasts, cash-flow reporting, financial analysis, and Finance Committee or Board schedules, while the CFO retains ownership of strategy and executive presentation.

Leadership and Accountability

• Recruit, train, supervise, and evaluate accounting staff; establish measurable standards for timeliness, accuracy, documentation, responsiveness, and close completion.
• Create cross-training and coverage plans so critical accounting duties continue during absences without compromising internal controls.
• Collaborate with Operations, Revenue Cycle, Human Resources, Compliance, Purchasing, Pharmacy, clinical programs, and grant leaders to resolve financial issues and close process gaps.
• Maintain confidentiality, exercise sound professional judgment, and immediately elevate suspected fraud, material errors, control failures, compliance concerns, or significant cash-flow risks to the CFO and appropriate leadership.
• Perform other accounting and financial-management duties consistent with the position and assigned by the CFO or President and CEO.

Required Qualifications

• Active Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license in good standing.
• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or a closely related field; master’s degree preferred.
• At least seven years of progressively responsible accounting experience, including at least three years in a Controller, Assistant Controller, or comparable accounting leadership role.
• Direct accounting experience within an FQHC, community health center, or similarly complex healthcare organization.
• Advanced hands-on NetSuite experience, including general ledger, accounts payable, close, reporting, workflows, roles, and internal controls.
• Strong knowledge of U.S. GAAP, nonprofit accounting, federal grant accounting, Uniform Guidance, audit preparation, and healthcare revenue accounting.
• Demonstrated experience managing AP, bank reconciliations, grant reconciliations, financial close, balance-sheet reconciliations, and staff performance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with HRSA-funded programs, Medi-Cal managed care, FQHC PPS/wrap accounting, Ryan White funding, 340B-related accounting, and healthcare cost-report support.
• Experience with Epic/OCHIN, payroll integrations, banking platforms, purchasing systems, and electronic AP workflows.
• Experience leading a Single Audit and strengthening finance operations during organizational growth, system implementation, or team transition.

Core Competencies

• Hands-on accounting leadership and ownership mentality
• Accuracy, urgency, follow-through, and disciplined deadline management
• Strong analytical, reconciliation, and problem-solving skills
• Clear written and verbal communication with financial and nonfinancial leaders
• High integrity, discretion, and commitment to internal controls
• Ability to organize complex work, close loops, and build accountable teams

Physical and Work Requirements

This position requires regular on-site presence during BACHC business hours, with the ability to work additional hours during month-end and year-end close, audits, budgets, and other critical deadlines. The employee must be able to perform the essential functions of an office-based leadership position, with reasonable accommodation as required by law.

• BACHC is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are made without unlawful discrimination and in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local law.