Associate Controller

College of the Holy Cross; United States; On-site; USD 114,000 - 124,000; Full time

Job summary

The College of the Holy Cross is seeking an Associate Controller to lead accounting and tax services, strengthen internal controls, and oversee month-end close, gift activity, and financial processing for the college. This role requires GAAP expertise, supervisory experience, Workday ERP familiarity, and advanced Excel skills.

You will collaborate with the Controller and Advancement to ensure accurate reporting, compliance, and timely filings across federal, state, and institutional

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration or Accounting.
• 5–7 years of progressive responsibility in accounting, preferably in a higher education.
• CPA and public accounting experience preferred.
• Strong knowledge of GAAP and regulatory requirements for higher education.

Responsibilities

• Supervise Senior Accountant team and oversee cash, gifts, payroll/accounting.
• Post daily gift feeds to GL and reconcile with Advancement records.
• Ensure GAAP compliance and proper endowment/gift classification.
• Prepare financial statements, tax filings, and agency reports.
• Support system implementations and process improvements.

Skills

Supervisory experience

Advanced Excel

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration or Accounting

CPA (optional)

Tools

Workday ERP

Job description

Job Description

At Holy Cross, we are focused on creating a world-class workforce by attracting and retaining employees dedicated to fostering a culture of professionalism, pride, mutual trust, and respect—one that values appreciation and recognition, empowering each of us to flourish both individually and collectively. We seek candidates who are inspired by our mission and values, and who are eager to make a meaningful difference on our campus. Learn more about Life at Holy Cross here. Responsible for providing professional accounting and tax services with a focus on strengthening policies, procedures and internal controls and improving customer service to the college community and external parties. Serve as a lead contributor to the month end closing process responsible for overseeing gift activity for the College in the general ledger including annual fund, endowment and restricted gifts, pledges and charitable planned giving. This role works closely with the Controller providing assistance in the performance of various functions in the financial processing for the college including the supervision of staff with a high volume workload to meet monthly, quarterly and annual deadlines, as well as the preparation of financial statements, reports, tax returns and other data in compliance with applicable laws, rules, regulations, policies, and higher education industry practices.

Major Areas of Responsibility

Supervise and mentor Senior Accountant covering cash, gifts, payroll/benefits accounting, and related audits/filings; set goals, manage workload/priorities, and provide ongoing performance feedback and development coaching. Review and post daily gift feed/journals to the general ledger; reconcile to Advancement records (daily/monthly), investigate discrepancies, and ensure accurate donor gift classification and documentation. Serve as primary liaison between Advancement and Finance to ensure compliance with GAAP and donor restrictions; determine appropriate net asset classification for endowment and restricted gifts and support major/complex gift transactions. Maintain the endowment model subledger; calculate monthly income, realized/unrealized gains/losses, and spending; reconcile endowment activity to the general ledger and Advancement records. Prepare endowment income and spending projections and related internal reporting. Review contributions receivable reconciliations; record pledge discounts and allowances for uncollectible pledges; oversee pledge receivable monitoring and reporting. Prepare and reconcile non-pooled investments and related split-interest agreements/obligations; coordinate investment reporting with custodians as applicable. Monitor restricted gift and grant expenditures to ensure compliance with donor and sponsor requirements; set up new grants in the general ledger including grant accounting structure and budgetary controls. Prepare financial reports to granting agencies; process and request federal drawdowns. Provide post-award grants management oversight; advise Principal Investigators on budgeting, allowability, and expenditure issues; support effort reporting and federal grant compliance requirements. Prepare indirect cost and fringe benefit proposals and support related rate development and documentation. Oversee accounting and budgeting for agency/fiduciary funds, including reconciliations and periodic reporting. Prepare federal and state tax filings including Form 990, 990-T, and applicable state returns; support related schedules and documentation. Assist with monthly/quarterly/annual close ensuring timely, accurate transaction posting and completion of balance sheet reconciliations. Play a lead role in annual financial statement preparation and coordination of benefit plan audits (DB/DC), including Form 5500 preparation support. Prepare workpapers and documentation for Uniform Guidance audits and other audits (e.g., workers’ compensation); coordinate with internal stakeholders and external auditors to meet deadlines. Monitor, assess, and improve internal controls; develop, document, and update accounting policies and procedures to strengthen control environment and operational efficiency. Perform accounting research, document conclusions, and assist with implementation of new accounting standards, regulations, and reporting requirements. Provide cross-training and backup support for key accounting functions, including payroll backup management and other team coverage as needed. Participate in special projects such as system implementations/upgrades, process improvement initiatives, ad hoc financial analysis/reporting, and other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration or Accounting and a minimum of 5 - 7 years’ of progressive responsibility in accounting positions, preferably in a higher education environment. CPA and public accounting experience preferred. Comprehensive knowledge of accounting standards (GAAP) and federal and state regulations applicable to a higher education institution. Demonstrated supervisory experience with a focus on quality customer service and team leadership and mentoring skills. Experience working with ERP (Workday preferred) and other SaaS systems. Advanced proficiency in Excel, with experience using other Microsoft applications.

Disclaimer

The description above represents the most significant duties of this position but does not exclude other occasional work assignments not mentioned, the inclusion of which would be in conformity with the factor degrees assigned. The salary range for the Associate Controller is $114,000-$124,000 commensurate with experience and qualifications. The College is committed to providing competitive market pay for its employees.

Additional Information

Weekly Hours: 40 Annual Work Schedule: To review our generous benefits options, please review our detailed information here or check out our Benefits at a Glance. The College also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities during the hiring process in compliance with law. Please contact Human Resources for questions or to request an accommodation via email at [e-mail], or by calling 508-793-3391. The College is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and complies with all Federal and Massachusetts laws concerning Equal Opportunity in the workplace.

Founded in 1843 in Worcester, Massachusetts, the College of the Holy Cross is among the nation's leading liberal arts institutions. A highly selective, four-year, exclusively undergraduate college of 3,200 students, Holy Cross is renowned for offering a rigorous, personalized education in the Jesuit, Catholic tradition. Holy Cross highly values the unique skills, perspective, talents and passion that each employee contributes to its learning community. To work at The College is to accept an invitation to participate in the growth and development of all campus members, students, faculty and staff. The College's commitment to diversity is an important feature of the Holy Cross education. Informed by the presence of diverse interpretations of the human experience, Holy Cross is building a community marked by freedom, mutual respect, and civility. We seek others who support our values of justice and inclusiveness and encourage all to apply. For the third year in a row, Holy Cross is honored to be a WorkWell winner and a Top 100 Healthiest Employer in America!

Learn more about life at Holy Cross on our LinkedIn Life page or view our website to explore our generous benefit offerings.