Controller

Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce; North Charleston (SC); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce seeks a Controller to lead the finance function, drive forecasting, and ensure accurate reporting across the organization’s programs, grants, and events.

The role partners with the COO and CEO to implement modern finance technology, strengthen internal controls, and transition from outsourced accounting to an internal, scalable finance team.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting or finance is required with CPA preferred.
• Minimum 5 years’ progressively responsible accounting experience in finance leadership.
• Nonprofit and grant accounting experience strongly preferred; GAAP expertise required.

Responsibilities

• Own month-end close, year-end close, and management reporting across funds and programs.
• Oversee grants accounting, internal controls, and audit readiness.
• Lead ERP/system optimization and finance-technology initiatives including AI-enabled capabilities.
• Develop and mentor Finance team to scalable internal operations.
• Partner with COO/CEO to deliver forecasting, dashboards, and board reporting.

Skills

Financial analysis

GAAP knowledge

Nonprofit accounting

ERP systems

Leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance

CPA license

Tools

Sage Intacct

Ramp

Excel

Power BI

GrowthZone

Job description

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Controller

Charleston North Charleston, SC, US

Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce
Controller

Division: Finance

Reports To: Chief Operating Officer (COO)

Direct Reports: Financial Analyst; Director of Grant Compliance

FLSA Status: Exempt

Location: Charleston, SC

Revised: October 2026

Position Summary

The Controller is the Chamber’s senior accounting and financial planning & analysis leader and a key partner to the COO in developing and executing the Chamber’s finance strategy. The role is responsible for building and leading a scalable internal Finance function while ensuring the integrity of financial reporting, month-end and year-end close, forecasting and analysis, cash-flow forecasting and liquidity oversight, internal controls, nonprofit and grant accounting, audit readiness, and finance-team development. Leading the Financial Analyst and Director of Grant Compliance, the Controller will play a central role in transitioning accounting from an outsourced model to an internal operating structure, implementing and optimizing modern finance technology, including responsible adoption of AI-enabled capabilities, and establishing stronger forecasting, analytics, cash-management, and Board-reporting capabilities. The Controller is accountable for the quality and effectiveness of the Finance function while appropriately delegating transactional, preparer, and analytical work across the team.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the monthly and year-end close process and ensure timely, accurate financial statements and management reporting across entities, funds, departments, programs, grants, and projects/events.
• Maintain general-ledger integrity and appropriate accounting under GAAP and nonprofit standards, including ASC 958, revenue recognition, receivables, deferred revenue, contributions, grants, and restrictions.
• Review and approve journal entries and reconciliations prepared by the Financial Analyst; divide balance-sheet reconciliations with the Analyst based on complexity, risk, workload, development opportunities, and segregation of duties.
• Oversee intercompany accounting, allocations, working-capital accounts, payroll accounting, and other significant or judgmental accounting matters.

Financial Planning, Analysis & Executive Reporting

• Lead monthly management reporting, budget-to-actual analysis, monthly reforecasting, annual budget mechanics, and forward-looking financial analysis.
• Own the rolling cash-flow forecast and liquidity analysis, reviewing detailed updates prepared by the Financial Analyst and developing scenarios and other decision-support analyses.
• Review and challenge business assumptions with department/program leaders and translate operating activity into reliable organizational forecasts.
• Create a presentation-ready monthly Financial Reporting Package (FRP) for the COO, including financial statements, forecasts, cash position, key variances, risks, opportunities, and financial outlook; partner with the COO and CEO on strategic context, insights, and decision support.

Cash, Controls & Grant Financial Oversight

• Oversee banking and treasury controls while delegating routine banking, cash monitoring, transfer initiation, bank and cash reconciliation preparation, and corporate-card administration to the Financial Analyst within established authorization and segregation-of-duties requirements; review and approve bank and cash reconciliations prepared by the Financial Analyst.
• Establish and continuously improve accounting policies, internal controls, authorization protocols, documentation standards, and finance compliance processes.
• Provide financial leadership for the Chamber’s grant portfolio and supervise the Director of Grant Compliance; ensure grant accounting, coding, allocations, drawdowns, budget-to-actual tracking, financial reporting, and audit readiness are accurate and well controlled.
• Maintain regular coordination with the Director of Grant Compliance on grant budgets, actual results, forecasts, billing/drawdown status, variances, accounting issues, and financial reporting.
• Own the financial statement audit, Form 990, year-end financial package, and Finance team preparation for any required Federal Single Audit; delegate appropriate schedules and workpapers and review the completed work.
• Serve as senior finance process owner for ERP and related finance technology, including integrations with GrowthZone, Ramp, banking, payroll, reporting tools, and successor platforms.
• Lead, coach, and develop the Finance and Accounting Team, including the Financial Analyst and Director of Grant Compliance; establish clear accountability while progressively delegating appropriate accounting, banking, systems, audit-preparation, and analytical work.

Finance Transformation & Strategic Execution

• Partner with the COO to help develop and execute the Chamber’s finance strategy, translating organizational priorities into scalable accounting, forecasting, cash-management, reporting, systems, and team capabilities.
• Lead the transition of accounting activities from the Chamber’s outsourced accounting provider to a fully internal operating model, establishing clear ownership, controls, procedures, documentation, close responsibilities, and accountability across the Finance team.
• Serve as the senior Finance lead for implementation and optimization of Sage Intacct, Ramp, and related finance systems, including financial-process design, chart-of-accounts and dimensional structure, workflows, controls, integrations, testing, data validation, documentation, and user adoption.
• Partner with the COO to identify, implement, and responsibly adopt AI-enabled finance capabilities, including secure integration with Sage Intacct and other finance platforms, to improve financial reporting, forecasting, reconciliations, analysis, close processes, and management decision support.
• Establish a disciplined monthly close and reconciliation process that appropriately delegates transaction processing, journal entries, reconciliations, schedules, and other preparer responsibilities across the Finance team while maintaining appropriate Controller review and accountability.
• Build and institutionalize enhanced financial-management capabilities, including monthly forecasting and reforecasting, rolling cash-flow forecasting, management analytics, and a presentation-ready monthly financial package for executive leadership and the Board.
• Develop the Finance team into a scalable operating function by establishing clear roles, accountability, cross-training, documented processes, and progressive delegation of responsibilities.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or closely related field and active CPA license required.
• Minimum 5 years of progressively responsible accounting experience with demonstrated ownership of close, financial reporting, audit support, internal controls, and accounting-process leadership; prior Controller title preferred but not required. Demonstrated success developing staff and delegating transactional and close activities within a finance team is required.
• Strong GAAP and technical accounting knowledge required. Nonprofit or grant-funded accounting experience, including ASC 958, is strongly preferred, with federal grant/2 CFR experience highly desired.
• Demonstrated experience with budgeting, forecasting/reforecasting, cash-flow forecasting, variance analysis, management decision support, and cash/treasury oversight.
• Experience coordinating with external auditors and preparing audit-ready workpapers required; nonprofit audits, Federal Single Audits, and Form 990 experience highly desired.
• Strong ERP and Excel capabilities required; experience implementing, materially improving, or serving as a finance lead for an ERP, AP/expense platform, or comparable finance technology is strongly preferred. Experience with Sage Intacct, Business Central, GrowthZone, Ramp, Power BI, automation, or comparable platforms is a plus.
• Demonstrated ability to operate beyond historical accounting and reporting with a strategic, forward-looking orientation toward forecasting, cash management, analysis, and decision support; ability to develop finance staff and communicate financial results, risks, forecasts, and recommendations clearly to senior leadership, Executive Committee, and Board audiences.

Core Competencies

• Strategic mindset
• Team Development and Leadership
• Technical accounting judgment
• Financial and analytical leadership
• Internal controls
• Cash and treasury oversight
• Executive and Board communication
• Systems/process improvement
• Change leadership
• Integrity and sound judgment