Controller

Roots Community Health; Oakland, Northern (CA, KY); On-site; USD 120,000 - 165,000; Full time

Job summary

Roots Community Health Center is seeking a Controller to lead all accounting activities, ensure regulatory reporting, and safeguard the organization’s assets. The role oversees the finance team, strengthens internal controls, and partners with leadership to drive accurate financial forecasting and reporting.

You will manage grants, multi-fund accounting, compliance with GAAP, audits, and the development of timely financial analyses to inform strategic decisions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or related field.
• Active CPA or CMA license or equivalent GAAP mastery.
• Minimum 7 years of progressive accounting experience.
• Experience in multi-entity or nonprofit/healthcare fund accounting.
• Strong internal control design and audit management background.

Responsibilities

• Oversees financial health and regulatory reporting compliance.
• Prepares internal and external financial documents and forecasts.
• Monitors financial reports and identifies cost-reduction opportunities.
• Supervises accounting/finance staff and departments.
• Manages accounts payable, invoicing, and collections.
• Coordinates with external auditors and supports audits.
• Provides leadership with finance insights for decisions.
• Develops and maintains financial workflows and controls.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Cross-functional communication

Detail-oriented

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field

CPA or CMA license (or equivalent GAAP mastery)

Tools

ERP systems

Grant accounting software

General ledger systems

Job description

Description

Position Summary:

The Controller position is responsible for all accounting-related activities within the organization.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Overseers the organization's financial health and ensures reporting compliance with regulatory agencies.
• Prepares internal and external financial documents such as business reports, financial forecasts and other statements/reports.
• Monitors the organization’s financial reports and determines ways to reduce costs.
• Supervise employees and the accounting/finance departments.
• Guides all operations of the finance department, including but not limited to accounts payable, invoicing and collections.
• Monitors variances, summarizes trends and investigates budget deficiencies.
• Assists management with important financial decisions.
• Collects and consolidates financial data.
• Assists in development of strategic plans for financial operations.
• Coordinates and participates with external auditor activity.
• Provides executive leadership with finance related insights for decision-making purposes.
• Establishes and maintains financial workflows and controls; and assesses and improves accounting procedures.
• Screens, hires, trains, and retains finance department staff.

Core Competencies:

Systems Integrity & Fraud Prevention: Maintains an unyielding focus on internal controls, audit trails, and segregation of duties; proactively audits workflows to prevent, identify, and eliminate risk or financial exposure before it impacts the organization.

Rigorous Technical Accuracy: Demonstrates exceptional precision and methodical discipline across general ledger maintenance, reconciliations, grant accounting, and tax compliance; takes personal ownership of bulletproof financial records.

Proactive Risk & Variance Identification: Continuously monitors financial flows for anomalies, budget variances, or unusual transactions; investigates root causes independently and escalates actionable insights rather than raw numbers.

Cross-Functional Partnership & Translation: Communicates complex accounting rules, grant restrictions, and financial reports clearly to non-financial leaders; partners empathetically with department heads to support budget management without compromising compliance.

Process Automation & Workflow Optimization: Continuously evaluates existing financial systems to streamline routines, eliminate manual redundancies, and improve reporting speed while maintaining strict policy enforcement.

Ethical Stewardship & Discretion: Operates with absolute moral clarity, confidentiality, and professional integrity; serves as an unquestioned guardian of organizational assets, mission resources, and donor trust.

Roots Community Health Center is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and values diversity of culture, thought and lived experiences.

We seek talented, qualified individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, marital status, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, conviction history, uniform service membership/veteran status, physical or mental disability, protected medical conditions, genetic characteristics, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression regardless of physical gender, or any other consideration made unlawful by federal, state, or local laws. Roots uses E Verify to validate the eligibility of our new employees to work legally in the United States.

Requirements

• Education & Professional Credentials:
  • Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related business field.
  • Active Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license, Certified Management Accountant (CMA), or equivalent demonstrated mastery of GAAP compliance and internal controls.
• Relevant Experience:
  • Minimum of 7 years of progressive accounting experien, with at least 3–5 years in a Controller, Assistant Controller, or senior financial management role.
  • Proven experience managing high-complexity accounting environments, including multi-entity or non-profit/healthcare fund accounting, state/federal grant compliance, and general ledger oversight.
• Internal Controls & Audit Management:
  • Demonstrated track record of designing, implementing, and enforcing strict internal control frameworks, segregation of duties, and fraud prevention protocols.
  • Direct experience leading successful external financial, compliance, and grant audits with zero major findings or material weaknesses.
• Technical Mastery & Systems:
  • Advanced proficiency with enterprise general ledger systems, automated accounting software, complex financial modeling, and multi-fund reconciliations.
• Ethical Standards & Personal Integrity:
  • Uncompromising moral clarity, professional discretion, and a proven history of managing confidential financial data with complete fiduciary discipline.