Controller

Pacific Legal Foundation; United States; Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Medical and dental insurance

Employer-paid retirement savings

Generous paid leave

Flextime policies

Job summary

A mission-driven nonprofit organization is seeking a Controller to enhance their financial operations. In this pivotal role, you will oversee accounting, drive efficiency, and ensure compliance with GAAP. Lead and mentor a talented finance team while translating complex data for leadership decisions. Ideal candidates will have 10+ years of progressive nonprofit accounting experience, strong team leadership, and a commitment to transparency and integrity in financial practices.

Qualifications

• At least 10 years of progressive accounting experience, preferably in nonprofit.
• Comfortable translating financial data for non-financial colleagues.
• Experience leading teams and building internal controls.

Responsibilities

• Oversee day-to-day accounting operations and ensure compliance with GAAP.
• Manage monthly close process and prepare accurate financial statements.
• Train and mentor the accounting team while fostering accountability.

Skills

Nonprofit accounting

Financial reporting

Team leadership

GAAP compliance

Process improvements

Education

CPA or equivalent experience

Job description

Join to apply for the Controller role at Pacific Legal Foundation

You: You’re a mission-driven financial leader who thrives in environments that blend precision, purpose, and problem-solving. You don’t just “close the books”—you build systems that make an organization stronger, more transparent, and more accountable. You’re as comfortable diving into journal entries as you are presenting insights to leadership. You take pride in doing things the right way, not the easy way, and you see fiscal discipline as a form of integrity.

You’re also energized by working with smart, principled colleagues who care deeply about advancing freedom and opportunity. You want your skills to matter and to contribute to something bigger than compliance or reporting. At PLF, your work ensures that our mission to defend liberty is backed by operational excellence and sound stewardship.

Here’s what you get to do in this role

As PLF continues to grow, our Finance team is evolving to ensure we are prepared to scale with discipline, clarity, and transparency.

You will serve as the financial backbone of the organization by overseeing accounting operations, ensuring the integrity of our financial records, and assisting leadership with smart, data-driven decisions. Your responsibilities will include managing the monthly close process, maintaining strong internal controls, and driving improvements to make our financial systems more efficient and reliable.

You will work closely with the CFO to translate complex financial data into meaningful insights for the Board, executives, and program leaders. Additionally, you will supervise and mentor members of the finance team, helping them develop their skills and confidence while fostering a culture of accountability and trust.

You will ensure compliance with GAAP, lead annual audits, oversee payroll and benefits reporting, and protect the organization’s assets by implementing thorough controls. Furthermore, you will continuously seek new ways to improve our processes, whether through automation, process design, or technology that enhances accuracy and efficiency throughout the organization.

Job Duties

• Oversee day-to-day accounting operations, including general ledger, A/P, A/R, payroll, and journal entries.
• Manage the monthly close process and prepare accurate, GAAP-compliant financial statements.
• Review and approve reconciliations, journal entries, and supporting schedules.
• Maintain the chart of accounts and ensure proper coding of all transactions.
• Partner with the CFO to produce timely and reliable reports for leadership and the Board.
• Support annual budgeting and forecasting; prepare monthly budget-to-actual and variance reports.
• Oversee financial tracking, reporting, and compliance for restricted funds and endowments.
• Lead the annual financial audit and 403(b) audit; prepare and review Form 990 and other required filings.
• Maintain and enforce internal controls and ensure compliance with all tax and regulatory obligations.
• Supervise and mentor the Staff Accountant and Payroll Specialist; provide regular feedback and professional development opportunities.
• Identify and implement process improvements and technology upgrades to increase accuracy and efficiency.

This role is ideal for you if

• You have at least 10 years of progressive accounting experience (nonprofit experience preferred).
• You are a CPA, or you bring equivalent technical expertise and leadership experience.
• You take pride in accuracy, consistency, and a clean audit every year.
• You can translate financial data into actionable insights for non-financial colleagues.
• You’ve led teams, coached others, and built strong internal controls from the ground up.
• You enjoy solving problems, modernizing systems, and staying ahead of emerging accounting standards.
• You’re energized by the idea of supporting a mission-driven organization that defends individual liberty.

General Information

Pacific Legal Foundation identifies and litigates important legal issues to set landmark precedents that will benefit Americans nationwide. Using strategic and principled litigation, communications, and research, we battle for freedom in the nation’s courts and the court of public opinion.

As a national nonprofit organization, PLF has brick‑and‑mortar offices in Sacramento, California; Arlington, Virginia; and Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, although approximately half of the staff work from home offices across the country. You can work physically in any of our offices or request to work virtually.

This is a full-time, permanent position. PLF is committed to recruiting and retaining the highest-quality talent available nationwide, and we offer a total compensation package that includes a competitive salary, medical and dental insurance, and employer‑paid retirement savings. We take work‑life balance seriously through our generous paid leave and flextime policies.

To Apply

Qualified candidates should submit the following application materials (in order) in one PDF document:

• Cover letter including: Why PLF is the place for you, why you want to fight for liberty, and what distinguishes you from typical applicants.
• Resume, including your accounting and leadership experience, and any involvement in the liberty movement.

Applications should be submitted to Talent Market via this link: talentmarket.org/apply-for-your-dream-job/

Questions can be directed to Savannah Rupp, Project Manager at Talent Market, who is assisting with the search: [e-mail].

There is no application deadline for this position. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. This job will remain posted on our site until it is filled.

While we thank all applicants in advance for their interest in this position, we are only able to contact those to whom we can offer an interview. Only direct applications will be considered. No phone calls, please.

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