Controller Bookkeeper - Nonprofit Focus

Accountability Plus, Inc.; Santa Barbara (CA); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Accountability Plus, Inc. is seeking an experienced controller-level bookkeeper to provide advanced bookkeeping, financial reporting, and controller-level services for nonprofit clients.

You will manage fund accounting, prepare reports for boards, and support audits, while coordinating with CPAs and payroll providers. This hands-on senior role emphasizes accurate, timely financial information, strong internal controls, and clear communication.

Qualifications

• Significant bookkeeping or accounting experience in a multi-client environment.
• Advanced nonprofit accounting experience supporting multiple nonprofits.
• Strong fund accounting, budgeting, and reporting to the board.
• Experience with audits and year-end tax work.
• Advanced full-cycle bookkeeping and resolving discrepancies.
• Expert-level QBO skills and advanced Excel proficiency.
• Knowledge of California-specific accounting and compliance requirements.
• Familiarity with payroll platforms like Gusto, ADP, or QuickBooks Payroll.
• Experience with client portals and third-party QBO integrations.
• Clear written and verbal communication, strong attention to detail, and reliable follow-through.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with clients and teammates.

Responsibilities

• Provide advanced bookkeeping, accounting, financial reporting, and controller-level support for nonprofit clients.
• Maintain fund accounting records, tracking restricted and unrestricted activity.
• Prepare, review, and present financial reports, budgets, and schedules to nonprofit boards.
• Support grant, program, donor, and fundraising accounting processes.
• Help clients prepare records and documentation for audits and year-end work.
• Coordinate with CPAs, auditors, payroll providers, and other outside professionals.
• Identify and communicate practical next steps for accounting and workflow improvements.
• Oversee and perform AP, AR, reconciliations, payroll entries, journal entries, and month-end close.
• Review GL activity and investigate discrepancies and incomplete transactions.
• Design and maintain COAs based on reporting needs and client requirements.
• Prepare and present financial statements; support year-end deliverables incl. 1099s and sales tax.
• Review financial information for accuracy, consistency, and proper classification.
• Clean up and stabilize incomplete or disorganized records.

Skills

Nonprofit accounting

Fund accounting

Board reporting

Advanced Excel

QBO skills

Communication

Attention to detail

Independent work

Education

Bachelor0s degree in accounting/finance/business

Tools

QBO

Excel

Payroll systems

Job description

Do clean books, meaningful missions, and helping nonprofits succeed sound like your kind of work? Bring your nonprofit accounting expertise to a multi-client team where your work strengthens organizations that serve others.

Accountability Plus is looking for an experienced controller-level bookkeeper to provide advanced bookkeeping, financial reporting, and controller-level services for a portfolio of clients, with a particular focus on nonprofits.

This is a hands‑on, senior-level role for someone who understands that nonprofit accounting is about more than balancing the books. Our clients rely on accurate fund accounting, thoughtful financial reporting, strong internal controls, useful board reporting, and a financial professional who can see and present the story behind the numbers. You will primarily serve nonprofit organizations while also supporting clients in other industries as business needs require. You will manage recurring and deadline-driven work, solve bookkeeping and reporting issues, communicate directly with clients, and help keep financial information accurate, timely, and useful.

Leadership experience is preferred but not required. If you enjoy sharing knowledge, reviewing work, and helping other bookkeepers grow, that’s a plus.

THE MISSION What You’ll Do

• Provide advanced bookkeeping, accounting, financial reporting, and controller-level support for nonprofit clients.
• Maintain fund accounting records, including appropriate tracking of restricted and unrestricted activity.
• Prepare, review, and present financial reports, budgets, and supporting schedules to nonprofit boards.
• Support grant, program, fund, donor, and fundraising‑related accounting processes.
• Help clients prepare accurate records and supporting documentation for audits and year‑end work.
• Coordinate with CPAs, auditors, payroll providers, and other outside professionals.
• Identify accounting, reporting, and workflow concerns, then proactively and clearly communicate practical next steps.
• Perform or oversee AP, AR, bank and credit card reconciliations, payroll‑related entries, journal entries, and month‑end close.
• Review general ledger activity and investigate unusual balances, discrepancies, and incomplete transactions.
• Help design, maintain, and improve charts of accounts based on client and reporting needs.
• Prepare and present financial statements; prepare annual 1099 support, sales tax returns, and other year‑end deliverables.
• Review financial information for accuracy, completeness, consistency, and proper classification.
• Clean up and stabilize incomplete or disorganized accounting records.
• Apply appropriate sales‑tax, payroll, and entity‑specific bookkeeping knowledge for clients outside the nonprofit sector.

THE JUGGLING ACT Managing Multiple Clients Without Dropping the Details

• Manage recurring, timely, and urgent responsibilities across multiple client accounts.
• Prioritize work based on deadlines, risk, client needs, and team capacity.
• Maintain accurate task status information in the firm’s workflow systems.
• Provide proactive updates about deadlines, missing information, unresolved items, and potential delays.
• Adapt to changing client needs while maintaining confidentiality and firm standards.
• Escalate significant accounting, compliance, or client‑service concerns appropriately.
• Use QBO at an expert level, including applicable third‑party integrations.
• Use Excel at an advanced level, including formulas, pivot tables, data organization, and reporting support.
• Work confidently with bank feeds, document‑management tools, payroll systems, client portals, bookkeeping workflow platforms, and approved accounting‑productivity tools.
• Demonstrate advanced proficiency with Microsoft 365, including Outlook, Teams, and SharePoint. Use Zoom confidently for client meetings, presentations, and ongoing communication.
• Troubleshoot common accounting‑system, bank‑feed, integration, and workflow issues.

THE MUST-HAVES What You Bring

• Significant, relevant bookkeeping or accounting experience in a multi-client environment.
• Advanced nonprofit accounting experience supporting more than one nonprofit organization.
• Strong working knowledge of fund accounting, nonprofit budgeting, financial analysis, plus reporting to the board.
• Experience preparing books and supporting schedules for audits and year‑end tax work.
• Advanced full‑cycle bookkeeping and the ability to resolve discrepancies.
• Expert‑level QBO skills and advanced Excel proficiency.
• Knowledge of California‑specific accounting and compliance requirements.
• Familiarity with payroll platforms such as Gusto, ADP, or QuickBooks Payroll.
• Experience with client portals and third‑party QBO integrations.
• Clear written and verbal communication, strong attention to detail, and reliable follow‑through.
• The ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with clients and teammates.
• A calm, accountable approach to competing priorities and deadlines.

BONUS POINTS Preferred, Not Required

• Experience reviewing the work of other bookkeepers.
• Leadership, delegation, coaching, or mentoring experience.
• A bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business, or a related field.
• An interest in helping develop nonprofit procedures, templates, quality standards, and the firm’s nonprofit service team.
• The desire and ability to grow into a leadership role.

WHY US Why Join Accountability Plus?

• Work with purpose: Help nonprofit organizations gain the financial clarity they need to advance their missions.
• Variety without monotony: Focus on nonprofit clients while continuing to work across other industries.
• Modern tools: Join a cloud‑based, Microsoft 365‑driven firm that values smart systems and organized workflows.
• Meaningful expertise: Use your advanced accounting skills to solve real problems, not simply process transactions.
• A collaborative team: Work with people who value accuracy, accountability, good judgment, and proactive communication.
• Room to grow: Share what you know, mentor others if that interests you, and help shape our growing nonprofit services.

Great bookkeeping keeps organizations moving. Great nonprofit bookkeeping helps missions thrive. Come do both with us.