Controller (Non Profit)
WEConnect International
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Job summary
WEConnect International in Washington, DC seeks a strategic, hands-on Controller to oversee the organization’s financial operations, reporting, budgeting, and compliance with U.S. nonprofit accounting standards.
You will lead the finance team, manage audits, grants, procurement, HR coordination, and risk controls, partnering with senior leadership to translate financial data into actionable insights while ensuring donor restrictions and government award requirements are met.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business, or related field; CPA is highly preferred.
- 7+ years of progressive accounting/finance experience, including nonprofit sector.
- Experience with US GAAP, audits, budgets, and cash management.
- Experience with government awards and Uniform Guidance is preferred.
- Ability to communicate financial information clearly to non-financial colleagues and senior leaders.
- Experience supervising staff and coordinating internal/external accounting partners.
- Experience supporting HR admin, benefits, payroll, and compliance in a nonprofit.
Responsibilities
- Own the general ledger and month-end close in accordance with US GAAP.
- Lead audits and prepare financial statements, budgets, and reports for leadership and board.
- Manage grants, contracts, and donor-restricted funding compliance.
- Oversee cash, payables, receivables, payroll, and procurement controls.
- Strengthen internal controls and maintain audit-ready records.
- Coordinate with CEO and leadership on financial planning and risk management.
Skills
Education
Tools
Job description
WEConnect International Washington, District of Columbia, United States
About WEConnect International
WEConnect International is a global nonprofit that helps women-owned businesses succeed in local and global markets by connecting them with major corporations and institutions committed to inclusive sourcing.
Our members include multinational corporations, multilateral institutions, and government agencies—such as global companies, development banks, and public sector organizations that collectively represent more than $4 trillion in annual purchasing power. Through their engagement with WEConnect International, these organizations expand opportunities for women entrepreneurs while strengthening global supply chains.
About the role
WEConnect Internationalseeksa strategic, hands-on Controller to lead the integrity, accuracy, and timeliness of the organization’s financial and administrative operations. The Controller oversees accounting, monthly financial reporting, budgeting, internal controls, audit readiness, grant and contract compliance, procurement controls, cash management, insurance administration, human resources administration, and the month-end and year-end close processes. The role serves as the primary finance liaison to the Board Audit Committee and partners closely with the other departments and senior leadership to translate financial information into clear, actionable insights while ensuring compliance with U.S. nonprofit accounting requirements, donor restrictions, government awards, contracts, insurance requirements, employment-related obligations, and organizational policies.
- Own the general ledger and ensure complete,accurate, andtimelyrecording of financial activityin accordance withU.S. GAAP and nonprofit accounting standards.
- Lead monthly, quarterly, and annual close processes, including account reconciliations, accruals, prepaid expenses, fixed assets, deferred revenue, restricted net assets, and payroll allocations.
- Prepare and review monthly financial statements, budget-to-actual reports, cash flow information, forecasts, and management reports for the CEO, and Board-related reporting.
- Ensure revenue and expenses are accurately coded by program, funding source, geography, and functional classification.
- Maintain and strengthen internal controls that safeguard assets, support segregation of duties, and promote consistent documentation and approvals.
- Ensure compliance with donor requirements, government awards, contracts, organizational policies, and applicable federal, state, and local requirements.
- Monitor financial risks and recommend practical corrective actions, process changes, or policy updates.
- Maintain audit-ready records and lead preparation of schedules and supporting documentation for the annual financial statement audit, Uniform Guidance audit when applicable, and Form 990 process.
- Oversee cash position, bank and credit card reconciliations, accounts payable, accounts receivable, collections, and cash disbursements.
- Review vendor payments, employee reimbursements,purchasingactivity, and supporting documentation for accuracy, authorization, and policy compliance.
- Oversee payroll accounting, allocations,accruedliabilities, and reconciliation of payroll-related entries.
- Provideresponsive financial guidance to staff, vendors, funders, and other internal and external stakeholders.
- Support development of the annual operating budget, program budgets, forecasts, and scenario analyses.
- Monitor grant and contract financial performance, including restricted funding, allowable costs, indirect cost treatment, invoicing, reporting, and closeout requirements.
- Provide leadership with concise analysis of variances, trends, liquidity, and emerging financial issues.
- Partner with program and regional leaders to improve financial understanding, accountability, and planning.
- Oversee financial aspects of theprocure-to-pay lifecycle, including requisitions, approvals, vendor setup, contracting coordination, invoicing, and payment controls.
- Maintain reliable financial workflows and documentation across QuickBooks Online, Zip, SharePoint, and related systems.
- Identifyand implement process improvements that increase accuracy, visibility, speed, and control without creatingunnecessaryadministrative burden.
- Develop clear procedures and deliver practical training for staff on financial policies, coding, documentation, purchasing, invoicing, and reimbursements.
- Lead, coach, and support finance team members and external accounting partners, with clear accountability for deliverables and deadlines.
- Coordinate effectively with the CEO, leadership team, budget owners, auditors, banks, payroll providers, and other partners.
- Promote a service-oriented finance function that combines sound controls with practical support for the organization’s mission.
- Oversee core human resources administration in coordination with leadership and external advisors, including employee records, benefits administration, payroll coordination,onboardingand offboarding documentation, andrequiredemployment-related filings and notices.
- Maintain confidential and complete personnel documentation and support consistent application of approved organizational policies and procedures.
- Coordinate with brokers, payroll providers, benefits administrators, legal counsel, and other external partners on HR-related matters and compliance requirements.
- Support leadership with workforce budgeting, compensation andbenefitscost analysis, and HR-related risk identification.
- Coordinate the organization’s insurance portfolio, including renewals, applications, certificates of insurance, claims support, coverage documentation, and tracking of policy requirements.
- Work with brokers and leadership to assess coverage needs andidentifygaps or emerging organizational risks.
- Maintain a compliance calendar for key financial, corporate, insurance, grant, tax, employment, and regulatory deadlines.
- Ensure required records, approvals, registrations, filings, and supporting documentation are complete, current, and readily available for review.
- Oversee the administrative and financial review of contracts, grants, memoranda of understanding, vendor agreements, and consulting agreements before execution.
- Coordinate contract routing, approvals, signature status, filing, renewal dates, payment terms, insurance requirements, and closeout documentation.
- Monitor compliance with key financial and administrative contract obligations and elevate material risks, exceptions, or overdue actions to leadership.
- Maintain an accessible central contract repository and reliable contract tracking process in SharePoint or other approved systems.
- Serve as the primary management liaison to the Board Audit Committee in partnership with the CEO.
- Prepare clear andtimelyAudit Committee materials, including financial results, budget performance, cash and liquidity information, audit updates, compliance matters, internal control issues, and significant financial risks.
- Coordinate Audit Committee meetings, auditor participation, requested follow-up, and management responses to Committee guidance.
- Communicate complex financial, audit, compliance, and risk matters in concise languageappropriate forBoard oversight.
- Lead the annual financial statement audit and coordinate the Uniform Guidance audit, tax filings, and other external financial or compliance reviews when applicable.
- Manage auditor requests, schedules, confirmations, supporting documentation, internal assignments, and deadlines from planning through final issuance.
- Coordinate management responses and corrective actions for audit findings, recommendations, or control observations and track them through resolution.
- Ensure the Audit Committee and senior leadership receivetimelyupdates on audit progress, significant issues, and final outcomes.
- Prepare and deliveraccuratemonthly financial reports, including statement of financial position, statement of activities, cash flow information, budget-to-actual results, forecasts, restricted funding analysis, and material variance explanations.
- Establish andmaintaina monthly reporting calendar that supportstimelyreview by the CEO, leadership team, and designated Board committees.
- Lead development of the annual organizational budget and coordinate program, regional, grant, and departmental budgets with budget owners.
- Maintain rolling forecasts and scenario analyses and recommend corrective actions when revenue, spending, cash flow, or funding assumptions change.
- Provide budget owners with clear reports, guidance, and accountability for financial performance and forecasting.
Performance will be assessed against agreed annual targets, with emphasis on the following outcomes:
Performance Area
Expected Outcome
Close and reporting
Monthly close and management reporting completed accurately and within the approved reporting calendar.
All material balance sheet accounts reconciled, reviewed, supported, and cleared of aged exceptions on schedule.
Audit readiness
Audit, tax, and compliance schedules delivered complete and on time, withtimelyresolution of findings or requests.
Budget stewardship
Clear,timelybudget-to-actual analysis and forecasts provided to leadership and budget owners, with material variances explained.
Receivables and cash
Receivables, collections, cash position, and restricted funds activelymonitored, with risks escalated promptly.
Payables and procurement
Vendor invoices and approved payments processed accurately and within established service standards, with required approvals and documentation.
Grant and contract compliance
Financial reporting, invoicing, and closeout requirements completed accurately and by donor or contract deadlines.
Controls and documentation
Key controls performed consistently; finance procedures and workflow documentation remain current and accessible.
Process improvement
Measurable improvements implemented in financial accuracy, cycle time, reporting visibility, or staff experience.
Responsive, clear, and practical financial guidance provided to leadership, staff, auditors, funders, and vendors.
HR administration
Personnel, benefits, payroll coordination, and onboarding or offboarding records completed accurately, confidentially, and byestablisheddeadlines.
Insurance management
Renewals, certificates, coverage documentation, and claims support completed on time, with coverage risks escalated promptly.
Compliance calendar
Key regulatory, tax, grant, insurance, employment, and corporate obligations tracked and completed by required deadlines.
Contract administration
Contracts routed, approved, filed,monitored, and closed out with complete documentation andtimelyescalation of material obligations or risks.
Audit Committee support
Accurate, concise materials and requested follow-up provided to the Board Audit Committee according to the approved meeting calendar.
Audit management
Annual audit and other external reviews coordinated from planning through issuance, with findings and corrective actions tracked to resolution.
Monthly financial reports
Complete monthly financial statements, budget-to-actual analysis, cash information, and variance explanations delivered within the approved reporting calendar.
Budget and forecast quality
Annual budgets and rolling forecasts developed with documented assumptions, leadership input, andtimelyupdates when conditions change.
- Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business, ora relatedfield; CPA is highly preferred.
- Minimum of 7 years of progressively responsible accounting or finance experience, including significant U.S. nonprofit accounting experience.
- Demonstrated experience managing month-end and year-end close, financial statements, audit preparation, budgeting, cash management, accounts payable, accounts receivable, and payroll accounting.
- Strong knowledge of U.S. GAAP, nonprofit accounting, restricted funding, grants and contracts, and applicable compliance requirements.
- Experience with government awards and OMB Uniform Guidance is strongly preferred.
- Experience designing, implementing, andmonitoringinternal controls and financial procedures.
- Experience supervising staff or coordinating the work of internal team members and outsourced accounting partners.
- Ability to communicate financial information clearly to non-financial colleagues and senior leaders.
- Experience supporting human resources administration, benefits, payroll coordination, insurance renewals, and organizational compliance in a U.S. nonprofit or comparable environment.
- Demonstrated experience administering contracts andmaintainingreliable documentation, approval, renewal, and compliance tracking processes.
- Experience presenting financial, audit, compliance, and risk information to a Board Audit Committee or comparable governance body.
- Proven ability to produce monthly financial reports, lead organization-wide budgeting,maintainforecasts, and explain material variances to senior leadership.
- Advancedproficiencywith QuickBooks Online, including general ledger, financial reporting, reconciliations, and class or program tracking.
- Workingproficiencywith Zip or a comparable procurement and intake platform.
- Strongproficiencywith Microsoft 365, especially Excel, Word, Outlook, Teams, and SharePoint.
- Advanced Excel skills, including formulas, lookups, pivot tables, data validation, and analysis of large or complex datasets.
- Experience with accounts payable, expense management, payroll, banking, and financial reporting applications; familiarity with Bill.com or comparable platforms is beneficial.
- Ability to improve business processes throughappropriate useof systems, automation, standardized workflows, and reliable documentation.
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