Finance Controller

City University of New York; New York (NY); On-site; USD 131,000 - 141,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health plans

Retirement benefits

Tuition waivers for CUNY programs

Paid time off

Job summary

John Jay College of Criminal Justice is seeking a Finance Controller to oversee the college's accounting operations, financial reporting, and compliance. You will supervise staff, coordinate audits, and drive process improvements while guiding the transition to CUNYWork/Workday.

The role reports to the CFO/AVP for Finance and requires a strong background in GAAP, government accounting standards, and multidisciplinary collaboration with Budget, Procurement, and other departments.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree and eight years' related experience required.
• Clear and excellent communication skills are essential.
• Knowledgeable of current financial and governmental accounting standards.
• Experience with ERP platforms such as PeopleSoft, CUNYFirst, CUNY Buy or Workday; able to reconcile data across platforms.

Responsibilities

• Provides leadership and oversight of the College's accounting operations, including general ledger, accounts payable, reconciliations, financial reporting, and related fiscal functions.
• Oversees monthly, mid-year and year-end closing activities and ensures timely financial reports and statements.
• Establishes and strengthens accounting policies, procedures, workflows and internal controls.
• Oversees cash and revenue accounting, accounts payable operations, and transactions with proper approvals and segregation of duties.
• Coordinates internal and external audits to ensure compliance with policies and standards.
• Leads the accounting function's transition to and ongoing use of CUNYWork/Workday.

Skills

Communication skills

Accounting knowledge

ERP experience

Data reconciliation across platforms

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or related field

Tools

PeopleSoft

CUNYFirst

CUNY Buy

Workday

Job description

Finance Controller

POSITION DETAILS

ABOUT JOHN JAY COLLEGE

John Jay College of Criminal Justice is a senior college of the City University of New York (CUNY) and an internationally recognized leader in educating for justice. Led by President Karol V. Mason, John Jay is a federally designated Hispanic-serving institution, it is ranked third in the nation in Black student success, and it is a top ten institution for promoting student social mobility. John Jay is proud to serve a diverse and dynamic student body of 15,000 students that includes nearly fifty percent students who are first in their family to attend college as well as students who are immigrants, from low-income families, or from other historically underrepresented groups in higher education.

The College participates in the doctoral programs of the Graduate Center of CUNY, and offers bachelor's and master's degrees both in traditional criminal justice-related fields of study as well as in a robust portfolio of liberal arts and sciences programs that highlight themes of justice across the arts, sciences, humanities, and social sciences. The College seeks staff and faculty members who thrive in multicultural academic environments and are committed to access and excellence in higher education.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Finance Controller is a senior financial management professional responsible for overseeing the College's accounting operations, financial statement preparation and reporting, accounts payable, cash and revenue management, internal controls, and financial compliance.

Reporting to the Chief Financial Officer/Assistant Vice President for Finance, the Finance Controller provides operational leadership to ensure accurate and timely financial reporting, compliance with applicable accounting standards and regulations, and effective administration of fiscal operations.

The Finance Controller supervises accounting staff, coordinates audit activities, collaborates with College and University stakeholders, strengthens financial controls and processes, and leads the accounting function's transition to and ongoing use of CUNYWork/Workday.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provides leadership and oversight of the College's accounting operations, including general ledger, accounts payable, reconciliations, financial reporting, and related fiscal functions.

• Oversees monthly, mid-year and year-end closing activities and ensures the timely preparation, review, and submission of financial reports and statements.

• Establishes and strengthens accounting policies, procedures, workflows, and internal controls to safeguard College assets and ensure the integrity of financial information.

• Oversees cash and revenue accounting, accounts payable operations, transaction processing, and financial reconciliations, ensuring accuracy, appropriate approvals, and segregation of duties.

• Reviews accounting transactions, journal entries, reconciliations, and balance sheet activity to ensure accuracy, appropriate accounting treatment, and timely resolution of discrepancies.

• Coordinates internal and external audits and ensures compliance with CUNY, New York State, accounting standards, and other applicable requirements.

• Provides technical guidance on accounting, financial reporting, internal controls, and complex financial matters.

• Supervises, develops, and evaluates accounting staff and promotes accountability, accuracy, professional development, and continuous improvement.

• Collaborates with Budget, Procurement, and other departments to strengthen financial processes, improve transaction processing, and align accounting and budget information.

• Identifies and implements process improvements to enhance operational efficiency, strengthen controls, and mitigate financial and compliance risks.

• Leads and supports CUNYWork/Workday financial processes, including system implementation, testing, role and workflow design, process redesign, system controls, and continuous improvement.

• Represents the College with University Central Office, auditors, and other internal and external stakeholders, as appropriate.

• Performs related duties and special projects as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

Bachelor's Degree and eight years' related experience required.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field and eight years of progressively responsible experience in accounting, financial management, or a related area, including demonstrated supervisory experience. Clear and excellent communication skills. Knowledgeable of current financial and governmental accounting standards. Experience with an ERP platform, such as Peoplesoft, CUNYFirst, CUNY Buy, or Workday. Proven ability to reconcile financial data across multiple platforms.

CUNY TITLE OVERVIEW

Directs the financial functions of a College or unit.

• Directs financial operations for various funds and accounts

• Ensures compliance with all appropriate City, State, Federal and GAAP accounting and regulatory policies

• Reviews risk assessments, identifies internal control weaknesses and implements appropriate corrective actions

• Manages day-to-day accounting functions including staff supervision in relation to closings, reconciliations and analyses

• Oversees the accuracy and integrity of all financial statements, revenue projections and other reports as required

• Develops effective policies and procedures for fiscal operations, and incorporates University-wide policies and standards

• Performs related duties as assigned.

CUNY TITLE

Higher Education Officer

FLSA

Exempt

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

$130,755 - $141,325

Salary commensurate with education and experience.

CUNY's benefits contribute significantly to total compensation, supporting health and wellness, financial well-being, and professional development. We offer a range of health plans, competitive retirement/pension benefits and savings plans, tuition waivers for CUNY graduate study and generous paid time off. Our staff also benefits from the extensive academic, arts, and athletic programs on our campuses and the opportunity to participate in a lively, diverse academic community in one of the greatest cities in the world.

CLOSING DATE

The review of resumes will begin on November 17, 2026.

The posting closes on December 1, 2026.

JOB SEARCH CATEGORY

CUNY Job Posting: Managerial/Professional

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

CUNY encourages people with disabilities, minorities, veterans and women to apply. At CUNY, Italian Americans are also included among our protected groups. Applicants and employees will not be discriminated against on the basis of any legally protected category, including sexual orientation or gender identity. EEO/AA/Vet/Disability Employer.

Job ID: 32959

Location: John Jay College

Job Type: Full-Time