Financial Controller

Vaco by Highspring; Hartford (CT); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Vaco by Highspring, Hartford-based foundation, seeks a Financial Controller to steward financial operations and serve as a strategic partner to executives. The role combines hands-on accounting with business-facing FP&A, budgeting, and investment accounting, driving data-driven decisions across departments.

You will oversee grants payable, payroll, internal controls, and financial reporting, while collaborating with leadership to optimize processes and strengthen financial systems.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance.
• 5+ years progressive accounting/finance experience including GL, close, financial reporting, and FP&A.
• 3+ years nonprofit or private foundation experience.
• Strong financial modeling and advanced Excel skills to build scenarios.
• Experience with grant management, payroll, and HRIS systems.
• Experience with audits, internal controls, tax compliance, and financial reporting.
• Strong understanding of investment accounting/reconciliation.
• Experience with QuickBooks Online or comparable systems.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to translate financial information into insights.

Responsibilities

• Partner with CFO/VP of Operations and President/CEO on financial strategy and planning.
• Lead FP&A activities including modeling, scenarios, cash flow, and budgets.
• Oversee accounting, financial reporting, audits, tax, payroll, grants payable, and internal controls.
• Manage monthly investment accounting and reconciliations with OCIO.
• Present concise financial updates to the Board of Directors quarterly.
• Collaborate with program leadership to analyze budgets, variances, and grant spending.
• Identify opportunities to improve processes, systems, efficiency, and controls.

Skills

Financial modeling

Advanced Excel

Grant management

Payroll

HRIS systems

Audits

Internal controls

Tax compliance

Investment accounting

QuickBooks Online

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting/Finance

Tools

QuickBooks Online

Job description

A highly respected, mission-driven private foundation is seeking a Financial Controller to oversee its financial operations and serve as a key strategic partner to executive leadership.

This is a hands‑on opportunity for an accounting and finance professional who enjoys being close to the business, working across functions, and using financial data to help leadership make informed decisions.

Why this role is compelling:

• Partner directly with the CFO/VP of Operations and President & CEO on financial strategy, planning, and decision‑making.
• Play a key role in FP&A, including financial modeling, scenario analysis, cash‑flow planning, and budget development.
• Oversee accounting, financial reporting, audit, tax, AP, grants payable, payroll, benefits, and internal controls.
• Manage monthly investment accounting and reconciliations, working closely with the Foundation's OCIO.
• Present concise financial updates to the Board of Directors on a quarterly basis.
• Work closely with program leadership to analyze budgets, actuals, variances, and grant‑related spending.
• Help identify opportunities to improve processes, systems, efficiency, and financial controls.
• Be part of a small, highly collaborative organization where your work has a direct impact.

What they’re looking for:

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field.
• 5+ years of progressive accounting/finance experience, including GL, close, financial reporting, and FP&A.
• 3+ years of nonprofit or private foundation experience, or demonstrated interest in the nonprofit/foundation sector (such as board involvement).
• Strong financial modeling and advanced Excel skills - someone who can build scenarios and operating models to help leadership evaluate decisions.
• Experience with grant management, payroll, and HRIS systems.
• Experience with audits, internal controls, tax compliance, and financial reporting.
• Strong understanding of investment accounting/reconciliation is highly valued.
• Experience with QuickBooks Online or comparable accounting systems.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to translate financial information into clear, actionable insights.

Equal Opportunity Notice

Highspring LLC (d/b/a Vaco by Highspring) and its parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries (“we,” “our,” or “Vaco by Highspring”) are committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race (including but not limited to traits historically associated with race such as hair texture and hair style), color, sex (includes pregnancy or related conditions), religion or creed, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, status as a veteran, union membership, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, political affiliation, or any other protected characteristics as required by applicable law. The company is also committed to ensuring that persons who need them are provided with reasonable accommodations; if an accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact [e-mail] .

Vaco by Highspring also wants all applicants to know their rights that workplace discrimination is illegal.

For residents of Ontario, Canada only: to the extent the position for employment is not with Highspring or not otherwise noted as vacant above, candidate should be informed that this role is to replace a presently employed person at Vaco by Highspring's client.

Privacy Notice

Vaco by Highspring respects your privacy and are committed to providing transparent notice of our policies.

• California residents may access Vaco by Highspring HR Notice at Collection for California Applicants and Employees here.
• Virginia residents may access our state specific policies here.
• Residents of all other states may access our policies here.
• Canadian residents may access our policies in English here and in French here.
• Residents of countries governed by GDPR and UK GDPR may access our policies here.

Additionally, submissions to this position are subject to the use of AI to perform preliminary candidate screenings, focused on ensuring minimum job requirements noted in the position are satisfied. More details about Vaco by Highspring's use of AI can be found here https://www.highspring.com/ai-use-notices/ . Further assessment of candidates beyond this initial phase will be conducted by recruiters and hiring managers. Vaco by Highspring does not know and cannot opine on if its client's use of AI products in hiring.