Controller

📋 Description

• • Serve as the financial steward for the Institute for Public Health Innovation (IPHI), a mission-driven nonprofit improving health equity across DC, Maryland, and Virginia. You will own every aspect of accounting, compliance, and reporting for a $10-15 million annual operating budget that fuels community health programs, policy initiatives, and multi-sector partnerships.
• • Design, implement, and continuously refine IPHI’s financial policies and internal controls to safeguard assets, ensure GAAP compliance, and meet stringent funder requirements from government agencies, private foundations, and corporate partners. Translate complex regulations into clear procedures that staff at every level can follow.
• • Act as the primary liaison between program teams, senior leadership, and external funders—translating financial data into actionable insights that drive strategic decisions. You will present monthly dashboards to the Board of Directors, quarterly forecasts to the CEO, and ad-hoc analyses that help program managers optimize grant performance.
• • Lead the monthly close process end-to-end: reconcile all cash, investment, and balance-sheet accounts; post accruals and deferrals; produce Statements of Financial Position, Activities, and Cash Flow with budget-to-actual variances; and generate a Net Asset Roll-forward and Deferred Revenue schedule that satisfy both management and auditor needs.
• • Oversee daily accounting operations including accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, and benefits administration. Ensure every invoice is coded correctly, every reimbursement is timely, and every employee is paid accurately while maintaining strict segregation of duties.
• • Manage cash-flow forecasting and liquidity planning. Monitor banking activity daily, maintain operating reserves, and coordinate with the CEO to optimize short-term investments so programs never miss a payment milestone.
• • Partner with the Development & Grants Manager to align financial reporting with donor restrictions and compliance clauses. Review new grant agreements to determine revenue recognition, indirect-cost recovery, and allowable cost rules, then translate those rules into the chart of accounts and time-tracking protocols.
• • Drive the annual budgeting and planning cycle. Collaborate with department heads to build realistic, mission-aligned budgets; load them into QuickBooks Online; and create rolling forecasts that flag risks and opportunities at least two quarters ahead.
• • Serve as the key contact for external auditors, tax preparers, and benefit-plan fiduciaries. Prepare PBC schedules, coordinate fieldwork, and ensure timely issuance of the audited financial statements, Form 990, and 403(b) plan audit—all with unqualified opinions.
• • Supervise and mentor an outsourced accounting firm plus any internal support staff. Set performance goals, review deliverables, and foster a culture of accuracy, transparency, and continuous improvement. Provide training so program managers understand their fiscal responsibilities.
• • Champion equity in finance operations. Evaluate vendor selection, fee structures, and staff development opportunities through an equity lens, ensuring that IPHI’s fiscal practices advance its broader commitment to health equity and social justice.
• • Leverage technology to streamline processes. Maximize the capabilities of QuickBooks Online, Excel Power Query, and integrated time-tracking systems to reduce manual work, improve data integrity, and deliver real-time insights to stakeholders.
• • Stay ahead of evolving nonprofit accounting standards, OMB Uniform Guidance, and state-specific regulations affecting public health funding. Translate regulatory changes into updated policies and staff briefings within 30 days of issuance.
• • Contribute to special projects such as cost-allocation plan updates, indirect-rate negotiations, and scenario modeling for new program launches. Your analyses will directly influence which initiatives receive funding and how quickly they can scale.