Vice President - Controller

Position Overview:

The Vice President – Controller leads the organization’s accounting function and day-to-day financial operations, reporting to the CFO. This role ensures accurate and timely financial reporting, strong internal controls, and audit/compliance readiness, while driving process and systems improvements across the close, general ledger, payroll, payables, receivables, and cash management. The VP–Controller directly supervises the Director of Accounting, Payroll & Accounts Payable Manager, and Senior Accountant, and oversees additional accounting staff and consultants. The VP–Controller partners with senior leaders and external stakeholders (including auditors, banks, funders, and the National Park Service) to provide clear financial insight and stewardship of organizational resources.

Leadership – Provide hands-on leadership to the Accounting Department and serve as an organizational leader within the National Park Foundation’s Senior Leadership Team.

• Staff development – build and maintain a high performing staff through mentorship, effective performance feedback, and professional development.
• Performance management – Work with the CFO and organizational leaders to provide insight into organizational performance. Provide actionable information to the organization.
• Organizational leadership – Build effective relationships with the National Park Foundation’s leadership team to advance organizational priorities.

Business operations – Manage the day-to-day operations of the Business Office with primary responsibility for financial policy and procedures, including internal controls, systems, and reporting.

• Financial reporting – Primary responsibility for preparing the organization’s financial statements.
• Financial systems – Manage and improve the systems (technology and process) for the following core processes:
  • General ledger
  • Payroll
  • Payables
  • Receivables
  • Cash management
• Compliance – Primary responsibility for the annual audit and internal control systems.
• Treasury and Investments – Work with the CFO on managing the organization’s financial assets.
• Financial planning – Work with the CFO on preparing effective and insightful budgets and forecasts.

Success traits and behaviors

• Leadership – demonstrated ability to lead a department with sound judgment, continuous improvement, and performance feedback. Ability to evaluate talent and place the right people in the right roles.
• Curiosity – desire to understand how the organization works and desire to learn from others’ best practices.
• Creator and builder – desire to find new ways to provide insight into the organization’s performance and ability to build and execute on those ideas.

Essential Functions/Duties/Tasks:

Direct and lead the financial reporting and general ledger functions.

• Manage the month-end closing schedule to meet financial reporting deadlines.
• Manage internal controls over all financial transactions, including reconciliation of all balance sheet accounts.
• Review and analyze performance against financial targets.
• Manage reporting to external organizations, including the National Park Service and key funders and foundations.
• Design and implement operational and systems improvements to drive efficiency.
• Ensure accurate accounting for contributions and grants, including donor restrictions, releases, and related reporting.
• Oversee cost allocation methodologies and functional expense reporting to support accurate program, management & general, and fundraising classification.
• Maintain and document accounting policies and procedures; support internal and external requests (auditors, regulators, funders) with timely, well-supported schedules.

Direct and lead the annual audit and annual financial statements.

• Primary responsibility for the annual audit, including managing the preparation of PBC schedules.
• Oversee compliance for federal awards in accordance with Uniform Guidance (2 CFR Part 200), including internal controls, allowable costs, and required reporting.
• Lead Single Audit readiness and coordination (as applicable), including preparation/review of the Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards (SEFA) and support for auditor requests and corrective action plans.
• Primary responsibility for the Form 990 (working with NPF’s outside tax firm).
• Build and maintain an effective relationship with the NPF’s audit and tax firm.
• Work with the CFO and the Audit Committee to facilitate an effective audit.
• Primary responsibility for preparing the annual financial report.

Direct and lead key business processes.

• General Ledger
  • Manage the process for recording NPF’s financial transactions, including journal entry preparation and review.
  • Manage the interface between the CRM and grant management systems and the financial system.
  • Establish and maintain the grant-to-general-ledger structure (award/project setup and chart-of-accounts mapping) to support accurate tracking and reporting for federal awards (including Assistance Listing/CFDA), foundation/corporate grants, and donor restrictions.
  • Manage the recognition of revenue according to donor restriction.

• Accounts Payable
  • Manage the process for review of all invoices, check requests, credit card expense reports, and employee expenses. Ensure coding is accurate, properly authorized, and in accordance with NPF policies and procedures.
  • Manage the process for review of grant payments for available funds and donor’s intent.
  • Review all disbursements, (checks, ACH, wires) for proper authorization and compliance with NPF policy.
  • Manage regulatory compliance, including 1099 reporting, sales tax, and federal funds requirements.

• Payroll
  • Manage the payroll process, including review of all payroll registers prior to processing.
  • Manage regulatory compliance for wages, taxes, and benefit plans.
  • Build and maintain effective relationships with the NPF Human Resources department, payroll vendor, and benefit providers.

• Treasury and Cash Management
  • Manage internal controls over cash and all receipt channels (checks, credit cards, PayPal, etc.).
  • Manage the reporting process for liquidity and future cash needs.
  • Build and maintain effective relationships with NPF’s banks, financial institutions, and investment managers.

Direct and lead efficient business processes and internal controls.

• Work with the CFO to design and implement accounting policies and procedures that produce increased efficiency and productivity.
• Lead fraud risk management efforts, including periodic fraud risk assessments; design, implementation, and monitoring of prevention and detection controls; and coordination of investigation and escalation processes as needed.
• Oversee document retention and financial records governance, including establishing and maintaining retention schedules; ensuring secure, organized storage of key accounting, grant, and audit documentation; and coordinating timely retrieval and appropriate disposition in accordance with legal, regulatory, and funder requirements.
• Maintain current knowledge of changes in accounting principles (GAAP). Design and implement changes in business processes and systems to maintain compliance with GAAP.
• Maintain current knowledge of industry best practices.
• Develop and maintain effective relationships with peer organizations with the purpose of benchmarking and evaluation of best practices.

Financial planning and analysis.

• Work with CFO on financial planning and analysis, including revenue, compensation, grant spending, and operating expenses.
• Work with senior leadership and the Program & Partners department on reporting available resources for restricted and unrestricted spending.
• Work with the CFO and senior leadership on ad-hoc reporting and analysis.

All other duties as assigned.

Required knowledge, skills, and abilities:

• Strong technical knowledge of accounting and related systems; nonprofit organization experience preferred.
• Staff management experience required.
• Ability to effectively communicate with internal and external audiences.
• Ability to explain complex financial information to non-financial staff.
• Ability to provide concise financial reporting to senior staff and executive board.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines.
• Comfortable managing risk and making decisions.
• Demonstrated experience strengthening internal controls and managing fraud risk, including identifying control gaps and implementing practical mitigations.
• Knowledge of U.S. nonprofit accounting and reporting (including net asset classes, contributions, and restricted funds) and strong familiarity with internal controls.
• Experience with grant and contract accounting and compliance, including allowable cost principles, reporting, and audit readiness.
• Knowledge of Uniform Guidance (2 CFR Part 200) and experience supporting Single Audits, including SEFA preparation and (as applicable) subrecipient monitoring.
• Ability to design and manage financial close and reporting processes that support audited financial statements and Form 990 preparation.
• Experience implementing records retention and financial documentation standards to support audit trails, grant compliance, and timely information requests.

Preferred education and experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting and minimum 10 years of relevant experience, with at least five years in a management position.
• CPA highly desired.
• High proficiency in MS Excel.
• Strong system aptitude and expertise in managing business systems.
• NetSuite experience preferred.

Salary Range: $185,000 - $230,000, commensurate with experience.

Benefits: NPF offers a highly competitive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, 403(b) savings plan, professional development and tuition assistance, generous paid time-off program including primary caregiver leave.

Location: This role is based in Washington, D.C.