Controller

Position Type:Full-time, Salaried, Exempt 

Location:Flexible (remote); Must be located and eligible to work in the U.S. now and in the future. Must be based in Mountain, Central, or Eastern US time zones.  

Salary Range: $108,000 to $121,500  

Closing Date: July 2, 2026 

Candidates will be reviewed on a rolling basis. The position will remain open until we have a sufficient pool of diverse candidates who meet the job requirements, at which point we may pause the review of new applications before the stated deadline. Please understand you may not be contacted for several weeks after you apply.  

Ideal Start Date: 2-4 weeks after offer 

About the Center for Disaster Philanthropy 

CDP began in 2010 with the goal of pioneering the practice of strategic disaster philanthropy. Since then, it has grown in its ambition, envisioning a world where the impact of disasters is minimized through thoughtful, equitable and responsive recovery for all. CDP has a $40 million budget and a team of more than 40 staff members working remotely across the U.S. 

CDP is a trusted partner, expert, and authoritative resource, helping hundreds of individuals, foundations, and corporations boost the impact of philanthropic giving in response to disasters and humanitarian crises by supporting equitable recovery and addressing the root causes of vulnerabilities worldwide. 

In 2025, CDP awarded approximately $33 million through 158 grants to grantee partners worldwide, demonstrated thought leadership through webinars, blog posts, featured speaking engagements and other events, and served 14+ philanthropic partners through consulting efforts.   

• In 2020, CDP was a featured nonprofit for the 14th Annual CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute. 

• CDP has earned Charity Navigator’s Four-Star Charity rating and Candid’s Platinum Transparency seal. 

As an organization grounded in racial and intersectional equity, our team members are deeply committed to strengthening communities that are most vulnerable to disasters due to systemic inequities. We are guided by our values of integrity, boldness and innovation, humility and empathy in all we do in pursuit of our mission. 

Bottom line: We aspire to walk the talk of anti-racism and to treat each other and our partners in ways that inspire trust, creativity, learning and care. 

Be a part of our fast-growing team that offers countless ways to help communities thrive. Join us! 

Responsibilities & duties: 

Reporting to the senior director of finance, the controller is a new key finance leader responsible for the timely, accurate and efficient planning, recording and reporting of the organization’s growing portfolio of day-to-day accounting activities, while ensuring strong internal controls, regulatory compliance and alignment with organizational goals and priorities. 

The controller serves as a trusted strategic partner to the senior director of finance and collaborates closely with staff across the organization to support sound financial stewardship, operational excellence and works in service of the entire organization. 

This supervisory position operates with a high degree of autonomy and judgment, ensuring that CDP’s accounting and financial operations are carried out in a compliant manner, backed by strong internal controls and in alignment with the organization’s capacity, mission, values and long-term sustainability. 

Areas of broad responsibility include accounting operations and financial reporting; internal controls and accounting governance; budgeting and forecasting; financial systems administration and process improvement; audit, tax and regulatory compliance; and staff development, team building and culture champion. 

The successful candidate will display the following traits: 

You are a skilled nonprofit finance and accounting professional who thrives on complex achievable challenges. You possess a keen talent for developing and maintaining systemic fiscal operating processes rooted in efficiency, continuous process improvement, compliance and strong internal controls. You demonstrate excellent organizational and communications skills and bring a servant leadership style, fostering trust and collaboration among your colleagues. You build strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders to achieve organizational goals. You have a deep passion and aptitude for all types of electronic data processing and other types of technology. You exhibit patience and expert critical thinking skills. 

Primary responsibilities include: 

Accounting operations & financial reporting  

• Lead and oversee day to day accounting operations, including general ledger, accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, restricted funds accounting and related financial processes.  

• Ensure financial transactions are recorded, substantiated and reported accurately and in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), donor requirements and organizational policies.    

• Review and approve complex journal entries, account reconciliations, restricted revenue and releases and financial analyses prepared by other finance team members.  

• Oversee processing and approval of regular and off-cycle payrolls. 

• Collaborate with human resources to ensure all staff are educated and able to efficiently navigate payroll practices, policies and procedures. 

• Collaborate with the grants management team to ensure timely, efficient and compliant processing of all subgrants. 

• Partner with senior director of finance to prepare internal and external financial reports that support organizational decision-making and stewardship. 

Budgeting, forecasting and financial analysis 

• Support the senior director of finance in the annual budgeting and forecasting process by ensuring accurate financial data, assumptions and reporting.  

• Collaborate with budget managers and department leadership to develop, monitor and maintain department, grants and/or program budgets. Compile, review, analyze and distribute regular and ad hoc financial reporting including financial statements, budget versus actual, grants and other reports as needed. 

• Assist the senior director of finance in preparing cash flow projections and other financial forecasts. 

Financial systems and process improvements 

• Manage the administration, optimization and integrity of accounting and financial systems. 

• Manage all dimensions of a complex multi-dimensional fund accounting chart of accounts, enabling accurate financial reporting. 

• Partner with the senior director of finance and technology team to identify, evaluate, implement and maintain financial technologies, integrations and workflow automation solutions.  

• Ensure the general ledger, electronic data processing and other financial tools and systems meet the ongoing needs of the organization. 

• Evaluate current systems, tools and analyze organizational needs.. 

• Research and resolve necessary adjustments to recorded transactions. 

Audit, tax and regulatory compliance 

• Serve as operational lead for the annual financial audit and related compliance engagements.  

• Coordinate audit schedules, supporting documentation, auditors' requests and fieldwork activities. 

• Lead preparation and submission of Form 990, charitable registrations, DC property tax exemptions and licensing, 1099/1096/1042s and other and compliance filings. 

• Ensure that up-to-date standard operating procedures exist for all financial and accounting operations. 

• Maintain situational awareness of all treasury activities for the organization and promptly report any projected cash, credit, investment or other shortfalls to the senior director of finance. 

Supervision, culture and cross-functional collaboration 

• Lead, coach, mentor and develop staff through ongoing feedback, performance management and professional development. This role supervises and supports the senior accounting manager, and ensures strategic alignment of CDP’s finance operations. 

• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement. Serve on various cross-functional committees and working groups as needed and as available. 

• Work with internal stakeholders at every level of the organization and with varying levels of financial acumen to achieve personal, departmental and organizational goals. 

• Perform other duties as assigned in support of CDP’s mission and growth. 

As a fully remote regulatory workforce, CDP prioritizes employee engagement and relationship building in service of a collaborative culture rooted in equity.  To this end, in-person team retreats are scheduled throughout the year in different regions of the U.S.  This role will be expected to attend 2-3 retreats per year, which average 3-5 days of travel each. 

This position reports to the senior director of finance but works in service of the whole organization. 

Required qualifications and skills: 

• >8 years of broad nonprofit accounting experience in a supervisory role 

• Demonstrated ability to work independently and exercise sound judgment with considerable latitude while operating within established policies and procedures.  

• Proven ability to organize, prioritize and independently manage a broad portfolio with a wide range of responsibilities, while balancing competing priorities and deadlines. 

• Expert knowledge of nonprofit fund and grant accounting, generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), financial accounting standards board (FASB), generally accepted auditing standards (GAAS), revenue recognition principles including restricted contributions and net asset releases. 

• Experience leading annual audits, regulatory filings and compliance activities in a nonprofit environment. 

• Superior written, verbal and presentation skills. 

• Demonstrated ability to approach problem-solving proactively and with strong decision-making capability. 

• Proficient in Microsoft Windows, Microsoft 365 Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint), Adobe Acrobat and social media web platforms. 

• Deep experience with fund accounting, general ledgers and other electronic data processing tools. 

• Willingness to learn and utilize project management and client relationship tools.  

• Commitment to equity-centered leadership and the ability to work effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds and perspectives.  

Preferred qualifications and skills: 

• Experience leading accounting operations within a complex nonprofit, philanthropic, grantmaking or mission-driven organization. 

• Experience with TriNet or other PEO platforms. 

• Experience with QuickBooks Online, Sage Intacct or other automated general ledger systems. 

• Experience with finance, accounts payable, expense and procurement platforms such as Tipalti or Bill.com. 

• Experience analyzing, evaluating, selecting, implementing and migrating general ledgers and other automated finance systems. 

• Experience working with ASC-606, earned income revenue streams and deferred revenue. 

• Familiarity with, although not necessarily a professional background in, the philanthropic or disaster fields. 

• Experience working with Raiser’s Edge NXT or a comparable constituent relationship management (CRM) system. 

Personal characteristics:  

• Commitment to the values intrinsic to CDP’s mission and strategy. 

• Energetic and eager to tackle new projects and ideas. 

• High tolerance of ambiguity and appetite to tackle issues constructively. 

• A team player capable of cultivating productive relationships across teams.  

• Sense of humor.  

We welcome and encourage applicants with non-traditional career paths. If you don’t meet the qualifications outlined here, please apply and tell us how your experiences would equip you for the job. 

CDP provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. 

To apply: 

Qualified candidates should submit their resume and a required cover letter via this link. Applications must highlight competencies against requirements. 

All applicants must be able to provide documentation that they are legally eligible to work in the United States for an extended period.  

Due to the expected volume of applications, only finalists will be notified. No phone calls, please.