Controller

Company/Role Overview:

CliftonLarsonAllen (CLA) Search has been retained by the Diocese of Worcester to identify a Controller to serve their team. This is a meaningful leadership opportunity for a finance professional who is energized by both operational excellence and purposeful service. The Controller will play a vital role in strengthening financial operations, supporting sound decision making, and ensuring faithful stewardship in service of parishes, schools, ministries, and the people of the Diocese. The Controller’s work touches a broad and meaningful portfolio, including the Annual Campaign, the Diocesan Expansion Fund, diocesan billing operations, Catholic schools, cemetery operations, and other core programs that support the Church’s charitable, educational, and ministerial mission.

To learn more, click here: https://worcesterdiocese.org/

What You’ll Do:

• Lead the month-end and year-end close across more than 50 programmatic areas spanning eight diocesan entities, ensuring timely, accurate, and well-documented financial results.
• Prepare and communicate monthly, quarterly, and annual financial reporting, analysis, and commentary for diocesan leadership, councils, committees, and other stakeholders.
• Evaluate, update, and develop accounting policies, procedures, and internal controls to support compliance with U.S. GAAP, relevant Church and diocesan guidance, and organizational policy.
• Oversee treasury activities, including banking and investment relationships, and help coordinate cash flow planning across multiple funding sources and operational needs.
• Lead coordination of the annual audit and support other external examinations, reviews, and financial compliance activities.
• Ensure compliance with local, state, and federal budgetary reporting requirements.
• Monitor and analyze monthly operating results against budget.
• Manage the preparation of the official annual report of actual revenues, transfers, and expenses.
• Oversee all accounts, ledgers, and reporting systems ensuring compliance with GAAP and regulatory requirements.
• Produce timely monthly and annual close process.
• Maintain a “service” relationship across the entire Diocese.
• Ensure and review monthly account reconciliations and analysis are completed, including but not limited to: Balance sheet, revenue and expense account reconciliations
• Supervise and develop a team of five staff members within a broader finance operations team of 10 professionals, fostering accountability, collaboration, and professional growth.
• Serve as a positive change leader by streamlining workflows, improving processes, leveraging technology, and strengthening the overall effectiveness of diocesan financial operations.
• Help build a culture of service, responsiveness, and faithful stewardship within the finance function, supporting the Diocese’s mission and operational excellence.
• Design, establish, and maintain an organizational structure and staffing to effectively accomplish the department's goals and objectives.
• Oversee daily operations of the financial services department.
• Ability to participate in and facilitate group meetings including the ability to motivate teams to produce quality materials within tight timeframes and simultaneously manage several projects.
• Responsible for evaluating the performance of personnel in the finance department.
• Provide accounting policy orientation for new staff
• Partner with division and department leaders, pastors, councils, and committees on accounting matters, financial reporting, budgeting insights, business analytics, and operational decision support.
• Contribute to departmental and cross-functional initiatives, including system enhancements, software
• optimization, requests for proposals, and strategic improvement projects.
• Support sound financial decision-making across ministries, schools, and diocesan operations by providing clear
• analysis, practical guidance, and responsive service.
• Produce monthly, internal, financial management reports and makes available to Conference directors

What You’ll Need:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting/Finance/Economics, CPA/MBA preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive accounting and supervisory experience; knowledge of GAAP, budgeting, and cost control principles.
• Demonstrated leadership ability, team management and interpersonal skills.
• Exceptional management and supervisory skills; must be an empowering mentor that embraces integrity and ethical practices by providing accurate, responsive results and goals.
• Possess high level of personal integrity, good judgment and maturity.
• Outstanding analytical and organizational skills, detail-oriented, ability to prioritize competing and multiple priorities with calm demeanor and sound judgment.
• Highly engaged, mission-driven and results-oriented, motivating, stretching and supporting leadership and the accounting department; impacting a positive culture of engagement, accountability, empowerment and collaboration.
• Proficient in database and accounting systems; high level of proficiency in cloud based and automated software.
• Experience in nonprofit, education, religious, or other mission-driven environments