Controller

Partners for Rural Impact’s (PRI) ultimate goal is for an America where all kids are successful, regardless of zip code, income, background, or ability.  At PRI, our focus is on ensuring that all children in rural places achieve success. Partners for Rural Impact was born out of our place-based partnership in Appalachia, where we’ve worked for 25 years to create student opportunity and success. 

Position Summary 

The Controller is a full-time position that reports to the Vice President of Finance.  The Controller is an essential role that leads PRI’s efforts to design and implement a financial management system that accurately tracks funding streams and enables PRI to complete annual financial reports and monthly financial reports of cash flows, profit and loss, and statements of activity. The Controller guides financial compliance for PRI and ensures required annual audits are performed, and financial statements that fairly represent the organization’s financial position are prepared. The position leads and operates with the goal that All Rural Students Succeed.   

Primary Duties and Responsibilities 

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each primary duty satisfactorily. The requirements of the position are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability , with regular and predictable attendance essential. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

Leadership & Team Development 

• Provide technical and operational leadership for Accounting staff to help fulfill the overall service mission of the department, including general accounting, accounts receivable, and accounts payable 

• Provide coaching, mentoring, performance feedback, and professional development opportunities to support employee growth and effectiveness. 

• Establish clear roles, responsibilities, performance expectations, and accountability measures for team members to ensure effective workload distribution, operational efficiency, and business continuity 

• Collaborate with leaders across PRI, including Purchasing, Human Resources, Grant Services, Finance, and other functional areas, to support cross-functional initiatives and advance organizational priorities 

Financial Management 

• Manage financial reporting and reconciliation processes, including reviewing and approving supporting documentation, evaluating reporting metrics, and ensuring the accuracy and integrity of systems used to generate financial reports 

• Research, analyze and provide guidance to leadership on policies, protocols or procedures to implement that support compliance with all federal, state, and local taxing and financial management requirements ensuring appropriate tax returns are filed and submitted 

• Collaborate with the VP of Finance to oversee budget policy and protocol, financial forecasting, and cash flow for administration, existing programs, and proposed new sites to include preparing the annual operating and capital budgets as applicable 

• Establish and monitor strong financial internal controls and ensure compliance with GAAP, state and federal laws to ensure stewardships of private and public investments 

• Research and advise on use of new technologies such as AI to address process improvements and automation of routine tasks 

• Oversight of banking processes, bank reconciliation, payroll wire preparation, month-end and year-end close, fixed assets, and all financial statements 

• Oversee the annual Single and financial statement audit process and ensure a clean financial audit. Lead annual internal audit activities to support continuous improvement and test internal controls 

• Provide treasury cash management and maintain banking relationships 

• Serve as a business partner to PRI’s senior leaders to implement financial processes and ensure financial compliance 

• Monitor PRI’s tax reporting compliance with local, state and federal taxing authorities and make recommendations to PRI’s leadership on continuous improvements opportunities for tax related protocols, processes and submissions 

Financial Systems  

• Establish and maintain documented financial processes, workflows, and standard operating procedures to support accurate, efficient, and compliant financial operations 

• Lead operational financial management systems and protocols for entities such as the Appalachian Educational Service Agency where PRI is serving as the entities Financial Administrator 

• Oversee the accounting operations of the organization including all general ledger, accounts payable and accounts receivable functions, and organizational reconciliation processes 

• Regularly assess PRI’s financial management systems including expense reporting, financial statement and reporting capacity, and ledger/budgeting processes and make recommendations to PRI’s leadership on gaps, weaknesses or inefficiencies 

Position Location & Schedule 

The position will be considered for remote work with local, state, and sometimes national travel . 

Normal business hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET with in-office, hybrid and/or remote work a possibility. Because of the nature of the responsibility to schools, partners, funders, and to the service region, individual offices or departments may have operating hours that extend beyond this period and may include evening and/or weekend hours. 

Minimum Qualifications 

Education required to ensure success in this position: 

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting is  

• A CPA, CMA or ACCA is  

Experience required to ensure success in this position: 

• 10+ years of mid-to-high level financial management experience, including budgeting, forecasting, reconciliation, tax management, and accounting operations, including management of multi-million-dollar budgets 

• At least 3 years of people management experience 

• Experience preparing nonprofit financial statements including the 990 

• Demonstrated experience in preparing financial statements, preparing nonprofit tax documents and managing financial processes 

• Proven leadership skills with experience leading staff who monitor time-sensitive and confidential information 

• Experience leading implementation of financial systems 

Special skills, knowledge and abilities: 

• Excellent analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills 

• Strong written and verbal communication skills 

• Proficiency with accounting software, financial reporting systems, and Microsoft Office applications 

• Ability to collaborate effectively across departments and with external partners 

• Ability to supervise and develop accounting staff 

• Collaborative and collegial leadership capabilities 

• Ability to multi-task, manage priorities, and meet deadlines 

• Belief that all rural students can succeed 

License, certification, or registration necessary: 

• Completion of pre-employment background check 

Physical requirements: 

• Ability to work in a high energy office 

• Ability to accurately communicate and exchange information with partners, stakeholders, and/or meeting participants 

• Ability to occasionally lift up to 25 lbs 

• Ability to travel independently by car and plane both regionally and nationally 

• Ability to operate standard office equipment 

• Ability to operate motor vehicle 

Environmental conditions: 

• Work in a fast-paced setting with frequent interruptions and shifting priorities 

Additional Company Information  

PRI offers a wide array of benefit options, to meet the financial, educational, and health needs of you and your family. 

• Comprehensive insurance plans including medical, dental, vision, and prescription coverage. 

• Flexible spending accounts, plus an employee assistance program. 

• Life and long-term disability insurance and retirement plan. 

• Generous paid time off work options including vacation, sick leave, and annual holidays, in addition to paid parental leave. 

• Tuition assistance and professional development for employees. 

Partners for Rural Impact is an Equal Opportunity Employer that recruits and hires qualified candidates without regard to race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, disability, or veteran status.