Finance, Controller

Company Description

About the Organization 

KIPP Public Schools is a national network of tuition-free public charter schools that prepares students with the skills and confidence to create the future they want for themselves, their communities, and us all. We are a network of 279 schools, nearly 16,500 educators, and nearly 210,000 students and alumni.

Our mission: Together with families and communities, we create joyful, academically excellent schools that prepare students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose—college, career, and beyond—so they can lead fulfilling lives and build a more just world. 

Our vision: Every child grows up free to create the future they want for themselves and their communities. 

The KIPP Foundation is a nonprofit organization that supports KIPP public charter schools across the country. The KIPP Foundation helps to develop outstanding educators to lead KIPP schools; provides tools and resources for excellent teaching and learning; promotes innovation; and facilitates the exchange of insights and ideas across KIPP and other public schools and organizations. 

About Our Values: 

Excellent Results for Students: We value results over effort and know that our work is not finished until all students thrive. We maintain high expectations for self, team, and students. We drive outcomes by operating with agility, removing barriers, differentiating support, and prioritizing student-centered solutions—especially for those at the margins. 

Collective Impact: We are one team. We win together. We embody a one-team mindset by working collaboratively across teams, aligning goals, and leveraging the strengths of all teammates. We build trust-based relationships and ensure inclusive decision-making by engaging those closest to the work. We provide clarity through simple, repeatable systems and goals that enable transformational outcomes. 

Courageous Action: Our belief in what we can achieve is unwavering, fueling our optimism and commitment to overcome any challenge. We demonstrate an unwavering belief in students' potential and a commitment to addressing systemic inequities. We approach challenges with resilience, a solutions-focused mindset, and adaptability. We foster a psychologically safe environment centered on trust and accountability where feedback is encouraged. We leverage data to reflect on progress, own setbacks, celebrate successes, and continuously improve to maximize impact. 

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Job Description

About The Position

The KIPP Foundation is seeking a Controller to ensure the accuracy, integrity, and effectiveness of the organization’s financial reporting and accounting systems. This role owns all core accounting functions, including the general ledger, full balance sheet management, audit, compliance, grants and revenue management, and monthly and annual financial reporting for a growing $100MM+ budget. 

The Controller will serve as the organization’s senior technical accounting leader, setting the vision for internal controls and continuously strengthening the control environment to maintain KIPP Foundation’s strong track record of clean audits. This role is accountable for the full scope of audit and compliance activities, including the annual financial statement audit, Single Audit, retirement plan audits, and Form 990 filing. As the steward of the general ledger and operating cash, this leader will ensure accuracy, discipline, and alignment across all financial activity, while partnering closely with the VP, Financial Planning & Operations on cash flow forecasting and liquidity management. 

This role will also advance financial excellence across the KIPP network by supporting financial oversight, advising on accounting and compliance best practices, and leading a Controller community of practice to drive consistency and continuous improvement. 

The Controller will lead a team of four, including direct management of the Sr. Director, Finance and Director, Accounting, and will report directly to the Chief Financial Officer. 

Responsibilities

Accounting and Financial Management 
Own the integrity of all core accounting functions, including the general ledger, revenue recognition, grants accounting, and full balance sheet management. Serve as the ultimate steward of the general ledger and balance sheet, ensuring all transactions and account balances are accurate, timely, and aligned to nonprofit accounting standards. Lead the month-end and year-end close processes with precision and discipline, consistently delivering high-quality financial reporting. Establish and continuously refine accounting policies, procedures, and documentation to uphold a best-in-class finance function. 

Internal Controls and Financial Policies 
Set the vision and enterprise-wide standard for internal controls, ensuring a robust control environment that safeguards assets and supports audit readiness. Continuously evaluate and strengthen controls, proactively identifying risks and driving improvements. Partner with the CFO to evolve accounting and financial policies, ensuring clarity, rigor, and consistent adoption across the organization. 

Audit and Compliance 
Lead all aspects of the organization’s audit and compliance activities, maintaining KIPP Foundation’s strong track record of clean audits. Oversee the annual financial statement audit, Single Audit, and additional audits including retirement plans. Serve as the primary point of contact for external auditors and ensure seamless coordination across teams. Oversee preparation and filing of the Form 990 and ensure compliance with all federal, state, and local requirements, including grant compliance and tax filings, while proactively addressing emerging regulatory considerations. 

Financial Reporting 
Oversee the preparation and delivery of financial reporting to key stakeholders, including the Board of Directors, Audit Committee, and Leadership Team. Ensure all reporting is accurate, insightful, and aligned to the highest standards of transparency and accountability. Partner with Development and Grants teams to deliver precise and timely reporting to funders and the federal government. 

Grants and Revenue Management 
Serve as the organization’s subject matter expert on nonprofit revenue recognition and grant accounting. Oversee all grants and revenue streams to ensure proper classification, compliance, and reporting. Strengthen systems and processes to support accurate tracking and reporting, and partner cross-functionally to ensure alignment with donor and regulatory requirements. 

Cash Management and Financial Stewardship: 
Own the management and oversight of operating cash, ensuring strong liquidity and disciplined cash controls. Partner closely with the VP, Financial Planning & Operations to develop and monitor cash flow projections, ensuring alignment between accounting, forecasting, and organizational decision-making. 

Team Leadership: 
Serve as a senior leader within the organization, setting a high bar for performance, accountability, and continuous improvement. Lead, manage, and develop a high-performing team of finance professionals, building deep technical expertise and strong execution. Contribute to the Expanded Leadership Team and play a key role in advancing organization-wide priorities. 

Regional Financial Oversight & Support: 
Support regional financial health by advising on accounting, internal controls, and compliance best practices. Contribute to network-wide financial oversight through rigorous review of audit results, findings, and interim financial reporting. Identify risks, elevate insights, and help drive stronger, more consistent financial management across regions. 

Qualifications

Skills and Mindsets 

• Mission and Student Focus: Demonstrates passion and commitment to KIPP’s mission and possesses the desire and ability to uphold KIPP’s Core Values (Focus on Excellent Results, Collective Impact, and Courageous Action) 

• Self-Management: Demonstrated record of setting and achieving ambitious goals for their departments in complex or ambiguous environment; uses data, research, and analysis to set a high bar of excellence for goal setting; effectively distributes and redistributes work among direct reports, teammates, and teams to optimizes goal attainments; effectively sets and fosters a culture that enables and celebrates teammates’ achievements and goals attainment. 

• Work Management: Sets a clear vision that ensures alignment of the teams work to organizational goals. Effectively prioritize and deliver work products that ensure sustainability and scalability of work. Develops and implements agile project plans that ensure cross functional collaboration and resource sharing to ensure achieving organizational goals; create and ensure systems are in place for knowledge management. 

• Process Management: Able to build and align goals and project plans with organization priorities; Develops and codifies processes that promote coordination, efficiency and efficacy across KF and the Network; Prioritizes processes that ensure sustainability and scalability; ensures team is finding efficiencies through process implementation and improvement, resource sharing, or other methods 

• People Management & Development: Effectively ensures strong professional development and coaching for teammates directly and through layers. Proficient in the mechanics of succession management and performance management for teammates. Able to coach manager of managers and skilled at fostering a positive team culture in which teammates feel ownership and accountability for their own and the broader team’s work and results. 

• Collaboration: Identifies and leverages opportunities with both internal and external stakeholders to increase impact. Leads successful collaboration across functions and evolves plans to get strong results. Has the interpersonal, diplomatic, relationships building and communication skills to connect and compel teammates across different functions to collaborate effectively toward shared goals. 

• Communication and Change Management: Effectively articulates case for change to multiple functions, teams, and/or offices through clear and compelling presentations, tailoring communications and engagement approach for different audiences. Effectively translates vision into actionable plans among across team stakeholders; Champions KF and networkwide change with all stakeholders. 

Experience and Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance or Business or 10 years of equivalent experience   

• CPA Designation is required and MBA is preferred for this role 

• Proven record for results in financial management.  

• Experience maintaining internal control environments to ensure compliance. 

• Experience with non-profiting accounting and fund accounting is required 

• Experience with federal funds is required 

• Exemplary integrity, discretion, and cultural competence while working with staff, and confidential/sensitive information. 

• Strong commitment to providing superior customer service 

• Strong management skills, including people management, team management, and project management. 

• Comfort and desire to work with in a collaborative, agile, outcomes-focused, equity-driven, and learning-oriented team 

• Experience with Charter Management Organizations is not a requirement for this role 

Additional Information

Work Conditions 

• Travel requirements: Basic Travel Expectations: Up to 10% (up to 20 days per year) 

• Job Type: Full time, Exempt 

Location 

It is preferred, but not mandatory for this role to be based out of a KIPP Foundation office. This role has the option of working from a remote office full-time. KIPP Foundation offices are in NYC and Chicago. 

Compensation and Benefits 

In compliance with local law, we are disclosing the compensation, or a range thereof, for roles in locations where legally required. Actual salaries will vary based on several factors, including but not limited to external market data, internal equity, and relevant experience. The salary range for this position is $170,000 - $195,000. In addition, KIPP Foundation provides a variety of benefits to employees, including:  

• 25 holidays for + 18 days additional flexible PTO days (flexible PTO increases to 23 days for years 3 and 4 and to 28 days for years 5+). 

• 100% paid parental leave 

• 100% coverage of the premium for employee and 75% for employee + family’s medical/dental/vision plans. 

• Wellness benefits such as fitness reimbursements, discounted tickets to theme parks/attractions, backup care support for children and adults/elders, and our employee assistance program 

• Finance Security benefits include such as a 401K retirement plan with 4% match, employer-sponsored legal plans, life/disability insurance, and flexible spending accounts 

KIPP Foundation embraces the opportunity to build a workforce that reflects the diversity of the students and communities with whom we work and the world that’s around them. Being an equal opportunity employer means that we take seriously our responsibility to consider qualified candidates on the basis of merit, without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, mental or physical disability, and genetic information, marital status, citizenship status, military status, protected veteran status or any other category protected by law.