Controller

About Us:

Child Trends is a nonprofit, nonpartisan research center headquartered in Rockville, MD with more than 200 staff in over 28 states that provides valuable information and insights on the well-being of children, youth, and their families. For more than 40 years, policymakers, funders, educators, and service providers in the U.S. have relied on our data and analyses to make better decisions and policies on programs serving children, families, and youth. 

Job Summary:

The Controller position is a critical role responsible for overseeing all financial operations of the organization. This position will be remote based and requires a strong understanding of accounting principles, financial reporting, nonprofit reporting and government contracting regulations. The ideal candidate will be a strategic thinker, a detail-oriented problem-solver, and a collaborative team player. The controller will be responsible for aligning financial management practices with Child Trends' mission to support children and families, ensuring financial stewardship that upholds public trust and maximizes impact.

Key Responsibilities:

• Financial Accounting and Reporting: 
  • Oversee the general ledger and ensure accurate and timely recording of financial transactions.
  • Prepare monthly and annual financial statements, including income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements.   Reports must be provided timely with analysis.
  • Ensure compliance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and other relevant accounting standards.  
  • Prepare financial reports for management, the board of directors, and external stakeholders.
  • Oversee all functional accounting areas including accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, financial reporting, cash flow management, revenue recognition and cost analysis.
  • Collaborate with project managers and all other team members on accounting changes driven by both federal, state or internal requirements.
• Government Contracting and Nonprofit
  • Ensure compliance with government contracting and nonprofit regulations, including FAR, CAS, Uniform Guidance( 2 CFR 200) and other applicable rules.
  • Manage indirect cost rate proposals, negotiations and incurred cost submissions.
  • Oversee the timely submission of invoices and claims to government agencies.
  • Monitor contract performance and identify potential risks and opportunities.
  • Oversee the preparation and submission of the SEFA.
  • Ensure GSA and SCLS requirements and updates are implemented and followed.
  • Manage financial aspects of foundation grants, including compliance with grantor requirements, tracking restricted funds, and preparing grant financial reports.
• Budgeting and Forecasting: 
  • Develop and manage annual budgets and forecasts.
  • Monitor actual performance against budget and forecast, and identify variances.
  • Provide financial analysis and recommendations to support strategic decision-making.
  • Collaborate and model spend scenarios.
  • Support long-term financial planning, including modeling scenarios that incorporate growth opportunities or changes in funding landscapes.
• Internal Controls: 
  • Implement and maintain strong internal controls to safeguard assets and ensure accurate financial reporting, this includes the creation and adoption of new controls required once transitioned into a new ERP.
  • Conduct regular reviews of internal controls and recommend improvements.
  • Identifying and mitigate financial risks, especially concerning government compliance and foundation funding.
• Tax and Audit Compliance: 
  • Ensure timely and accurate filing of federal, state, and local taxes.
  • Manage tax audits and resolve any tax issues.
  • Serve as the point of contact for all audits including but not limited to: financial, workers compensation, program and GSA. Coordinate all activities, review schedules, organize meetings and ensure accurate and timely completion of reports.
• Accounting System:
  • Serve as an administrator of our current (Navision) and future (Costpoint) accounting systems
  • Train accounting staff, and request updates and customized reports as necessary to accommodate Child Trends.
  • Serve as a lead in the design, build, implementation, testing, training and acceptance of our new accounting system.
  • Support evolving our financial systems and processes over time.
  • Aid in building customized reports and dashboards.
• Team Leadership: 
  • Lead, mentor, and develop a team of accounting and finance professionals.
  • Foster a positive and collaborative work environment.
  • Develop key performance indicators (KPIs) to monitor financial health and operational efficiency.
  • Create an inclusive and high-performance culture among the finance team and across the organization.
  • Work with program directors to ensure financial information supports decision-making and program success.

Qualifications and Skills:

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting or finance.
• CPA certification or MBA preferred.
• Minimum of 15 years of experience in accounting and finance, including experience in government contracting.
• Strong understanding of GAAP, Uniform Guidance and government contracting regulations.
• Familiarity with Form 990 preparation and nonprofit-specific accounting issues, such as cost allocation plans for shared expenses.
• Proficiency in accounting software, Costpoint preferred
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.  
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.  
• Ability to communicate complex financial concepts to non-financial audiences.

Locations: Flexible Remote Work; Child Trends’ offices are based in Rockville, MD; Chapel Hill, NC; Minneapolis, MN. Many Child Trends staff work remotely, and while we are set up to hire remote staff in many states, we are not yet operating everywhere in the US and do not have any overseas operations. We are currently approved to hire full-time staff in AK, AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MT, NC, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OK, OR, PA, TN, TX, VA, WI, and WV. The organization will require time to assess additional set up requirements (e.g., employment and tax law) for locations outside of areas where we are currently approved to hire. Individuals who would like to work from areas outside of the currently approved states, if offered the position, should indicate this preference as early as possible in the application process.

Benefits:
For all full-time and part-time employees who work a minimum of 20 hours per week, we offer generous vacation + sick leave + paid holidays; optional individual/domestic partner/family medical, dental and vision benefits effective first day of employment; optional pet benefits; pre-tax reimbursement funds (FSA, HSA, Commuter); life insurance; short/long term disability, basic life and AD&D coverage paid for by Child Trends; paid family leave; paid bereavement leave; professional development and tuition reimbursement allowance; and 403(b) retirement plan with immediate vesting and Child Trends contributions after 1 year of employment. To learn more, go to https://www.childtrends.org/about-us/careers and click " Benefits." 

How to Apply: 

Please follow the “apply” link to submit your application. When asked by the system to upload resume, please upload one document that includes your resume, cover letter, and contact information for three professional references. Materials must be combined into one document in order to be uploaded. If you have any difficulties with this process please email the requested materials to  recruitment(at)childtrends.org and make sure to reference the position in the subject line. No phone calls please! 

Child Trends is a nonprofit, nonpartisan research center headquartered in Rockville, MD with more than 200 staff in over 28 states that provides valuable information and insights on the well-being of children, youth, and their families. For more than 40 years, policymakers, funders, educators, and service providers in the U.S. have relied on our data and analyses to make better decisions and policies on programs serving children, families, and youth. www.childtrends.org   

Child Trends is committed to hiring, retaining, and promoting staff who bring a rich diversity of experience to support our mission of improving the lives and prospects of children and youth, especially those made most vulnerable by the effects of historical and ongoing systemic discrimination. Together, we envision a world in which a child’s race, ethnicity, family income, gender, sexual orientation, disability status or any other social identity does not determine how that child will fare in life. Therefore, we approach every aspect of our work with these ideals in mind and encourage professionals who share in our commitment to apply.    

Child Trends is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer. Protected veterans and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.