Controller

ABOUT VILLAGEREACH

VillageReach transforms health care delivery to reach everyone, so that each person has the health care needed to thrive.  We develop solutions that improve equity and access to primary health care.  This includes making sure products are available when and where they are needed and primary health care services are delivered to the most under-reached.  Radical collaboration with governments, the private sector and other partners strengthen our ability to scale and sustain these solutions. Our work increases access to quality health care for more than 70 million people in Africa. VillageReach in incorporated in Washington State and has offices in Seattle (USA), Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Malawi, and Mozambique.

Summary

The Controller position is an exciting opportunity for an individual who has mastery over non-profit accounting principles and methods, who thrives in a complex. fast-paced international environment, and who learns quickly. This key team leader is a confident and resilient individual, with a desire to manage growth and change, and to deploy staff and resources strategically. This person will have the opportunity to take a vision and operationalize it through systems and leadership of the team. This role, while based in the US, has a global focus.

Description

Essential Responsibilities include the following; other duties, responsibilities, and activities may change or be assigned at any time:

• Bridge the operational and financial vision for the organization with the details and requirements of accounting.
•  Manage the General Ledger of VillageReach and its subsidiary ledgers and data importation sources including accounting ledgers of 3 African country offices, payroll, timekeeping and labor allocation, expense reporting, credit card transactions, and fundraising database transactions. The Controller is responsible for the accuracy and integrity of the incoming data as well as that of the overall GL.
• Strategically organize and deploy GL architecture to generate information and reporting for analysis, compliance and decision-making.
• Perform intercompany eliminations, and closing, adjusting, and correcting journal entries to produce accurate consolidated financial information. 
• Generate monthly and quarterly internal financial statements and reports including budget vs. variance report, balance sheet and cash flow analysis and projections.  
• Work closely with other operational leads Grants & Contracts, Business Systems and Tech, and Legal Counsel to ensure efficient processes and procedures as well as accounting of awards, including timely financial reporting to funders.
• Maintain accurate fund balances through monthly release of net assets from restriction.
• Manage GL entries in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, with particular adherence to nonprofit GAAP.
• Assist with planning and development of annual budget.
• Establish and continuously improve integrity of internal controls for financial environment globally.
• Mentor, train and support country office finance and administrative staff including periodic site visits to the field.
• Manage annual financial and single audit engagements.
• Manage tax compliance and tax reporting including local taxes and the annual 990 informational tax return
• Maintain and improve financial policies and procedures along with accurate documentation of changes.
• Review and improve financial systems including maintenance of current systems, review and analysis of efficiencies, and intentional upgrades/systems implementations to minimize redundancy and bottlenecks in financial reporting and analyses.
• Perform other duties, responsibilities, and activities that may be assigned at any time.

Competencies:

The following competencies reflect what is expected of all VillageReach employees; including examples of how one might demonstrate each of these competencies in one’s role.

Personal Motivation and Drive: Is self-directed in one’s approach to work, but asks for help when needed; holds oneself accountable; undertakes self-development activities; seeks to build and master new skills; looks for and takes advantage of opportunities within the organization

Collaboration & Effective Communication: Establishes and maintains effective relations with coworkers, partners & stakeholders and external parties; works collaboratively with others to accomplish organizational and team goals and objectives; works actively to resolve conflicts; expresses ideas and thoughts effectively; selects and uses appropriate communication methods and maintains meaningful communication with virtual coworkers and other parties to keep them informed

Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion: Takes personal responsibility for and supports others across the organization in creating and sustaining a diverse work environment where individuals are welcomed, valued, respected and supported; personally committed to attaining cultural competency including self-awareness of one’s own attitudes about culture and cross-cultural interactions; exhibits the willingness and ability to engage openly and respectfully around issues of race, colonialism, identity and culture; upholds equity in access to sharing of information, ideas, and opportunities throughout VillageReach

Commitment to Excellence: Produces a high output of work, both in terms of quality and quantity; looks for ways to improve and promote quality; monitors work to ensure quality; has a personal commitment to the mission of VillageReach

Solution Orientation & Innovation: Focuses on results and desired outcomes and how to best achieve them; gets the job done; sees opportunities for creative problem-solving while staying within the parameters of good practice; sees old problems in new ways and has novel approaches to solving those problems; contributes original and/or resourceful ideas to their area of responsibility; is able to consider and articulate risks and consequences of proposed innovations and factor these into decision-making

Requirements

REQUIREMENTS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

This position directly supervises up to 5 employees. Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization’s policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning and directing work; monitoring performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; and addressing complaints and resolving problems.

Education & Experience:

Required

• Master’s degree in accounting or equivalent
• 10+ years of experience directly managing and overseeing organizational accounting operations in a +$30 million organization, at least five of which consists of fund accounting in a nonprofit organization at a significant level of responsibility.
• A minimum of 5-7 years of experience supervising three or more employee(s).
• Demonstrated experience and expertise: (1) handling diverse compliance and reporting requirements, including US government and other grants and contracts; (2) financial and data management systems (experience with SAGE Intacct or equivalent preferred); and (3) problem-solving orientation working in diverse, dynamic, and challenging environments.
• Available for early morning meetings with Africa offices starting at 6am pacific time.
• Willingness and ability to be based in Seattle or East Coast, WA with existing eligibility to work in the USA.

Preferred

• CPA or CMA.

• Financial experience in a complex, multi-site, global nonprofit organization.
• Excellent capacity building, team building/management, and coordination skills and a comfort in a matrixed and global environment.

Other Qualifications:

• Comply with VillageReach’s COVID-19 vaccination policy which requires full vaccination for in-person work or travel.
• Established cultural competency in partnering with racial, cultural and linguistically diverse groups.
• Demonstrated understanding of challenges with working in rural, underserved and low-income context; experience living in and/or working in a low-income country a plus.
• Proficient in SAGE, Concur, PowerPlan, BI; and Microsoft Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Outlook) with advanced Excel skills including pivot tables.
• Adept working in a complex, fast-paced environment.
• Exceptional communication skills, experience working with remote or highly-dispersed teams, and a spirit of teamwork are essential to thrive at VillageReach.
• Familiarity with outsourced payroll services and CRM/relational databases such as Salesforce.
• Must be fluent in English.
• Ability to travel to country offices located in capital cities and villages in Sub-Saharan Africa, while complying with travel safety and medical recommendations.

Environment and Physical Demands:

VillageReach has no private offices, employees work in a shared, open environment with task and conference rooms accessible to employees for privacy and meetings. The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet. Due to the time zone differences between our Seattle office and our Country Offices and location of other global staff, US based staff are expected to be available for early morning meetings starting at 6am; and global HQ and Country office staff are expected to be available for late afternoon/evening meetings up to 6pm. Role is computer based and requires sitting and/or standing at a desk, using a mouse, keyboard, and laptop and viewing screens.

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY & INCLUSION:

VillageReach is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer committed to workforce diversity. We believe that diverse, equitably weighted perspectives foster an organizational capacity to create novel solutions that improve health in the most under-reached and hard-to-reach areas. To align our values, innovations and impact, VillageReach is committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse global workforce.

APPLICATION INFORMATION:

This is an immediate hire and therefore resumes will be reviewed on a rolling basis until filled. To apply, please submit your resume and a cover letter to our online portal: http://www.villagereach.org/join-us/.  In your cover letter, please address (1)Why you are interested in this position, (2)What is one reason you think you’d be a good fit for this position and, (3)what is one strength you would bring to this position?

Hiring Process:

The hiring process will include the following steps:

1. Review submitted applications
2. Conduct 20-30 minute screening interviews for shortlisted candidates
3. Conduct skills and value-based interviews for 3-5 candidates.
4. Request that top candidates submit a practical assessment (designed to take no more than two hours to complete). Sometimes the assignment will occur before the interview.
5. Conduct final interview if necessary
6. Request references 
7. Make offer 
8. Conduct background check

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted, but candidates who proceed to step 2 will be notified if they are not chosen for step 3.

Safeguarding:

VillageReach is committed to promoting the welfare of children, young people, adults, and beneficiaries with whom it engages. We expect everyone working with us to share this commitment through our code of conduct.All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which may include criminal records. VillageReach participates in the Misconduct Disclosure Scheme and, in line with this Scheme, we will request information from job applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By applying, the job applicant confirms his/her understanding of these recruitment procedures.

Benefits

Compensation & Benefits:

VillageReach has an established compensation structure that is based on the relevant market and internally transparent. The range for this position is $120,000 – $135,000. We hire people into the established range based on one’s experience and education and considering internal equity. We do not inquire about salary history. Please refer to our compensation overview on our website for more information and for more information on employee benefits.