Job Description – Controller

Job Summary

The Controller is The Minerva Group’s proactive, forward-looking leader for their assigned clients. The Controller is responsible for providing each assigned client with insights, analysis, and planning, keeping an eye on tomorrow to inform their clients’ decisions today.

Primary Responsibilities

The Controller will provide the following services as determined by client assignments and engagements. While the below list is detailed, it is not exhaustive. Additional, similar duties and responsibilities may be assigned as necessary.

• Play a leadership role in the identification and definition of financial information to monitor that will inform and impact client business operations and financial decisions.
• Provide assigned clients with insights on financial position and performance and identify potential problem areas and growth opportunities.
• Play a leadership role in the planning and preparation of budgets, cash flow forecasts, inventory workflows and management, WIP workflows and management, proper job costing workflows, spend and expense workflows, accounts receivable metrics, risk management, grant management, and other high level accounting needs as appropriate with each client’s engagement.
• Provide clients with counsel and analysis of accounting operations, processes and procedures for compliance, efficiency and support of overall goals.
• Be knowledgeable on each assigned client’s accounting operations to provide counsel and support to the team and client for optimal services and efficiency.
• Evaluate and advise client accounting operations to ensure proper compliance with sales tax, payroll, 1099, and other such regulations and requirements.
• Review work, collaborate with, and provide direction to client internal accounting staff.
• Lead the definition and enforcement of client internal accounting controls through ongoing evaluation of and recommendations for improvements to policies and procedures.
• Maintain/verify complete and accurate workpapers and other documentation as needed to support financial information and transactions in clients’ books.
• Identify and make recommendations to clients for chart of accounts modifications to better serve the clients’ needs, insights, reporting, etc.
• Identify and make recommendations to clients for accounting processes, use of technology or other areas where client efficiency or profitability can be improved.
• Represent TMG to assigned clients in a professional and courteous manner. Proactively manage and nurture the relationship with each assigned client through competent and timely services, prompt and clear communication, quick responses, and sound judgment and advice.
• Proactively communicate with TMG leadership regarding any recommendations, concerns or problems with TMG operations, processes or procedures; client relationships; scopes of work; team members; or any area where improvement may be recognized.
• Save complete and organized files to the appropriate TMG resource such as Google Drive, Practice Protect, or Financial Cents.
• Always protect the security and confidentiality of client data through proper use of TMG’s security protocols and procedures.
• Timely review and response to internal email and Slack communications. Share information with team members as needed for thorough and successful client services.
• Enter accurate timesheets into time-tracking system daily.
• Utilize TMG’s firm management tool to guide and record services performed. Participate in keeping projects, tasks, deadlines, and schedules complete and accurate for each client’s scope and procedures.
• Proactively seek and or actively participate in presented opportunities for continuing education to maintain and grow accounting and technology skills.

Leadership Responsibilities

The Controller is not specifically tasked with being the manager or supervisor of other team members.  However, they play a leadership role for the other team members assigned to their clients.  The Controller will have the following responsibilities for the team members also assigned to their clients.

• Direct, mentor, review and verify assigned team members’ performance of client services.
• Proactively provide guidance and client-specific training to ensure team members fully understand duties, expectations and accounting procedures for each client.
• Make recommendations to TMG leadership for team member educational opportunities as identified.
• Provide team member performance feedback to the CEO/COO.

Key Accountabilities

• On-time, on schedule completion of all assigned work per Financial Cents and assigned client engagements, to be performed in accordance with GAAP, FASB, industry standard best practices and or Minerva Standard Operating Procedures.
• Record time and track all work in TMG’s practice management hub (Financial Cents). Each employee is responsible for recording time, marking projects and tasks as complete when the work is performed, assist in maintaining the accuracy and detail of work in the system, and adhering to all company SOPs.
• Nurture relationships with assigned clients through competent, timely services; regular client meetings; effective account leadership and counsel; and clear, prompt, and proactive communication.
• Dedicate 8-10 hours per month to nurture team members’ growth and development through mentorship, participation in or contribution to TMG training opportunities, and or one-on-one training with Bookkeepers and Staff Accountants.
• Invest in at least 20 hours of continuing education annually with a focus on ‘soft skills’ to support client relationship building and higher-level accounting topics to support the company’s focus on advisory services.

Working at The Minerva Group

The Minerva Group is a fully remote accounting and bookkeeping professional services company. Our employees enjoy and are entrusted with autonomy and authority to successfully manage their own time and duties. Though a specific daily schedule is not dictated, full-time Controllers are expected to record 32-46 client related hours per week. In addition, the Minerva Group places the following expectations and requirements on all employees to support the company’s ultimate success.

• Uphold TMG’s culture, vision and mission.
• Successfully manage tasks and priorities to complete all assignments on schedule.
• In addition to client related hours, some internal meetings are required each week for mentorship, training, etc.
• Respond to internal communication within 1-2 hours during normal business hours for your time zone.
• Maintain accurate calendar and status settings during business hours to indicate availability.
• Proactive, open and timely communication is critical. Be sensitive to, and work to overcome, the challenges of communication for a remote workforce.

Qualifications and Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting/finance (master’s degree or CPA is preferred).
• Advanced accounting knowledge and at least 5 years’ experience with different types of businesses, complex accounting concepts and transactions.
• At least 4 years’ experience in providing services with comparable duties and responsibilities.
• Experience with providing strategic financial leadership counsel and analysis.
• High degree of comfort with technology and learning new systems.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• High degree of integrity to handle confidential information and prioritize security.
• Strong attention to detail and time management skills.
• Willingness and desire to take the initiative in all areas of work.
• Experience working at a firm with multiple clients is required.
• Background in construction with job costing and/or non-profit accounting highly preferred.