Controller

Appointment:

Regular, full-time (1.0 FTE) position.

Position Summary:

The Controller is responsible for guiding, coordinating and monitoring the accounting, budgeting, tax, treasury management and financial reporting for the university in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, regulations, and university policies and guidelines. Collaborative leadership is a critical component of this position.

Essential Job Functions and Responsibilities:

Leadership, Management, Collaboration, and Supervision:

• Review work of staff to ensure understanding, high quality work, maximum effectiveness, and exceptional service.
• Provide supervision, leadership, mentoring, and professional development opportunities to staff. Emphasize contributions to the team. Realign staff assignments to meet team goals and deadlines. Keep staff informed, involved, and cross-trained.

Accounting:

• Direct and supervise accounting team in monitoring the university's financial and accounting activities in accordance with best business practices, generally accepted accounting principles and higher education standards and regulations including maintenance of the accounting activities in the university's financial system.
• Proactively engage in appropriate and timely GAAP research and analysis, including determining implications for and application to Puget Sound. Prepare relevant executive summaries.
• Review and approve journal entries and review project and account reconciliations prepared by others.
• Coordinate timely and accurate preparation and detail review of Associated Student of University of Puget Sound (ASUPS) financial statements.
• Review financial surveys.
• Oversee quarterly grant billing and yearly and periodic indirect cost rate proposals to ensure compliance with Office of Management and Budget (OMB) circulars.
• Continually assess the adequacy of and educate constituents on the importance of maintaining effective internal controls. Identify opportunities to strengthen internal controls and recommend/implement improvements.

Gift, Life Income and Endowment Accounting:

• Review gift report reconciliations and gift reports.
• Review results of pledge audits, unconditional promise entries, conditional promise disclosures, and related audit schedules.
• Supervise and/or coordinate liquidation of non-cash gifts and tracking and receipt of bequests.
• Review endowment and life income market values and reconciliations, ensuring compliance with GAAP.
• In coordination with Office of University Relations, oversee the third party planned giving administration of the life income trusts trusteed by the university, including beneficiary payments, annual returns, fees, and overall relationship.

Month and Fiscal Year Close End and Audit Coordination:

• Coordinate monthly close processes across the Office of Finance, including the Accounts Payable and procurement card reconciliations and journal entries.
• Coordinate with AVP of Finance, external auditors, and other university colleagues to plan and execute successful and highly efficient/ effective annual financial statement, federal programs and retirement plan audits.
• Coordinate with staff to complete fiscal year-end inventory observations and related schedules, accounting entries, and written documentation.
• Provide internal control review and GAAP oversight to inventory processes.
• Coordinate the draft of the consolidated financial statements, note disclosures and Uniform Guidance audit Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards, including timely distribution of published financial statements/reports.

Tax and Regulatory Compliance:

• Coordinate preparation and review of federal Form 990 and Form 990-T and state income tax returns and yearly tax reporting for non-resident alien payments and withholding.
• Perform high level review of state excise and local B&O and admission tax returns and initiate timely payment.
• Proactively engage in appropriate and timely tax research, analysis, planning, and compliance activities, including determination of implications for and application to Puget Sound. Prepare relevant executive summaries.
• Coordinate, review and provide assistance with annual filing of life income tax returns as prepared by third party planned giving administrator.
• Coordinate and oversee annual property tax payments and inventory of exempt and nonexempt properties in cooperation with the AVP for Business Services.
• Provide backup as needed for: review/approval of AP and payroll checks; and review/approval of payroll tax reporting (IRS Form 941 and Forms W-2).

Treasury and Short-Term Investments:

• Oversee, review and approve bank services and transactions including merchant services, wire and ACH transfers, change order requests, and armored car services.
• Ensure that bank fee analysis, bank reconciliations and detail and high-level reviews are completed accurately and timely with the appropriate segregation of duties.
• Monitor and review compensating balance information and necessary changes to this balance to ensure coordination with liquidity requirements for bond compliance and acceptable return on pooled cash.
• Monitor and review pooled cash interest allocation and proper accounting for allocation.
• Coordinate purchase, accounting, and certification for self-insured workers compensation escrow account, state of Hawaii CGA, and other separately held investments.

For a full list of responsibilities, please view the official job description on the university website.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

The Controller supervises the Accounting Team staff members and occasionally student and temporary staff.

Qualifications:

• Requires bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, or related field, and current CPA license in good standing is preferred.
• Requires five years of related professional experience that demonstrates progressive responsibility in such areas as accounting, treasury, endowment accounting, and tax. Requires extensive experience with GAAP, tax, and regulatory research, analysis, interpretation, and implementation. At least three years of applicable management level experience is preferred.
• Requires experience in consolidation accounting; preparation of consolidated GAAP financial statements; financial analysis; and a firm understanding of automated accounting systems and data bases, including strong database query and reporting skills. Experience in tax-exempt organization and trust tax return preparation and/or review and endowment investment accounting including solid understanding of endowment unitization is highly desirable.
• Requires the ability to read and comprehend legal and other complex documents.
• Effective communication skills with strong presentation and writing skills are desired.
• Must possess collaborative nature and positive outlook with ability to build teams and effective relationships across organizational lines, and to mentor and develop staff.
• Requires the ability to juggle multiple tasks simultaneously and respond positively to changing circumstances.
• Must have initiative, take ownership of projects, ability to meet deadlines, attention to detail, strong analytical skills, excellent coordination, follow-up, and problem-solving skills, and be a quick and continuous learner.
• Must have superior skill with Microsoft Word and Excel.
• Higher education experience very desirable.
• Ability to respectfully work, communicate and provide leadership within a diverse campus community

Compensation and Benefits:

The anticipated range for this position is $115,000 to $130,000. Decisions about starting salaries are made based on the extent and relatedness of the candidate's education and experience and on internal equity and market considerations.

Puget Sound offers a generous benefits package for eligible staff employees, including:

• Medical, dental, and vision
• Life insurance and long-term disability
• Employee Assistance Program
• Retirement plan options and 403(b) contributions
• Paid vacation, sick leave, floating holiday, campus holidays and bonus holidays
• Education benefits, such as full tuition for eligible employees and their families
• Access to university facilities and entertainment (fitness center, pool, library, concerts, lectures and more!)

Please note:

-Positions that work less than .75 FTE (1,560 hours per year) do not qualify for long-term disability or education benefits.

-Positions that work less than .50 FTE (1,040 hours per year) will accrue paid sick leave but are not eligible for additional benefits.

-Temporary positions that work at least .50 FTE (1,040 hours per year) will be eligible for benefits.

This position is exempt from the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

For more information on Puget Sound's exempt staff benefits package, visit: Summary of 2025 Benefits for Staff Members in Exempt Positions.pdf

For the Campus Holiday and Bonus Day Schedule, visit: https://www.pugetsound.edu/human-resources

Application Deadline:

Review of applications will begin immediately. Search and selection procedures will be closed when a sufficient number of qualified candidates have been identified.

Required Documents:

• Resume
• Letter of Interest

Applications submitted without the required attachments will not be considered.

All offers of employment are contingent on successful completion of all required background checks.

Puget Sound is committed to an environment that welcomes and supports diversity. To learn more please visit: https://pugetsound.edu/about-puget-sound-0/mission-core-values/institutional-equity-diversity

The University of Puget Sound is an equal opportunity employer.