Controller
Pasadena, CA
Accounting & Finance /
Full-Time | Exempt /
Hybrid
Please be aware of recruiting scams!
All legitimate communication from our recruitment team will come from an official calstart.org email address via email, we will not text you about a role you have not applied to or shown interest in. We will not perform any interviews via text or Zoom chat.
CALSTART does not ask for any fees or personal information such as social security numbers or bank details during the recruitment process.
About Us:
CALSTART is a mission-driven industry organization focused on transportation decarbonization and clean air for all.
For over 30 years, it’s been CALSTART’s mission to develop, assess, and implement large-scale, zero-emission transportation solutions to mitigate climate change and support economic growth. CALSTART works with businesses, organizations, governments, and communities to create real-life impact toward clean air and equitable access to clean transportation for all. CALSTART provides scientific, technical and policy support for regulatory development and clean technology and infrastructure acceleration.
About The Role:
CALSTART is seeking a Controller to play a key role in managing the financial health and operational resilience of our organization. Reporting to the CFO, this position will lead systems development, financial reporting, cash flow management, and risk oversight while ensuring compliance with government contracts and federal regulations.
The Controller will oversee accounting staff, drive the budgeting process, coordinate annual audits, and partner with operations teams to monitor project performance and funding. This role requires both a strong technical foundation in accounting and compliance as well as excellent leadership and communication skills to collaborate across a multidisciplinary organization.
This is an exciting opportunity for a mission-driven finance professional who thrives in a dynamic, fast-paced environment and is motivated by building systems, strengthening compliance, and supporting the financial infrastructure behind CALSTART’s clean transportation mission.
**This is a hybrid role. The requirement will be to be in the office in person in Pasadena, CA one day a week, on occasion the requirement will be two days a week, depending on the workload**
What You’ll Do:
- Systems: Accounting systems development and maintenance.
- Administer, maintain and upgrade agency ERP systems.
- Design, maintain and enforce systems of internal controls.
- Maintain and promulgate accounting policies and procedures.
- In conjunction with the IT department, document agency IT system policies and procedures.
- Accounting and Reporting
- Review financial statements as provided by the Accounting Director for consistency, reasonableness and GAAP compliance.
- Quarterly review of general ledger; ensuring posted transactions are GAAP compliant.
- Quarterly review of account reconciliations to ensure all account balances are correct and recommend follow-up as needed.
- Review job ledger to ensure accuracy of job postings.
- Review reconciliation between job cost ledger and general ledger.
- Managing staff: Staff development.
- Setting goals and monitoring performance against those goals.
- Risk Management: Assist the CFO in documenting agency risk assessment.
- Coordinate annual insurance policy renewal activities.
- Cash Flow Management: Maintain banking relationships.
- Monitor cash availability.
- Reconcile funding agency cash advances and cash available for operations.
- Government and Other Funding Sources: Design and maintain process for monitoring project status at macro level.
- Meet with appropriate operations staff regarding project status, recommending corrective activities as needed.
- In conjunction with Accounting Manager – Contract Billings/Management, communicate with project managers on project status.
- Serve as consultant in RFP process, particularly as it relates to project partners, the procurement process, and ensuring proposed funding will pay project costs per CALSTART cost allocation/recovery policy.
- Administer funding source platforms (i.e. FTA TrAMS, DOE FedConnect, billing platforms, etc.).
- Prepare annual negotiated indirect cost rate agreement (NICRA) with federal cognizant agency.
- Annual System for Award Management (SAM) renewal.
- Contracts: Attend project kickoff meetings to ascertain the presence of project partners and aid in proper contractual treatment in accordance with Uniform Guidance or other contractual terms and conditions.
- Working with the contracts department to ensure proper instruments (Vendor v. subrecipient) are assigned to project partners and compliance with procurement policy.
- Budgeting: Initiating the annual agency budget process.
- Compiling budget data.
- Aid various departments to prepare department budgets.
- In conjunction with CFO, prepare annual budget for presentation to Board.
- Budget analysis as needed.
- Audit: Auditor procurement.
- Schedule and coordinate annual audit activities.
- Prepare and provide auditors with financial statements to be included in audit report and aid in preparing notes to financial statements.
- Provide auditors with data required for annual 990 and related filings
- Monitor funding agency audit activities
- Ad-hoc duties and/or reporting as needed.
What You’ll Bring to the Table:
- Bachelor’s degree in accounting from an accredited college/university at minimum.
- Advanced knowledge of accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
- Extensive understanding of cost accounting principles and applications.
- Five to ten years relevant accounting experience (Preferably nonprofit organizations), particularly with government contracts/grants accounting and compliance.
- Three to five years’ supervision experience.
- Experience or working knowledge of auditing processes.
- Proficiency in accounting ERP systems, financial reporting tools, and intermediate to advanced electronic spreadsheet skills.
- Intermediate to advanced knowledge of other general computer applications such as Microsoft Word and document management applications such as Adobe Acrobat Pro.
- Familiarity with the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Guidance or 2 CFR 200 [Formerly OMB A-110, A-122 and A-133]), the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)
Desired Qualifications:
- Master’s degree or CPA, or CPA candidate, is desirable but not required.
- CPA firm experience plus.
- Auditing experience is helpful.
- Above average familiarity with Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Guidance or 2 CFR 200 [Formerly OMB A-110, A-122 and A-133]), the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), and state cost accounting standards (Typically California).
- Sage 100 ERP experience is desirable.
- Experience with third-party report writing applications such as Crystal Reports.
$140,000 - $177,960 a year
CALSTART values transparency and strives to provide as much information regarding compensation as possible. The salary range for this role is $140,000 - $177,960. We determine pay based on several factors, including but not limited to job-related skills, qualifications, experience, education, internal equity and other factors relevant to the job.
We understand that not everyone will match the above qualifications 100%. If your background isn't perfectly aligned but you feel you would be a great addition to the team, we'd love to hear from you.
We're a tight-knit team of world-class innovators, business minds, and change agents who believe passionately in our mission and put our team ahead of self. We are committed to the continued development and growth of our employees and invest in your success!
We care about your personal well being as much as your professional success and offer generous benefits to full time employees including: 100% company paid comprehensive health benefits for Medical, Dental, Vision, Short Term Disability, Long Term Disability and Life Insurance, Retirement plan with generous company contributions, FSA for Health and Dependent Care, 3 weeks of vacation time in the first year of employment, 11 paid company holidays, paid sick time, paid family leave, and more!
Our inclusive environment focuses on making decisions based on merit without regard to race, color, hair texture, gender, religion, age, nationality, social or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, LGBTQIA+ status, marital status, pregnancy, disability, genetics, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
