[Hiring] Controller @The Art of Education

Role Description

You're a finance leader who likes owning the whole picture; not just closing the books, but making sure the numbers tell the truth and that anyone in the room can understand what they're saying. You bring calm rigor to a fast-moving, still-maturing environment, and a chance to build real structure energizes you rather than wears you down. AOE's mission to grow amazing teachers is the kind of work you want your energy behind, because you care about serving something that matters.

You're a systems thinker who builds the processes that make accurate, on-time financials repeatable rather than heroics. You’re a natural people leader who loves developing a small team through trust and real accountability, not oversight. You do your best work in a fully remote environment, where clarity, strong systems, and earned trust matter more than proximity. You're equally at home partnering shoulder-to-shoulder with the CFO on the institution's financial strategy and independently owning the hard calls inside the close.

What You’ll Do

• Own the Monthly Close: You'll run the full month-end close (reconciliations, journal entries, and accruals) and deliver accurate, on-time financials that leadership can actually make decisions from.
• Produce & Interpret Financial Statements: You'll prepare GAAP-aligned financial statements and translate them into plain-language insight for department heads who don't live in the numbers.
• Safeguard Controls & Audit Readiness: You'll design and maintain the internal controls, documentation, and processes that keep AOE audit-ready year-round instead of scrambling once a year.
• Oversee Student Financial Operations: You'll own the integrity of student financial records and university billing (tuition, 1098-T, and adjunct payments), supervising the people and processes that run the day-to-day financials in Campus Café.
• Manage the Financial Engine: You'll oversee cash flow, accounts payable and receivable, and the accounting side of payroll in Paycom, keeping the institution's daily financial operations clean and current.
• Own Tax & Compliance Filings: You'll coordinate state taxes, business registrations, and miscellaneous regulatory filings across every state where AOE operates.
• Lead & Grow the Accounting Team: You'll manage and cross-train the accounting team, building depth and shared ownership so the function stays resilient and never depends on any single person.
• Sharpen How Finance Runs: You'll find the friction in today's processes and fix it; tightening workflows and reporting, getting more out of QuickBooks, and helping judge when AOE is ready to graduate to new tooling.

Qualifications

• At least 7 years of progressively responsible accounting experience.
• Experience owning a full-cycle month-end close and producing financial statements.
• Strong command of GAAP.
• Experience leading or mentoring other accountants.
• Bachelor's degree in accounting or finance is required.
• Rigorous thinker who executes and communicates effectively.
• Comfortable holding both the full financial picture and granular details.
• Ability to lead with sound judgment and develop people in a remote environment.

Requirements

• CPA certification or experience in a SaaS or subscription-revenue business is preferred.
• Experience with recurring revenue models, revenue recognition, and forecasting.
• Track record of standing up or migrating financial systems.
• Experience with higher education finance, including tuition, student billing, or 1098-T reporting is a plus.
• Genuine interest in art education or mission-driven organizations.