{"id":1973471,"url":"https://alion.io/job/first-book-controller-accounting-financial-operations","title":"Controller, Accounting, & Financial Operations","company":{"id":1767026,"name":"First Book","domain":"firstbook.org","url":"https://alion.io/company/firstbook","size_band":null,"is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"BambooHR","truth_index":null},"role":"Finance","role_family":"Finance","seniority":"staff","employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Washington, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":115000,"max":null,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":115000},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":10,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"Microsoft Excel","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-10-06T20:15:43Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-06","last_verified_at":"2026-10-14T03:11:11Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":7,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":7},"description":"CONTROLLER, ACCOUNTING & FINANCIAL OPERATIONS\nFirst Book | Washington, DC (Hybrid)\nABOUT FIRST BOOK\nFirst Book is a leading nonprofit social enterprise dedicated to removing barriers to quality education for children in need. Through innovative public-private partnerships and a national network of more than 600,000 educators, program leaders, and community organizations, First Book has distributed over 250 million books and educational resources to under-resourced communities. Our work spans e-commerce (First Book Marketplace), research and insights (First Book R&I), and tailored program development (First Book Accelerator), all designed to elevate the voices and needs of educators serving children in low-income communities.\nABOUT THE ROLE\nThe Controller, Accounting & Financial Operations is responsible for the integrity, accuracy, timeliness, and scalability of First Book’s accounting and financial reporting functions. This role leads the day-to-day accounting operation and serves as a key financial partner to Finance and organizational leadership, ensuring that financial information supports sound operational and strategic decision-making.\nReporting to the Chief Financial Officer, the Controller leads the accounting team and will move the function from reporting historical results to providing forward-looking financial insight and decision support.\nWHAT YOU’LL OWN\nLead all accounting operations, including general ledger, accounts payable, accounts receivable, fixed assets, inventory, and revenue recognition.\nOwn the monthly, quarterly, and annual close processes, delivering accurate and timely financial statements, management reporting, and Board-level reporting in compliance with U.S. GAAP and applicable nonprofit requirements.\nPartner with Finance leadership and business/program leaders to develop budgets, forecasts, financial models, and operating plans; lead variance analysis and translate results into actionable insights for management.\nDevelop meaningful financial and operating metrics and evaluate cost structures, pricing, margins, and the financial implications of new programs, partnerships, and revenue opportunities.\nDesign, implement, and continuously strengthen internal controls, including segregation of duties, approval processes, and reconciliations.\nMonitor compliance with financial, tax, regulatory, and contractual requirements; identify financial and operational risks and recommend mitigation strategies.\nLead the annual financial statement audit and partner with external tax advisors on tax filings and required regulatory reporting.\nOversee accounting and financial systems, ensuring data integrity and driving automation and scalable processes.\nOversee cash management, banking relationships, cash forecasting, and liquidity planning.\nLead, supervise, and develop the accounting team, fostering a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and financial stewardship.\nServe as a trusted financial resource across the organization.\nOther duties as assigned.\nEDUCATION\nBachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field required.\nActive Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license in good standing required.\nMaster’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) or Accounting (MAcc) preferred.\nSKILLS & EXPERIENCE\nMinimum of ten years of progressive accounting or finance experience, including a senior-level finance or accounting position, required; prior Controller and/or nonprofit accounting experience strongly preferred.\nDemonstrated expertise in U.S. GAAP and nonprofit accounting, including contributions, grants, restricted funds, and revenue recognition.\nProven experience owning the financial close, leading annual audits, and designing and maintaining internal controls.\nExperience developing budgets, forecasts, and financial models, including during a period of organizational growth.\nExceptional financial analysis skills, including variance, margin, working capital, and cash flow analysis.\nExperience implementing or optimizing accounting systems and automating financial processes.\nDemonstrated experience supervising and developing accounting staff.\nAbility to communicate financial results and recommendations clearly to non-financial stakeholders, executive leadership, and the Board.\nExperience with inventory accounting or earned-revenue/e-commerce business lines preferred.\nAdvanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel; proficiency with Word and PowerPoint.\nCOMPENSATION & BENEFITS:\nSalary Range: $115,000 (non-negotiable).\nAll full-time employees are eligible for the following:\nMedical and dental insurance coverage\nLife insurance and Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) coverage\nPaid vacation and sick leave\n12 paid holidays annually\n401(k) retirement plan with employer matching contributions\nEmployer-provided parking stipend (Washington, DC)\nTO APPLY\nSubmit a resume and a cover letter detailing your interest in this position.\nOnly applications submitted through First Book’s approved platform will be reviewed.First Book does not accept unsolicited recruiter submissions and does not pay fees for resumes submitted outside of a formal written agreement.\n\nEQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY\nFirst Book is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, marital status, personal appearance, family responsibilities, genetic information, matriculation, political affiliation, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable federal, District of Columbia, or local law.\nACCOMMODATIONS\nFirst Book is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and to individuals with sincerely held religious beliefs, in accordance with applicable law. Applicants requiring accommodations during the application or interview process should submit a written request to First Book's Human Resources department.\nWORK PRESENCE & EMPLOYMENT CONDITIONS\nThis is a hybrid position requiring regular in-office presence at First Book’s Washington, DC office on designated days to support internal collaboration and partnership activities.\nRelocation assistance is not provided.\nCONNECT WITH FIRST BOOK\nhttps://www.facebook.com/FirstBook\nhttps://twitter.com/firstbook\nhttps://www.youtube.com/user/firstbook\nhttps://www.instagram.com/firstbookorg/","description_format":"text","description_chars":6418,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":10,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"bachelor","optional":false},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Dental insurance","Insurance coverage","Life insurance","Relocation assistance","Retirement plans"],"hiring_locations":[],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":true,"industries":["Marketplaces","Nonprofits & Foundations","Angel Networks & Startup Accelerators"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-10-06T20:15:43Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":85,"band":"hot","label":"Hiring now","p_open":1,"p_active":0.846,"p_room":1,"age_days":6,"expected_fill_days":29,"reasons":["conf:0","win:early"],"computed_at":"2026-10-13T05:45:00Z"},"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":115000,"is_top_pay":false},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/first-book-controller-accounting-financial-operations","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/first-book-controller-accounting-financial-operations.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-14T03:30:05Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":5494,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-10-15T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":1767026},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=1767026"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Ffirst-book-controller-accounting-financial-operations"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Ffirst-book-controller-accounting-financial-operations"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Ffirst-book-controller-accounting-financial-operations"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/first-book-controller-accounting-financial-operations\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Ffirst-book-controller-accounting-financial-operations"}]}