Assistant Controller - National 4-H Council : Job Details

Are you a strategic finance leader who thrives on precision, collaboration, and operational excellence? Do you believe in using your accounting expertise to support a mission that shapes the future of youth development? National 4-H Council is seeking an exceptional Assistant Controller to drive accuracy, innovation, and continuous improvement across our Finance and Accounting operations.

At National 4-H Council, we empower nearly 6 million young people each year, helping them develop the confidence and skills to lead for a lifetime. As the nation's largest youth development organization, we create #Opportunity4All by delivering high-impact programs in STEM, Agriculture, Healthy Living, and Civic Engagement.

As the Assistant Controller, you'll be at the heart of financial operations, leading day-to-day accounting execution, optimizing reporting processes, and managing a high-performing team. Reporting directly to the VP, Finance & Controller, you'll oversee timely and accurate financial reporting, drive process improvements, and support organizational priorities through clear communication and strategic planning. This is your opportunity to bring deep nonprofit accounting knowledge and team leadership to a national platform that values accountability, innovation, and impact.

If you're ready to elevate financial performance while supporting a mission that creates life-changing opportunities for youth across the country-this role is for you.

Apply now and help fuel the future of youth development with National 4-H Council!

Mission

4-H, the nation's largest youth development organization, grows confident young people empowered for life today and prepared for careers tomorrow. In collaboration with the USDA and our network of 110 public universities, we serve every county and parish in the United States in more than 3,000 local 4-H Extension offices. Our programs have a positive impact on young people: 4-H youth are 2x more likely to excel in school, 4x more likely to contribute to their communities, 2x more likely to make healthier choices, and 2x more likely to pursue STEM education or careers.

National 4-H Council, 4-H's private sector nonprofit partner, builds public-private partnerships and provides resources and leadership development opportunities that expand the reach and impact of 4-H. With the Beyond Ready Initiative, 4-H has the potential to reach 10 million young people annually to help them lead healthy, productive and engaged lives. Young leaders will have the experience and mentorship to succeed in an evolving workforce and thrive in their communities.

Position Summary

The Assistant Controller drives operational excellence across the Finance & Accounting team by overseeing day-to-day activities, ensuring timely, accurate, and insightful financial reporting. Reporting directly to the VP, Finance & Controller, this exciting role leads operational execution, sets workload management strategies, aligns team priorities with broader business goals, and ensures key deadlines and deliverables are consistently met. The Assistant Controller also leads continuous improvement of reporting processes and systems to enhance efficiency, clarity, and strategic value.

Essential Functions

Finance and Accounting Resource Planning and Operational Execution

• Establish methodology for maintaining and monitoring Finance Team deadlines and project backlog, staff resources, monitoring of results and engagement of staff as project team.
• Proactively manage day to day operations work and other projects and provide clear, summarized communication to the VP, Finance & Controller on status, resourcing and decision points.
• Serve as Strategic Planner to financial close, managing and advising audits and other team initiatives, including providing guidance on and preparing estimates to stay on timeline, facilitating program roadmaps, creating communications and meetings, development of project plans, and establishing protocols for workflow and documentation.
• Support team allocation of tasks to ensure consistent operations.

Financial Close and Reporting

• Responsible for end result of materially accurate financial reports, including facilitating the recording of estimates as needed where data is lagging the reporting timeline.
• In partnership with VP, Finance & Controller, prepare certain financial reports and act as reviewer on others to ensure complete, materially accurate and timely Leadership and Board financial reporting packages.
• Analyze accounting data to identify coding and chart of account updates that will make preparation of reports more efficient.
• Partner with internal and external stakeholders to ensure data flows from accounting to finance to support financial analysis.
• Partner with Financial Systems Architect to implement controls to prevent errors in data coding and maximize automation of financial reporting.
• Document transaction flows and identify design improvements to maximize efficiency of day-to-day and monthly close processes.

Finance Team Responsibilities, Leadership and Supervision

• Lead and participate in accounting team projects, including implementation of new software, documentation and mapping of processes, research of legacy information, and engagement of accounting and non-accounting staff as project team members.
• Support the Finance Leadership Team with audits and regulatory filings, other team projects, and daily operations.
• Serve as a strategic thought partner to the Controller; assisting the Finance Team in to reduce dependency on senior oversight.
• Establish or update critical transactional processes to ensure efficiency and strengthen internal controls.

• Liaise with key transactional stakeholders to troubleshoot issues and brainstorm effective solutions.
• Act as member of Finance Leadership Team to support workload management, resolve issues, strategize change leadership and develop infrastructures to support prioritization, team development, compliance and maximization of business continuity. Provide insight on bandwidth and input on resourcing needs.
• Manage team member(s) to achieve successful day-to-day operations, with an eye on future advancement and cross-training, and continuity.
• Communicate clear goals, expectations and timelines while fostering an environment supporting staff needs and encouraging growth, including regular check-ins, evaluations, motivation and impediment resolution when needed.
• Ensure proper adherence to job responsibilities, facilitate problem solving and encourage collaboration across departments when required.

Minimum Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in accounting or related field, or any equivalent combination of relevant work experience and training.