What's Awesome About Our Client?

• Fast-growing boutique outsourced accounting firm in the Bozeman area, built around CAS (no tax, no audit) with a strong and expanding nonprofit book
• Genuinely flexible culture: 4 weeks PTO plus holidays, hybrid schedule, and zero clock-watching. Get your work done, communicate your calendar, and the freedom is yours
• Firm-wide EBITDA bonus with a higher allocation at the controller level, plus a $1,200 annual wellness benefit, 401k, paid parental leave, and customizable benefits
• Leadership that actively watches for burnout, invests in development, and wants a true partner, not just a hire

Why This Job — Controller

Our client runs a boutique outsourced accounting firm that has quietly become one of the go-to shops for nonprofits in Montana. The owner started the firm with a vision for doing client accounting services differently: modern, tech-forward, creative, and deeply client-centric. That vision is working, and the nonprofit side of the business is now the fastest-growing piece.

This Controller role sits at the heart of that growth. You'll own review and close for a portfolio that includes three nonprofits (one large client currently going through an Intacct conversion) plus around five smaller general-population business clients where you're providing high-level technical review on work prepared by the team. You'll have up to three direct reports to coach and develop, and you'll partner directly with the owner and a part-time nonprofit CFO who can train you up on anything nonprofit-specific you haven't seen yet.

The owner is looking for a real partner here. Someone who, when something gets turbulent, leans into the problem and brainstorms solutions rather than hiding out. Someone who actually enjoys client work and doesn't shy away from picking up the phone. If you've been wanting a seat where your problem-solving, communication, and entrepreneurial instincts actually matter, this is it.

What You'll Actually Do:

• Own month-end and year-end close across your client portfolio, reviewing reconciliations, journal entries, and financial statements for accuracy and consistency
• Serve as the technical accounting resource for your clients and your team, including fund accounting, grant tracking, and donor restrictions on the nonprofit side
• Manage and develop up to three direct reports through coaching, review, and actionable feedback
• Be the go-to point of contact for your clients: run financial review meetings, handle escalations, and build real relationships
• Reconcile data across multiple systems (Intacct, QBO, Bill.com, Tipalti, Shopify, etc.) and keep everything audit-ready
• Partner with the owner and CFO to identify process improvements, automation opportunities, and ways to make engagements more profitable and efficient
• Keep your calendar current and communicate proactively — that's the trade for the flexibility

What You Bring:

• 5+ years of Accounting experience, preferably having worked in Controller roles in the past, but would also consider strong Senior Accountants ready to step up.
• Knowledge of non-profit accounting including fund accounting, grants and non-profit compliance.
• CPA strongly preferred. Will consider CPA candidates or someone with the right accounting/nonprofit background who never sat for the exam
• You actually like working with clients. You pick up the phone, respond to emails, and get energy from helping small business and nonprofit leaders solve problems
• Calm under pressure. When something goes sideways, you look ahead, block time, identify the pinch points, and stay solutions-focused
• QuickBooks Online experience required. Intacct is a plus but can be trained
• Entrepreneurial mindset. You think about profitability, scope, and how to make engagements better, not just hours on a timesheet

Where and How Much:

• Location: Hybrid in the greater Bozeman area strongly preferred (Bozeman, Livingston, Three Forks). Open to other Montana markets (Billings, Missoula) for the right candidate.
• Compensation: $95,000 – $130,000 base, depending on experience
• Bonus: EBITDA-based firm-wide bonus, with a higher allocation at the controller level
• Benefits: 4 weeks PTO plus major holidays, paid parental leave (2 weeks, after 1 year), 401k with profit share, $1,200 annual wellness benefit, health/dental/vision, Aflac, flexible schedule
• Schedule: Typical weeks run 35–45 hours. Occasional 50-hour weeks are rare and mostly confined to the December/January 1099 window. Flexible hours — results over clock time