Controller

Position Responsibilities:  

• Lead, develop, and hold accountable a high-performing accounting team by establishing clear expectations, effective delegation, standardized processes, succession planning, and a culture of professionalism, discretion, continuous improvement, and exceptional service.
• Oversee the general ledger, account reconciliations, month-end close, financial reporting, and annual financial statement processes across multiple entities and complex ownership structures, ensuring timely, accurate, complete, and decision-useful reporting.
• Maintain strong oversight of cash activity, bank accounts, transfers, liquidity needs, reconciliations, funding requirements, disbursements, capital activity, and the annual cash audit process, with appropriate controls over cash movement and reporting.
• Strengthen accounting systems, workflows, reporting structures, documentation, calendars, standard operating procedures, automation, and internal controls to improve accuracy, scalability, confidentiality, risk mitigation, and operational effectiveness.
• Coordinate tax, audit, and external reporting support by overseeing accounting schedules, workpapers, reconciliations, and supporting documentation while serving as a primary liaison to external auditors, advisors, and professional service providers.
• Partner proactively with family members, Fernwood leadership, cross-functional teams, and external advisors to anticipate reporting needs, analyze results, identify trends, resolve issues, support special projects and transactions, and communicate financial information clearly and discreetly.
• Other projects or duties as assigned 

Required Education and Experience: 

• Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field required.
• 10 plus years of progressive accounting and financial reporting experience, including meaningful leadership responsibility in a complex multi-entity, family office, private investment, private company, or professional services environment and 5+ years of management experience.
• Strong knowledge of general ledger accounting, financial statement preparation, account reconciliations, internal controls, and tax reporting support.
• Demonstrated experience leading, developing, and mentoring accounting professionals while building scalable processes and high-performing teams.
• Strong systems aptitude, including experience with accounting platforms, reporting tools, process improvement initiatives, and advanced Excel.

Preferred Education and Experience:

• CPA strongly preferred.
• Experience in a family office, private investment environment, public accounting firm, or other complex multi-entity organization strongly preferred.
• Experience with Sage Intacct or a comparable cloud-based accounting platform preferred.
• Experience with trust accounting, partnership accounting, family entities, or complex ownership structures preferred.