Controller - our client, Tusk Holdings

Job Description

Controller

Tusk Holdings

NYC (in office 3X a week, remote 2X a week)

About Tusk Holdings

Tusk Holdings is the family office of Bradley Tusk, an entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist whose work spans business, politics, technology and social impact. Their portfolio is unusually diverse, encompassing political consulting, venture capital, equity consulting, retail and philanthropy. Across roughly fourteen entities, their work ranges from advising companies and investing in emerging businesses to operating an independent bookstore and advancing ambitious nonprofit initiatives.

Tusk Holdings is a relatively small organization with a wide range of businesses and a highly entrepreneurial culture. Their teams work closely together, move quickly and take ownership of their work. As their portfolio continues to grow and evolve, they're looking for people who are comfortable navigating complexity, building better systems and contributing well beyond a narrowly defined job description.

About the role

We're looking for an experienced, hands-on Controller to own the day-to-day financial operations of Tusk Holdings and its affiliated entities.

Reporting directly to the CFO, the Controller will play a central role in managing the financial infrastructure that supports the businesses for the CFO. This includes cash flow, payables, receivables, payroll accounting, financial reporting, monthly close and compliance across a complex, multi-entity organization.

This is an opportunity for someone who enjoys both the technical and operational sides of finance. You'll be responsible for making sure the fundamentals run exceptionally well while strengthening the systems, processes and reporting that allow the organization to operate efficiently as it grows.

The Controller will work closely with the CFO, the Finance Associate, operations team, and senior leaders across the portfolio. We're looking for someone who can take ownership of the day-to-day work, keep things running smoothly and be a reliable, proactive partner to the CFO.

Because Tusk Holdings operates across a range of industries and phases, the scope of the role will continue to evolve. We're looking for someone who finds that variety energizing and is excited to help build a finance function that can grow with the organization.

Key responsibilities

Financial operations and cash management

• Own accounts payable and receivable across all entities, including vendor onboarding, bill processing, invoicing, collections and payment scheduling within the weekly cash plan
• Reconcile client invoicing against contracted amounts and follow up on past-due receivables
• Own corporate card programs and employee expense management through Ramp
• Own daily cash coding and reconciliation processes in Sage Intacct, working with the Finance Associate on monthly bank reconciliations and the CFO on final approvals
• Work with the CFO on payroll and commissions through Paychex, including payroll journal entries, entity allocations and cash funding
• Process scheduled partner distributions, including preparing calculations for CFO approval
• Build and maintain a rolling 13-week cash flow forecast and lead weekly cash planning meetings
• Track intercompany funding, draws and interest on the holding company's credit line

Accounting and reporting

• Own the monthly close process across all entities, including intercompany eliminations and the accuracy of each entity's P&L and balance sheet
• Maintain the shared chart of accounts across the organization
• Prepare monthly financial reporting packages and lead monthly financial reviews with business leaders
• Give the CFO and senior leadership timely, reliable visibility into cash, payables, receivables and overall financial performance
• Support quarterly business and financial goal reviews with relevant reporting and analysis for CFO

Tax, compliance and controls

• Coordinate tax compliance with external accounting advisors, including entity returns, quarterly filings and 1099s
• Coordinate Form 990 filings and state charitable registrations for nonprofit entities with outside accountants
• Maintain corporate registrations and annual filing requirements
• Keep financial records accurate, well-organized and audit-ready throughout the year
• Strengthen internal controls across the portfolio

Systems and process improvement

• Partner with the Head of Tech & Systems to improve workflows and integrations across Sage Intacct, Ramp and Paychex
• Identify opportunities to automate repetitive processes, reduce manual work and improve accuracy
• Develop and document scalable processes for payments, reconciliations, financial close and reporting

Cross-functional leadership and growth

• Support the CFO in working with business leaders across the portfolio, providing reliable financial information and helping keep day-to-day needs on track
• Assist the CFO with venture fund-related matters, including coordinating with external fund administrators, with opportunities to take on additional fund accounting responsibilities over time
• Take on additional responsibilities as needed to support the CFO and the organization's evolving needs

Who we're looking for

A seasoned accounting professional who combines technical expertise with strong operational instincts. Someone who is exceptionally organized, takes initiative and genuinely enjoys making complicated things run smoothly.

The ideal candidate is comfortable operating independently on a small team, balancing competing priorities and communicating clearly with senior leaders, vendors and external advisors. They know how to follow up, keep work moving and build relationships with people who have different levels of financial expertise.

Required qualifications

• 8+ years of accounting experience, including public accounting experience and at least three years managing a monthly close
• Significant hands-on experience with accounts payable, accounts receivable, cash management and reconciliations
• Strong knowledge of multi-entity accounting, consolidations and intercompany transactions
• Experience coordinating tax compliance with outside accounting firms
• Experience preparing cash flow forecasts and management reporting
• Experience with payroll accounting, including multi-entity allocations
• Sound judgment and discretion in handling confidential and high-net-worth financial information

Preferred qualifications

• CPA license
• Experience in a family office, multi-entity holding company or similarly complex organization
• Familiarity with non-profit organizations, in addition to for-profit
• Familiarity with Sage Intacct, Ramp and/or Paychex
• Experience improving financial processes, implementing controls and automating workflows
• Experience bringing delayed reconciliations or financial reporting up to date
• Experience with venture capital or private equity fund accounting, or revenue recognition involving equity received for services

Salary commensurate with experience.