Global Controller

Job Description

Job Description

The Opportunity:

This is a unique leadership opportunity to work at a globally recognized, social impact organization that is changing the world for good of all. 

The Controller at Ashoka, reporting to the Chief Financial Officer (CFO), has oversight responsibility, in partnership with the CFO, for accounting, finance, reporting, and financial compliance activities in the organization.

The Controller will supervise the Accounting team at the organization level, regional finance managers (in partnership with regional managers), the Payroll Supervisor (in partnership with the Head of Talent), and an outsourced Finance/Accounting support team. They will work closely with their peers in Ashoka Finance and the senior leadership team, while assisting the CFO with financial operations.

They will have functional responsibility over accounting, accounts payable, accounts receivable/grants administration, (with the Global Finance Capacity Strategist), payroll, and the Netsuite Analyst. They will also ensure the organization has the systems and procedures in place to support effective program implementation and conduct clean audits.

This role is central in our work to simplify finance and accounting procedures, continuously improving how the function supports program operations. The Global Finance Capacity Strategist, a peer to the Controller, will provide partnership for financial capacity building for teams at the country and regional levels.

The person in this role will have the opportunity to create and maintain enduring partnerships with the CFO, senior leadership, and the Talent, Legal and Information Technology (IT) staff to enhance and better integrate Finance, HR, Legal and IT functions.

• Finance and Accounting Leadership:
• Oversee all accounts, ledgers, and reporting systems ensuring compliance with appropriate GAAP standards and regulatory requirements; apply reporting standards for nonprofit entities.
• Implement appropriate internal controls and mechanisms for receipt of revenue, costs, and program budgets and actual expenditures, and ensure appropriate safeguarding of Organization assets and the proper recording of financial transactions.
• Coordinate all audit activity.
• Work with the Finance team’s Head of Business Intelligence to consistently analyze financial data and present financial reports timely and accurately; clearly communicate financial statements; monitor progress and changes and keep senior leadership abreast of Ashoka’s financial status.
• Review and approve payroll.
• Support the CFO in engaging the board’s audit and finance committees around issues and trends in financial operating models and delivery.
• Oversee all financial, project/program and grants accounting; ensure that expenditures are consistently aligned with grant and program budgets throughout the grant/fund period.
• With the CFO, maintain and manage relationships with external stakeholders, including financial institutions, auditors, and large vendors.
• Establish and monitor implementation of finance policies, procedures and administrative systems to support finance/program operations.
• Evaluate and lead team to improve Team’s application of the accounting ERP system (NetSuite); rollout the ERP system in other country offices as appropriate in coordination with regional and local finance managers.

• Team Leadership:
• Leverage strengths of the current finance team members, help to clarify roles and responsibilities and develop and implement training programs to maximize and reach optimal individual and organizational goals. Support development of a new role within the finance organization to focus on simplifying processes and financial training across the organization.
• Provide leadership in strengthening internal communications with staff at all levels throughout the organization; create and promote a positive and supportive work environment.
• Provide coaching to other staff while working collaboratively with them to define and find solutions to issues.  Be willing to roll up sleeves in tackling issues including technical challenges.

• Certified Public Accountant (CPA); Experience with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)
• At least 5 years in a Controller or equivalent position 
• Accounting experience in a not-for-profit organization, including grants accounting
• Public accounting experience will be a plus
• Experience managing and directing teams of finance and accounting professionals
• Strong knowledge and experience in ERP platform, preferably NetSuite
• Managing financial statements audits, organization’s strategy, budget, and planning
• Strong ability to research technical GAAP topics and also implement rules as appropriate
• Appropriate balance of focus on simplification of processes and policies, while ensuring nuances are covered
• Willing and able to face unique challenges never experienced before
• Ability to work and collaborate with people in other teams who have no financial knowledge
• Desire to work in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment with smart, caring professionals who want to make a meaningful change in the world.

• Entrepreneurial Quality: Compelled to take creative initiative and ownership (e.g. founding an organization or company, starting a movement, or re-shaping the work of an existing organization). Demonstrates relentless and realistic how-to-thinking and passion for seeing their ideas come to life. 
• Understanding and Belief in the Everyone a Changemaker: Understands and believes the Everyone a Changemaker vision at a gut level. To be able to innately ‘get’ this, candidates should have a broad and inquisitive intellectual and a thinking pattern that connects the dots between historical trends and current social context. 
• Emotional and Social Intelligence: Ability to work efficiently and respectfully in teams, putting organizational/team goal first (personal glory second). 
• Ethical Fiber: Exceptionally strong ethical behavior. Is self-reflective and has strong empathy skills. Trustworthy. 
• Self-Definition: The person expects that changing the world in big ways and on a continental scale is what he/she will do in life.

The US-based Senior Change Leader/Institutional Strategist base salary range is $110,000 - $136,000 (based on relevant experience, skills, and qualifications), plus an annual 10% on base for performance, as well as a full range of benefits. In addition, for extraordinary institutional contributions, Ashoka may provide an award of $13,500 that vests over three years. 

Ashoka is an equal opportunity employer and invites applications from candidates regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, or religion. The position is based in the global Ashoka office in Arlington, Virginia, USA. For more information, visit us at

About Ashoka:

Ashoka is the world’s largest community of leading social entrepreneurs, having pioneered the field of social entrepreneurship over 40 years ago. We support a robust network of more than 4,000 Ashoka Fellows in 90 countries who have successfully implemented systems-changing solutions to human and environmental problems globally. By learning from and collaborating with our Fellows and other social entrepreneurs, Ashoka identifies patterns and key levers to help society gain a new framework for living in the world as a changemaker. 

Our current work is centered around the "Everyone a Changemaker" (EACH) movement, which stems from our belief that everyone has the potential and responsibility to make positive change in an ever-changing world. We continue to grow a global movement of social entrepreneurship, recognizing that the rate of change is accelerating and our problems are growing faster than our solutions.