Controller

Job Description

Job Description

Organization Overview: Ada S. McKinley Community Services

Founded in 1919, Ada S. McKinley Community Services is one of Chicago’s most established and comprehensive human services organizations, dedicated to empowering, educating, and employing individuals to strengthen communities. For more than a century, the organization has expanded its reach and impact, now serving over 10,000 individuals annually across more than 70 locations in Illinois, with additional sites in Indiana and Wisconsin.

Ada S. McKinley delivers an integrated portfolio of services across three core areas: Behavioral Health and Clinical Services, Child Development and Youth Services, and Employment and Community Support Services. Its programs span early childhood education, foster care, college and career readiness, workforce development, housing and community living for individuals with disabilities, and comprehensive mental health services. Each year, the organization provides behavioral health services to more than 3,000 children and families, supports 2,500+ youth through education and development programs, and serves over 1,600 individuals through employment and community support initiatives.

At its core, Ada S. McKinley is committed to delivering holistic, community-based services that address the full spectrum of individual and family needs—from early childhood through adulthood. Under the leadership of CEO Jamal Malone, Ada continues to focus its resources and activities on improving and expanding opportunities for Chicago’s most vulnerable communities. With a strong reputation, deep community roots, and a broad service footprint, the organization continues to evolve its model to meet growing demand and expand access to high-quality, integrated care.

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Role Summary: Controller

Ada S. McKinley Community Services is seeking a Controller to join its finance leadership team at a pivotal moment for the organization. As a $65M, multi-program human services organization, Ada S. McKinley operates in a complex environment shaped by government funding, regulatory oversight, and diverse service lines. Reporting to the Chief Financial & Administrative Officer (CF&AO), the Controller will lead core accounting functions, including month-end close and accounts payable, while managing a team of three. This role is central to ensuring strong financial operations while supporting the organization’s broader mission and growth.

Success in this role begins with listening and learning. The Controller will take the time to understand the organization’s programs, people, and funding structures, with a particular focus on behavioral health - a critical and evolving area of the organization’s work. The ideal candidate will bring experience with behavioral health funding models, including private insurance/payor relationships, Medicaid and Medicare billing, and related compliance requirements. This leader will work alongside program teams to identify challenges, strengthen financial processes, and ensure the infrastructure is in place to support effective service delivery and responsible program growth.

The Controller will serve as a trusted, proactive partner to the CF&AO and leadership team - someone who brings forward solutions, communicates clearly, and contributes to a collaborative culture grounded in shared ownership. In addition, this leader will play a key role in shaping the organization’s future financial infrastructure, leading the evaluation and implementation of a new ERP system as Ada S. McKinley transitions from Microsoft Great Plains. This is an opportunity for a thoughtful, hands-on leader to bring both stability and forward momentum to a mission-driven organization.

Key Responsibilities

• Own and drive the monthly close process, ensuring timely and accurate reporting aligned with established deadlines.
• Oversee all core accounting functions, including general ledger, accounts payable, accounts receivable, and the expenditure cycle, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and a timely monthly close.
• Prepare and present financial information in monthly finance reviews and executive discussions, demonstrating strong command of data and insights.
• Oversee the organization’s billing and revenue cycle, including behavioral health billing systems, receivables, and revenue recognition across multiple funding streams, ensuring alignment with program operations.
• Ensure effective management of accounts receivable, including aging, reconciliation, and integration with billing systems and program reporting.

• Lead and support the organization’s audit processes, with direct responsibility for 6 of 8 annual audits, ensuring readiness and accuracy.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and grant funding requirements within a highly regulated environment.
• Oversee the tracking and reporting of restricted funds, aligning financial practices with program and regulatory expectations.
• Oversee financial and compliance monitoring of contracts, grants, and sub-recipients, ensuring alignment with funding requirements and performance expectations.

• Lead, develop, and strengthen the accounting team, including oversight of key roles such as the Accounts Payable Manager, Senior Financial Analyst and Financial Analyst
• Establish clear expectations, strengthen accountability, and drive consistency in team performance.
• Foster a collaborative, service-oriented culture aligned with the organization’s broader leadership approach.

• Assess current systems, including legacy and program-specific platforms, and lead efforts to streamline, integrate, and modernize financial and billing operations.
• Strengthen internal controls and reduce reliance on manual processes, particularly within accounts payable.
• Lead the evaluation, selection, and implementation of a new ERP system, ensuring strong project management and cross-functional coordination.

• Serve as a visible and trusted partner across departments, providing clear, actionable financial insights.
• Present financial information to executive leadership, including the CEO and CF&AO, and translate complex financial data for non-financial audiences.
• Support the growth and financial management of key program areas, including behavioral health, while anticipating risks and opportunities.

Leadership & Competency Expectations

The Controller will be a mission-aligned leader who takes personal ownership of financial stewardship, operating with a clear sense of accountability to both the organization and the communities it serves.

While no single candidate is expected to possess every competency, the strongest candidates will demonstrate the following skills, qualities, and experiences:

Approaches challenges with a focus on resolution and progress. Identifies root causes, brings practical solutions, and maintains a forward-looking mindset that helps the organization move ahead with clarity and confidence.

Service-Minded and Cross-Functional Partner

Views the finance function as a partner to the broader organization. Works effectively across departments, ensuring teams have the financial insight and support needed to operate successfully. Builds strong relationships and aligns financial practices with programmatic realities.

Clear Communicator and Trusted Advisor

Communicates directly and consistently, ensuring alignment and minimizing surprises. Brings forward issues early, along with thoughtful recommendations, and contributes meaningfully to conversations with the CFO and leadership team.

Behavioral Health and Funding Acumen

Brings experience or strong familiarity with behavioral health environments, including an understanding of

Medicaid/Medicare billing, managed care, and regulatory requirements. Able to navigate the complexity of funding structures and support programs with financial insight that strengthens compliance, sustainability, and growth.

Mission-Driven and Community-Aligned

Demonstrates a genuine commitment to the organization’s mission and the communities it serves. Brings cultural awareness, humility, and respect, with an understanding of the importance of delivering high-quality services to predominantly Black and underserved populations. Approaches the work with purpose and a desire to contribute to meaningful community impact.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field required; CPA and/or MBA a plus
• 6-8 years of progressive accounting experience, including demonstrated leadership and team management responsibility
• Experience within a nonprofit organization required; experience in behavioral health, healthcare, or similarly regulated environments strongly preferred
• Strong knowledge of GAAP, fund accounting, and financial management within government-funded environments
• Demonstrated experience managing audits in complex, multi-entity or multi-program organizations
• Experience with ERP systems required; experience leading or supporting system implementations strongly preferred
• Demonstrated ability to manage and develop staff, including leading teams through transition or change
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to present financial information clearly to non-finance stakeholders and executive leadership

Location, Compensation and Benefits

This position is based in Chicago, Illinois, with a hybrid schedule that reflects the collaborative and cross-functional nature of the role. The Controller is expected to maintain a consistent on-site presence, typically three days per week, in alignment with leadership team expectations and to support engagement across departments.

The salary range for this position is $135,000 – $150,000 , commensurate with experience. The organization offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, and vision coverage, retirement options, and paid time off.

How to Apply

To express your interest in this opportunity, please submit your resume and cover letter via the Maneva website.

All inquiries and discussions will be handled with the utmost confidentiality. We are actively recruiting for this position, and applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the search is concluded.

We look forward to connecting with you!

About Maneva Group

Maneva Group is a leading woman and minority owned executive search firm dedicated to connecting exceptional talent with organizations committed to making a meaningful impact. Through a consultative and client-focused approach, Maneva Group partners with mission-driven organizations to build transformative leadership teams.

Our name, Maneva, comes from the combination of two Sanskrit words: “ Mānav ” meaning mankind & “ Sevā ” meaning service. We are driven by the ideal of our name - service to humanity.