Controller

Description

Recruitment Period: 10/07/2026 - Until Filled

Status: Full-Time, 40 hours/week

Salary Information: Annual Minimum Salary-$102,700-Annual Maximum Salary-$174,600

Hiring Rate: Dependent upon qualifications and experience

On Campus Position

Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences (PNWU) was founded as a 501(c) (3) non-profit medical institution in 2005 aimed at increasing access to health care in medically underserved areas of the Pacific Northwest.

The University currently offers the degrees of Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Doctor of Physical Therapy, Doctor of Dental Medicine, Master of Biomedical Sciences, and Master of Science in Occupational Therapy enrolling over 550 students annually. Interprofessional education partnerships with other universities adds another 100 students to the population. The campus includes 300 employees with academic programming spread over a five-state region.

PNWU is located in Yakima, WA, a city of approximately 95,000 located in the south-central part of the state near the eastern slopes of the Cascade Mountains in a major agricultural and outdoor recreation region. It is approximately 140 miles from Seattle, 170 miles from Portland, and 200 miles from Spokane. The Yakima Valley is a wonderful place to live, work and play. For more information, visit https://www.visityakima.com/.

Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences (PNWU) does not sponsor employment visas. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of hire and for the duration of their employment with PNWU. Employment eligibility will be verified in accordance with federal law.

General Summary:

The Controller provides leadership and oversight for PNWU’s accounting and financial operations, ensuring the accuracy and integrity of financial reporting, effective internal controls, regulatory compliance, and efficient financial processes. The Controller oversees general accounting, financial reporting, accounts payable, payroll, treasury operations, audit coordination, and related financial systems and processes.

The Controller serves as the University’s senior operational finance leader and works closely with the Vice President for Finance & Administration/CFO to safeguard University resources, strengthen financial operations, and support responsible financial stewardship.

As a leader of others, the Controller is responsible for building a cohesive, collaborative accounting and financial operations team grounded in trust, clear expectations, and psychological safety. The Controller coaches and develops the Senior Accountant, Accountant, Senior Accounts Payable Specialist, and Senior Payroll Specialist toward their full potential, delegates thoughtfully as people grow in capability, addresses concerns directly and with care, and keeps the connection between the team’s daily work and PNWU’s mission of serving rural and medically underserved communities visible and meaningful.

Essential Job Functions:

• Duties an employee must be able to perform, with or without reasonable accommodation. 

Accounting and Financial Reporting

• Lead the University’s general accounting function and monthly and annual close processes, ensuring financial records are complete, accurate, timely, and appropriately supported.
• Oversee preparation and review of monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements and related financial reports in accordance with GAAP and University policies.
• Ensure timely completion and review of journal entries, general ledger activity, balance sheet reconciliations, accruals, allocations, and financial adjustments.
• Oversee accounting for restricted and designated funds, grants, fixed assets, leases, debt, investments, and other significant or complex transactions.
• Establish clear account ownership, reconciliation standards, documentation requirements, and close deadlines.
• Research and resolve complex accounting and financial reporting matters and provide guidance to Finance staff and University leadership.

Financial Operations and Internal Controls

• Provide leadership and oversight of accounts payable, payroll, and related financial operations, keeping the purpose behind the work visible so the team understands how sound financial operations support students and the University’s mission.
• Establish and maintain effective internal controls, including appropriate segregation of duties, approval authority, transaction review, cash controls, and financial-system access.
• Identify, investigate, and promptly communicate unusual transactions, financial errors, control deficiencies, compliance concerns, and other material financial risks to the CFO.
• Develop, maintain, and enforce financial policies and procedures and recommend improvements that strengthen controls, efficiency, service, and accountability.
• Partner with the CFO to establish and maintain procurement policies, approval thresholds, vendor controls, purchasing requirements, and related financial controls.
• Promote electronic workflows, automation, and process improvements where appropriate while maintaining effective internal controls.

Treasury and Cash Management

• Oversee University bank account activity, bank reconciliations, transfers, and related treasury controls within established authority.
• Maintain appropriate controls over restricted funds and ensure restricted resources are used, transferred, recorded, and reported in accordance with applicable donor, grant, legal, and institutional requirements.
• Support daily and periodic cash monitoring and provide accurate cash balances and actual financial information for liquidity planning and forecasting.
• Coordinate with the CFO and Director of Budget & Financial Planning regarding cash needs, anticipated activity, and financial trends.

Audit, Compliance, and External Reporting

• Lead Finance preparation for the annual financial statement audit and other financial audits or reviews, including preparation of schedules and supporting documentation, resolution of audit questions, and implementation of recommendations.
• Serve as a primary Finance contact for external auditors and other financial reviewers.
• Oversee applicable tax, regulatory, debt, grant, and financial compliance requirements and ensure required reporting and filings are accurate and timely.
• Support preparation and review of Form 990 and other required external financial reports.
• Maintain current knowledge of accounting standards, regulatory requirements, and emerging issues affecting higher education and nonprofit financial operations.

Financial Systems and Process Improvement

• Provide Finance leadership for the general ledger and financial components of ERP, SIS, payroll, banking, and other integrated financial systems.
• Participate in financial system implementations, upgrades, testing, process redesign, and development of internal controls.
• Ensure system configurations, interfaces, reconciliations, and financial processes support complete and reliable financial reporting.
• Identify opportunities to reduce manual processes, strengthen workflows, improve data integrity, and increase operational efficiency.

Leadership and Team Development

• Lead, develop, and establish clear expectations, accountabilities, and priorities for staff within the Controller function, including accounting, accounts payable, payroll, and related financial operations.
• Coach and develop each team member toward their full potential and career goals, providing timely, specific, and growth-oriented feedback along with technical guidance and professional development opportunities.
• Build staff development plans that align individual growth with PNWU’s mission and strategic direction, and recognize and celebrate work that advances it.
• Delegate thoughtfully, matching responsibility to capability and readiness, and expand authority as people grow in skill and confidence.
• Address performance concerns proactively, directly, and with care, creating space for learning and growth.
• Establish and sustain a team culture grounded in trust, psychological safety, and open communication, where questions, honesty, and mistakes are met with curiosity.
• Ensure every team member has a voice in decisions that affect their work, and invite the team to solve problems together, drawing on diverse perspectives and creative thinking.
• Lead the team through system implementations, process changes, and periods of transition with stability, transparency, and attention to the emotional dynamics of change.
• Establish appropriate cross-training and backup coverage for critical Finance functions, and ensure staff understand their responsibilities, deadlines, internal controls, and escalation requirements.
• Model transparency, consistency, and follow-through in words, decisions, and actions, and hold the team accountable for results and for the way those results are achieved.
• Regularly ask whether the Controller function is doing the right things, and create space for the team to ask that question too, using data to evaluate the team’s impact and drive continuous improvement.
• Encourage sustainable work practices, balance, and renewal across the team, recognizing that a healthy team is a prerequisite for serving students and the University well.
• Collaborate closely with the Director of Budget & Financial Planning to ensure actual financial results, budgets, forecasts, and management reporting are aligned and reconciled.

Retirement and Benefit Plan Financial Oversight

• Work collaboratively with Human Resources in the administration and financial oversight of the University’s 403(b) and 457 retirement plans and self-funded health plan.
• Coordinate and lead Finance responsibilities for the 403(b) and 457 plan audits, including preparation and review of financial schedules, reconciliations, census and contribution data, supporting documentation, and responses to auditor requests.
• Reconcile retirement plan contributions and related general ledger activity and coordinate with Payroll, Human Resources, plan administrators, recordkeepers, and auditors to investigate and resolve discrepancies.
• Support financial oversight and reconciliation of the University’s self-funded health plan, including review of plan activity, funding, expenses, liabilities, and related financial reporting.
• Monitor financial controls and accounting processes related to retirement and benefit plans and promptly communicate significant discrepancies, compliance concerns, or control issues to the CFO and Human Resources.
• Support required financial reporting, audit follow-up, and implementation of corrective actions related to retirement and benefit plans.

Other duties as assigned

Standard Institutional Requirements (apply to all roles):

• Performs job duties in accordance with safety, legal, and regulatory requirements; University policy and procedures; and accepted business practices.
• Acts with the highest level of professional ethical standards in all aspects of job performance, in accordance with the mission and values of PNWU.
• Understands and adheres to accreditation standards and expectations specific to the department.

Salary is commensurate with qualifications and experience. Pro-rated based on hours/week. For this role, our anticipated hiring range is $102,700-$174,600/annual)

Every range at PNWU divides into four quartiles anchored at the midpoint. Quartile placement blends what a person brings and how they perform, which is our commitment to behaviors and results expressed in placement mechanics. The general framework:

• 1st Quartile ($102,700-$120,650/annual). New to this level or role. Brings relevant experience but is new to the scope of work at this level; developing the full breadth of the role; generally 0 to 3 years at this level. Meets expectations and is still establishing a track record.
• 2nd Quartile ($120,650-$138,600/annual). Developing to proficient; generally 3 to 5 years at this level or equivalent. Proficient across core responsibilities, consistently meets and sometimes exceeds expectations, and has established credibility with colleagues and partners.
• 3rd Quartile ($138,600-$156,600/annual). Fully qualified and performing at market rate. The midpoint marks the fully qualified employee whose performance is satisfactory in all respects. Substantial experience, generally 5 to 10 years; consistently strong performance; serves as a trusted expert resource.
• 4th Quartile ($156,600-$174,600/annual). Highly skilled, consistently high-performing, high-contributing. Extensive experience, typically 10 or more years; recognized institutional expert whose work adds significant value. Reserved for the most senior and exceptional cases.

Requirements

Education & Experience:

• To perform the essential functions of this position, the incumbent must have:
•  A bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, business administration, or a related field from an accredited institution. AND Seven years of progressively responsible accounting or finance experience, including significant responsibility for financial reporting, general ledger accounting, financial close, internal controls, and audit, and including experience supervising and developing staff. OR
•  An equivalent combination of education and experience that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform the essential functions of the position.

Desired Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities:

• Strong knowledge of GAAP, financial reporting principles, and accounting and financial-management practices.
• Demonstrated experience leading accounting or finance staff and managing multiple financial functions.
• Experience in financial systems and enterprise resource planning (ERP) platforms, with advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel.
• Knowledge of payroll administration, payroll tax compliance, and payroll systems management, including multi-state payroll processing where applicable.
• High degree of integrity, transparency, accountability, and professional judgment, including the ability to identify issues independently and communicate concerns promptly and clearly.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, and the ability to translate complex financial information for non-financial audiences, including at the board level.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines while establishing accountability across organizational boundaries.
• Demonstrated ability to coach and develop staff, set clear expectations, recognize good work, and hold people accountable with directness and care.
• Ability to build a cohesive team environment grounded in trust, psychological safety, and open communication in every direction.
• Skill in delegating thoughtfully, matching responsibility to capability and readiness, and providing clear technical guidance.
• Ability to lead through change and periods of transition with stability and transparent communication.
• Ability to resolve conflict constructively and to address performance concerns early, directly, and with compassion.
• Ability to connect the team’s work to PNWU’s mission and to the students and communities the University serves.
• Commitment to continuous improvement and responsible stewardship of University resources.

To ensure full consideration submit:

• A letter of introduction outlining background and qualifications for the position.
• Detailed resume.
• Contact information for three professional references.

The job announcement above is not the full job description but represents the job responsibilities and requirements. A full job description can be provided upon request.

PNWU offers a comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees first of the month following date of hire and competitive salary.

Benefit Package:

• Health Benefits - Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance
• Paid Time Off
• 403b with Roth Option
• Paid Holidays

PNWU is a drug-free workplace, equal opportunity employer and educational institution. To request this publication in an alternative format, or to apply in an alternative format, please call Human Resources, 509.452.5100.