Vice President Rail Controller Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Job Details

Job Location: David C Cook Colorado Springs - Colorado Springs, CO 80918

Position Type: Full Time

Education Level: 4 Year Degree

Salary Range: $142,019.00 - $177,524.00 Salary

Job Category: Accounting

Shape the Financial Foundation for What’s Next

What you should know before you apply

The mission is the point. If using your marketplace talents in service of ministry is something you want to spend the next decade of your career on, that is the single best reason to take this job. This is a growing organization with large divisions, really interesting things to work on, and great people who are making a difference and building a great culture.

You will be hands‑on and driving efficiency and innovation. You will lead a team, and you will also be in NetSuite yourself — working analyses, driving automation, understanding business drivers by researching the data, building new report packages, helping find the most effective processes. We need someone who finds that energizing rather than beneath them.

Great Team. Cook Media Global has assembled a very strong team and you will be a part of that.

Great Benefits. Flexible Vacation, including two weeks off every Christmas!

Role Overview

The VP and Controller owns the full controllership function — close, financial reporting, technical accounting, internal controls, tax and treasury — across a multi‑entity, faith‑integrated media and publishing platform operating in the United States and the United Kingdom. The role also serves as the internal champion and super‑user of NetSuite, driving automation and building the accounting infrastructure to support the ministry’s five year growth plan.

You’ll get lots of exposure to accounting issues, like author and artist royalty obligations, physical inventory with obsolescence exposure, recently acquired music catalogs and their related intangibles, a UK subsidiary, a 50/50 joint venture exempt‑organization filing requirements alongside four commercial business lines and any future acquisitions.

The VP and Controller owns the accuracy, completeness and timeliness of the numbers and the reporting packages built from them; FP&A owns forecasting, business‑line analysis and the management narrative. The two roles partner closely, and the VP and Controller is expected to surface the drivers behind significant fluctuations.

Desired Outcomes

• A disciplined, documented monthly close delivered on a published calendar across all entities, with close timeliness improving measurably against the current baseline.
• A GAAP‑compliant accurate monthly reporting package — consolidated financials, business‑line results and budget‑to‑actual — delivered on schedule in coordination with the FP&A group to management and the Board, helping key leaders make real‑time decisions.
• A high‑performing resilient accounting team, mentoring talent and fostering a culture of accountability, fun, accuracy, and continuous improvement, with defined roles, documented procedures, and no single‑person dependencies in critical processes, and an operational framework that runs seamlessly without executive intervention.
• Streamlined accounting workflows and a scalable accounting infrastructure capable of supporting the Company’s growth.
• Enhancements, automation and efficiency gains for the Company's new ERP, and maximization of the utilization of NetSuite and integrated financial software, while becoming and serving as an internal super‑user and systems owner.
• A strong, clear, accurate 13‑week rolling cash flow forecast and strong treasury operations, including bank account architecture, cash concentration, and lender relationship management.
• Strong company‑wide policies, controls, and procedures including revenue recognition, royalty accounting, capitalization, and expense management.

ResponsibilitiesControllership & Close

• Own the monthly close process, calendar, and sequence of work across all entities, ensuring timely and accurate reporting; drive accountability and continuously improve close timeliness and accuracy toward best‑in‑class benchmarks.
• Maintain GAAP‑compliant books across a growing portfolio of operating companies with strong internal controls and documentation.
• Oversee with others the daily accounting operations and ledgers: general ledger, accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, fixed assets, inventory, cost accounting, revenue accounting, cost of goods sold, intercompany eliminations and cash management.
• Coordinate with external auditors and tax professionals for timely completion of annual audits and nonprofit filings; maintain audit readiness and tax compliance at all times.
• Evolve the chart of accounts to support consistent reporting, scalability and management visibility across all operating entities, and implement accounting best practices across the finance organization.
• For any future acquisitions, lead all purchase accounting work streams, including closing balance sheets, opening balance sheets, purchase price allocation (ASC 805), and goodwill/intangible recognition.

Financial Reporting to Leaders and Board

• Close the books and deliver complete, validated consolidated, business line and entity‑level actuals into NSPB on the published close calendar, so that FP&A can build the management and Board reporting layer.
• Oversee variance analysis as a close control: review actual‑to‑prior‑period and actual‑to‑budget movement to identify duplicate entries, missing or overstated accruals, misclassified transactions and unsupported balances, and resolve them before the ledger is closed.
• Produce the consolidated financial statements and supporting schedules that form the financial basis of the Board package, and partner with FP&A on assembling and reviewing the final package before it goes to the CFO.
• Own fund accounting across the exempt entities: net asset classification and fund‑level ledger segmentation within NetSuite, interfund transfers and releases from restriction, and functional expense allocation and the related statement of functional expenses.
• Own and enhance the 13‑week rolling cash flow forecast to deliver accurate and insightful reports for forecasting.

Team Leadership

• Recruit, mentor, and develop a high‑performing accounting team as the business scales in the US and UK; define roles, responsibilities, and career paths for direct reports with adequate cross training between roles.
• Partner with the CFO to design the long‑term finance and accounting organizational structure aligned to the Company's growth trajectory.
• Foster a culture of ownership, accountability, fun and continuous improvement within the accounting function.

Technical Accounting & Acquisition Integration

• Apply expertise in revenue recognition (ASC 606), lease accounting (ASC 842), and other relevant technical standards across the platform. Ensure revenue recognition aligns with contractual terms/obligations and incoterms.
• Serve as the expert in technical accounting issues in current operations and at any future acquired companies, including cash‑to‑accrual conversions and revenue normalization.
• Partner with external advisors and the CFO for valuations, working capital true‑ups, and rep and warranty compliance.
• Oversee with others foreign entity accounting for the UK subsidiary: functional currency determination and translation, intercompany settlements.

Author and Artist Royalties and Reserves

• Oversee royalty accounting end to end across recorded music, music publishing and book publishing, including the royalty sub‑ledger, statement cycles and participant payment runs, as well as author, artist, songwriter and producer advances — capitalization, recoupment tracking, and the unrecouped advance reserve — with a documented methodology supporting recoverability.
• Ensure propriety of royalty income streams with their distinct contractual and legal characteristics, and royalties payable, and manage distributor and label true‑up mechanisms.
• Support the periodic catalog valuation refresh required by the lender for collateral purposes, including preparation of the underlying royalty earnings data.
• Oversee with others the accounting for the joint venture interest in the UK and reconcile partner‑maintained records to the consolidated ledger.

Treasury & Banking

• Oversee with others all banking relationships and cash management operations, including account architecture, signatories, positive pay, and daily cash positioning.
• Partner with the CFO on working capital optimization, credit facility utilization, and cash flow planning.

Risk Management & Compliance

• Maintain proper internal controls, segregation of duties, and approval workflows appropriate for a growing organization, including payment fraud controls.
• Oversee with others multi‑state sales and use tax compliance, and taxability determination for physical, digital and subscription products.
• Ensure with others continuous multi‑state payroll compliance, coordinating with the payroll provider and HR on payroll tax, benefits administration, and workforce changes.
• Maintain compliance with the ECFA Standards of Responsible Stewardship, including the financial statement, governance, compensation‑setting, stewardship of charitable gifts and truthfulness in communications standards, and support the annual accreditation renewal.

QualificationsRequired

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance
• CPA required
• Required strong ERP experience
• 7-10+ years of progressive accounting experience, including leadership roles
• Demonstrated success serving as a Controller or Assistant Controller
• Deep knowledge of U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles and technical accounting
• Experience implementing and operating within strong internal control environment
• Experience leading external audits and managing complex accounting matters
• Excellent analytical, problem‑solving, and communication skills
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with executive leadership, Board members, auditors, and cross‑functional business partners

Preferred Experience

• Proven ability to build strong working relationships across multiple functional organizations
• Strategic mindset with exceptional attention to detail and execution
• High degree of ownership, integrity, accountability, and sound professional judgment
• Manufacturing, inventory, and cost accounting experience
• Public accounting experience with a Big Four or nationally recognized accounting firm preferred
• Experience supporting global or multi‑entity operations
• Experience building and scaling finance organizations during periods of growth

Benefits and Perks

• Medical Plan: HDHP w/ HSA (All Staff) or Direct Primary Care Option (Colorado Employees Only)
• Dental Plan
• Vision Plan
• 401(k) w/ Company Match ($0.50 on the $1 up to 10% of eligible compensation)
• Basic and Voluntary Life Insurance Options
• Long‑Term Disability
• Short‑Term Disability
• Voluntary Accident
• Life Assistance Plan

Other Benefits

• Adoption Benefit
• Benevolence Fund
• Service Recognition Leave
• Volunteer Days
• Holidays, and Flexible Vacation, including two weeks off at Christmas
• Sick Time
• Pet Insurance Discounts
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Maternity Leave
• Paternity Leave
• New Childbirth Assistance