Controller - San Francisco, CA

The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is one of the largest museums of modern and contemporary art in the United States and a thriving cultural center for the Bay Area. We cannot imagine life without art; it inspires and connects us every day. Now more than ever, these connectio ...

Job description

The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is one of the largest museums of modern and contemporary art in the United States and a thriving cultural center for the Bay Area. We cannot imagine life without art; it inspires and connects us every day. Now more than ever, these connections matter and are aligned with our values.
Inclusive: We strive to be a museum of many voices in dialogue.  
Passionate: We believe working with art is more than a job or trusteeship - it's a way of life.  
Brave: We are committed to approaching our work with courage and a sense of adventure, always ready to explore new perspectives.
Empathic: We aim to act like a person, not an institution. 
SFMOMA is a place for the infinitely curious to explore, support, and experience the art of our time. We believe that modern and contemporary art can influence the way we think, view the world, and embrace the many voices and perspectives around us. We aspire to foster an environment that elicits joy, nurtures a sense of belonging and purpose—where difference is seen as a strength, and every one is appreciated for their whole self.
Schedule: Full Time, 35 hours/week, at least three days working onsite
The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art Controller will be responsible for oversight of all accounting, reporting, auditing, and payroll activities. The Controller will be involved in supporting presentations to the board audit committee and will be responsible for the operational management of the Finance department. This includes functional responsibility over accounting, accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, monthly and annual closings, and tax return preparation. The Controller will ensure that the Museum has the systems and procedures in place to support effective program implementation and conduct flawless audits. The Controller will work closely with program leaders and their staffs, not only to educate them regarding finance and accounting procedures but also to explore how the finance function can support program operations.    · After 30 days, the Controller has developed an understanding of Finance roles, workflows, and internal partners. The individual has made inroads into learning the systems, applications, and reports managed and produced by the Finance team.    · After 90 days, the Controller has established positive and collaborative relationships and can deal effectively with board members, staff, external vendors and members of the general public. They will understand the department policy and procedure and be able to assist staff members in other departments with their understanding.  · After one year, they have developed strong working relationships with internal and external partners. They will have the ability to proactively identify opportunities and projects to optimize workflows and strengthen collaboration. They will exhibit excellent time management and organizational skills and be able to satisfy deadlines and handle multiple concurrent tasks.  

Responsibilities & Duties

• Oversee financial activities of the Museum including grants, general ledger, contributions, accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, month-end close processes, reconciliations of all balance sheet accounts and preparation of complex journal entries to accurately capture endowment investment activities. 
• Support the CFO in engaging the board's audit committee around relevant and timely issues and trends in financial operating models and delivery.  
• Direct year-end financial close to ensure the timely preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP accounting standards. 
• Develop processes to ensure that entries to the general ledger are booked correctly and are properly reflected on the financial statements. 
• Assess current accounting operations with a process improvement mindset, offering recommendations to leverage technology, improve efficiency, and implement new processes where appropriate. 
• Maintain internal control and safeguards for receipt of revenues, costs, and program budgets and actual expenditures.  
• Manage temporarily and permanently restricted gifts and endowments, ensuring proper classification, tracking, and reporting in accordance with donor restrictions and applicable accounting standards. 
• Ensure timely and accurate reconciliation between the general ledger and supporting systems, including the CRM and POS systems. 
• Serve as a member of the Retirement Committee and ensure the museum's retirement plans remain compliant with ERISA requirements.  Manage, plan, and prepare ERISA financial statements and audit schedules; serve as a key point of contact for ERISA auditors. 
• Manage the annual insurance renewal process, including data gathering, coverage analysis, and documentation.  Serve as the primary liaison to the museum's insurance broker. 
• Leverage strengths of the accounting and payroll team members; help to clarify roles and responsibilities and develop and implement training programs in order to maximize and reach optimal individual and organizational goals.  
• Create and promote a positive and supportive work environment. 
• Serve as liaison and expert for accounting software. Coordinate issue resolution in conjunction with IT department and software vendor support. Conduct or coordinate training for new and upgraded accounting software. 
• Comply and uphold all federal, state, and local laws by remaining knowledgeable about existing, new, and future legislation. 
• Evaluate new accounting pronouncements and ensure accurate implementation of new accounting standards. 
• Monitor and reconcile the endowment funds. Track unitizations and activities of all endowment funds. 
• Serve as administrator for the museum's corporate credit card program.  Develop, implement, and enforce corporate card policies and procedures.  Review and monitor card usage to ensure compliance with internal controls and organizational policies. 
• Manage, schedule, and plan the annual external audit of the Museum's financial statements and Workers' Compensation. Review and/or prepare final year-end reports, lead sheets, balance sheet reconciliations and supporting schedules in preparation for audit. Serve as main contact for auditors throughout the interim and year-end audit process.   
• Manage all audit and tax preparations and interface with external auditors for audit and tax compliance, including the Single Audit/A-133 for federal funds, Board of Equalization (sales and use tax) audits, IRS/Franchise Tax Board audits, EDD, and insurance audits, etc. 
• Manage and prepare schedules for regular federal, state and county tax reporting requirements, including annual income tax forms 990, 990-T, 109, 199, RRF-1, annual 1099-misc reporting,  annual property tax exemption filing, foreign tax withholding and LLC tax reporting.  
• Manage and plan the annual Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) audit and Form 5500 to protect the financial integrity of the employee benefit plan.  
• Determine the museum's need for bank and merchant accounts. Lead and manage relationships with banks, treasury service providers, and merchant service processors to ensure efficiency, security, and alignment with operational needs.  
• Translate complex financial concepts to individuals at all levels, including finance and non-finance managers  
• Recruit, mentor, train, and retain a diverse team. 

Qualifications & Skills

• Bachelor's Degree in Business or Accounting. MBA or CPA preferred. 
• Minimum of ten (10) years of professional accounting experience,  and three years managerial experience in a Controller role required.  Non-profit  accounting experience required. 
• Understanding of GAAP and ability to apply GAAP.  Excellent knowledge of spreadsheet applications is required.  
• Demonstrated attention to detail and proven accuracy.  
• Excellent time management and organizational skills.  
• Ability to satisfy deadlines and handle multiple concurrent tasks.  
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to deal effectively with board members, staff, external vendors and members of the general public.  
• Good oral and written communication skills. 
• Ability to use good judgment and meet deadlines.  
• Personal qualities of integrity, credibility, and unwavering commitment to SFMOMA's mission.  
• Working knowledge of federal, state, and local tax compliance regulations and reporting.
• Technology savvy with advanced knowledge of accounting software.  
• Ability to handle and safeguard confidential matters, data, and reports. 

$170,000 - $195,000 a year Job posting open date: 2/2/26   All jobs posted will remain open for at least five business days.      We encourage both internal and external candidates to apply within the initial open posting period as the application close date may or may not be extended beyond that initial period. Applications will not be accepted after a posting has been closed. 
Location: San Francisco, 151 3rd Street. 
Benefits: PTO, Medical, Dental, Vision, Flexible Spending Accounts, Pet Insurance, Life and AD&D Coverage, Disability Insurance, Mental Health and Wellness Benefits, Discount Programs, Pre-Tax Commuter Benefits, 403(b) Retirement Savings Plan, SFMOMA Membership, and more
At SFMOMA, we do not believe that any applicant can, or should, meet every qualification listed in a job posting. We are committed to welcoming applicants from all backgrounds and professional paths who are inspired to join a mission-driven, community-oriented organization grounded in inclusivity, passion, bravery, and empathy. 
If this describes you, we encourage you to apply. 
Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records. 
SFMOMA is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. No person shall be discriminated against based on race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, age, genetic information, ancestry/national origin, marital status, disability, medical condition, HIV status, sexual orientation, veteran/military status, and any other category protected by federal of state law.
You may request reasonable accommodation if you are unable to or are limited in your ability to access job postings or provide additional information asked in the job posting.
You can request reasonable accommodation by contacting the People Team at [email protected]. We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.