The Role
The Corporate Controller owns the internal controls framework, audit readiness, lender and covenant reporting, and financial governance. This role leads control design, testing, remediation, external audit relationships, GAAP integrity, and financial-risk escalation. It also advises on ERP, technology, and process transformations through a controls lens. The position requires professional-services billing knowledge, hands-on transaction-level investigation, executive communication, and influence without direct line management.
Summary Generated by Built In
Position SummaryThe Corporate Controller owns BAL’s financial controls environment, audit governance, and lender/covenant reporting posture. This is a controls, compliance, and governance-ownership role — it carries the executive presence for Finance with auditors, lenders, and firm leadership.Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Technology & Change Leadership
Education and Experience
Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.
- Own the design, execution, and maturity of the internal controls framework — risk assessment, control testing, and remediation. Candidates should have built or significantly matured a controls environment before, not only maintained one.
- Maintain continuous audit readiness as an operating posture, not an annual event. Own the audit relationship process directly.
- Prepare and manage lender/covenant reporting under a credit facility, revolver, or similar debt structure.
- Serve as the primary point of authority for auditors and lenders, and represent the firm’s control posture in executive-level financial reporting — this person carries weight in the room, not just prepares the materials.
- Partner with the Accounting teams on GAAP application and reporting integrity, without owning execution of close.
- Identify and flag control gaps or financial-integrity risk to the CFO and Finance leadership.
Technology & Change Leadership
- BAL is undergoing significant technological and organizational change. This role requires genuine learning agility and technical aptitude — not just tolerance for change.
- Serves as an influential voice in technology and process deployment decisions — a participant in shaping system changes, not just an end user.
- Evaluates, questions, and champions system/process changes through a controls and financial-integrity lens; asks the right questions whenever new technology touches financial data or workflows.
- Prior experience navigating systems transformation, ERP change, or major process redesign.
- Hands-on: willing and able to dig into transaction-level detail when something doesn’t tie out, not manage exclusively from a dashboard.
- Comfortable being the “no” or “not yet” voice when controls or compliance require it. This is a governance role, not a cheerleading role.
- Curious and adaptable enough to stay credible as the firm’s technology and processes evolve.
- Operates through influence and control authority rather than line management.
- Track record owning internal controls design and execution — risk assessment, control testing, remediation. SOX exposure is a good indicator but not required.
- Experience in a high-transaction-volume environment (high invoice/payment throughput, complex AR/AP flows).
- Professional services industry background — law firm, consulting, or similar partner/client-billing model — with working understanding of WIP, billing cycles, and PS-specific revenue recognition.
- Has led or directly managed external audits and owned the process.
- Experience preparing or managing compliance reporting under a credit facility, revolver, or debt covenant structure.
- Strong GAAP technical knowledge with proven practical application.
- Direct, credible communicator who can explain financial risk and control gaps clearly to non-finance executives.
Education and Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance required.
- CPA strongly preferred, not required.
- 10+ years of progressive controls/audit/compliance leadership experience required.
Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance
- 10+ years of progressive controls, audit, or compliance leadership experience
- Track record owning internal controls design and execution, including risk assessment, control testing, and remediation
- Experience in a high-transaction-volume environment with complex accounts receivable and accounts payable flows
- Professional services industry experience, such as law firm or consulting, with knowledge of WIP, billing cycles, and professional-services revenue recognition
- Experience leading or directly managing external audits
- Experience preparing or managing compliance reporting under a credit facility, revolver, or debt covenant structure
- Strong GAAP technical knowledge with practical application
- Direct, credible communication skills for explaining financial risks and control gaps to non-finance executives
- Experience navigating systems transformation, ERP change, or major process redesign
- CPA certification
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The Company
What We Do
Berry Appleman & Leiden (BAL) is a corporate immigration law firm serving multinational employers around the world. It focuses on helping corporate clients meet immigration challenges and make immigration more strategic, combining legal expertise with information security and leading technology. Its digital immigration services platform supports the firm's work for businesses and the people navigating cross-border mobility, with services designed around the immigration needs of corporate clients worldwide.
