Job Description

Position Title: Controller
Reports To: Executive Director
Location: Lake Elsinore, CA (Remote or Hybrid)
Status: Part-Time or Fractional 

About The Happier Life Project (THLP)

The Happier Life Project is a peer-led recovery nonprofit building an inclusive, community-powered model for healing and reintegration. We serve individuals and families impacted by substance use, incarceration, trauma, and mental health challenges—meeting people where they are and walking with them toward a self-defined happier life.

With deep roots in Riverside County, we’re expanding our impact through the creation of a permanent, multi-tenant Recovery Campus—offering integrated support services, peer workforce development, and community-based revenue generation.

Why We Need You:

Our team has grown. Our funding sources are expanding. We need structure. We need clarity. And we need someone who can see around corners. This isn’t a "keep the books running" gig—it’s a chance to build the financial backbone of an organization doing meaningful work.

What You’ll Own:

Strategic Finance & Structure

• Establish and maintain internal financial controls and processes.
• Assess current financial systems; recommend improvements.
• Design or optimize financial tracking for multi-grant reporting.

Accounting & Reporting

• Oversee general accounting (with external bookkeeper or software).
• Create monthly and quarterly reports for leadership and Board.
• Assist with annual audit prep and filing requirements (990, etc.).

Grant & Fund Management

• Track and report on restricted vs. unrestricted funds.
• Ensure compliance with grant reporting and budget usage.
• Create simple, understandable dashboards for program leads.

Cost Optimization

• Evaluate vendors and make cost-saving recommendations.
• Partner with the team to implement more efficient financial tools or platforms (think QuickBooks, Divvy, Ramp, Bill.com, etc.).

Advisory & Collaboration

• Serve as financial thought partner to the Executive Director.
• Translate financial data into strategic insights.
• Occasionally present to the board or finance committee.

Who You Are:

• Experienced nonprofit finance professional (Controller, Director of Finance, or high-level accountant).
• You understand the nuances of restricted funding and multi-grant budgeting.
• You’re a systems thinker who loves to clean up inefficiencies.
• You balance strategy with hands-on execution.
• You communicate complex financial concepts in plain English.
• Bonus: You’ve worked with small orgs or start-up nonprofits and helped build financial structure from scratch.

Preferred Tools:

QuickBooks, Excel, Bill.com, Divvy and grant tracking software.

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