Controller and Accounts Receivables

Start Date: As soon as possible
Location: Saxtons River, Vermont
Reports To: Chief Financial Officer
Collaborates Closely With: Admissions, Financial Aid, Advancement, Department Leaders, and Administrative Team

The Opportunity: What Will You Do & How Will We Partner?

Vermont Academy seeks a Controller and Accounts Receivables  to help steward the financial foundation that makes our mission possible. While not always visible in classrooms or on the trails, this role directly sustains the daily experience of our students and faculty by ensuring that the school’s financial systems are accurate, disciplined, and responsive.

As Vermont Academy advances toward Vision 2030 and our 150th anniversary, we are strengthening the operational practices that allow a mission-driven school to thrive for generations. This role is central to that work—bringing clarity, consistency, and accountability to our accounting processes while ensuring families experience professionalism and care in all student billing matters.

At a boarding school, finance is relational as well as technical. The Controller & Student Accounts Manager connects precise financial management with a deep respect for the families and programs that make Vermont Academy distinctive. Working closely with the CFO, this individual helps ensure that strong systems support bold educational ambitions.

Your Core Responsibilities

This is a 12-month administrative position responsible for maintaining sound accounting practices, overseeing student accounts, and helping build the disciplined financial infrastructure necessary for long-term sustainability.

Financial Stewardship & Accounting Leadership

• Maintain the integrity of the general ledger through accurate reconciliations, documentation, and consistent accounting practices.
• Lead monthly and year-end close cycles, ensuring timely and reliable financial reporting.
• Partner with the CFO and external auditors to prepare for and execute the annual audit and required financial reporting.
• Strengthen internal controls, documentation, and workflows to promote transparency, accountability, and audit readiness.
• Reconcile bank and balance-sheet accounts and monitor financial activity to ensure alignment with established policies.

Student Accounts & Tuition Operations

• Oversee the full lifecycle of student billing—from enrollment reconciliation through payment tracking and account resolution. 
• Record and reconcile payments (including checks, ACH, wire transfers, and online/credit card transactions), monitor and apply payments accurately against accounts, and address and resolve discrepancies.
• Maintain accurate aging schedules, ensuring timely follow-up and clear documentation.
• Partner with Admissions and Financial Aid to ensure accurate application of tuition, aid, and enrollment-related adjustments.
• Serve as a professional, respectful point of contact for families, answering billing questions, monitoring payments, and following up on outstanding balances.

Reporting, Budgeting & Institutional Support

• Assist the CFO in preparing and monitoring the annual operating budget.
• Produce internal financial reports that support informed decision-making by school leadership.
• Help translate financial data into clear operational insight for administrators and department leaders.

Systems, Processes & Continuous Improvement

• Maintain and optimize financial operations within Blackbaud and related systems.
  
  
• Document key procedures to ensure continuity, clarity, and shared institutional knowledge.
• Identify opportunities to improve workflow efficiency while maintaining strong financial discipline and controls.

Collaboration Across Campus

• Work closely with colleagues across departments to support enrollment processes, operational needs, and institutional planning.
• Recognize that responsiveness, accuracy, and professionalism directly influence the experience of students, families, and employees.
• Contribute to a culture of trust, service, and accountability within the Business Office.
  

The Vermont Academy Team Member: Who Are You?

You are:

• A careful steward who values both precision and purpose.
• A collaborator who enjoys working in a small-school environment where relationships matter.
• An organized professional who brings clarity and follow-through to complex processes.
• A communicator who can explain financial information in ways that are accessible and respectful.
• Someone who understands that operational excellence quietly enables transformative student experiences.

You bring:

• Experience in accounting, finance, or business operations (independent school or nonprofit experience valued).
• Demonstrated ability to manage financial records, reconciliations, and reporting with accuracy and consistency.
• Comfort working with databases and financial systems; strong Excel skills.
• Sound judgment, discretion, and professionalism when handling sensitive financial matters.
• Bachelor’s degree required; CPA or advanced credential preferred but not required.
• Expertise of Blackbaud systems, including: Tuition Management and Financial Edge.
• Excellence at bringing order and clarity to ambiguity. 

About Vermont Academy: Who Are We?

Founded in 1876, Vermont Academy is a small New England boarding and day school nestled in the foothills of the Green Mountains. Rooted in four pillars—Land, Community, Ingenuity, and Independence—VA blends rigorous academics with outdoor education, innovation, and a profound sense of belonging. Our students are encouraged to be true to their best selves; our educators create space for students to lead, explore, create, and thrive. We teach by doing. We believe knowledge can’t change the world if it’s left inside a book. Personalized education is not a luxury—it’s what prepares students to shape a better future.

Building from the 2021–2026 Strategic Plan toward Vision 2030, we prioritize:

• Experiential and applied learning in, but not limited to: STEM, environmental science, and entrepreneurship
• Personalized pathways, including MAPS (My Action Plan for Success), internships, and independent projects
• A healthy, values-driven student life and a deep commitment to community and belonging
• A bold advancement campaign supporting VA’s 150th Anniversary in 2026

Our Commitment to Belonging

Vermont Academy actively seeks to build and sustain an inclusive and equitable working and learning environment. We believe every team member enriches our community by bringing a broad range of identities, perspectives, and experiences to the work of teaching and learning. We value the whole person and strive to reflect that in how we work, live, and grow together.

Compensation

• Full-time, 12-month salaried position, $75,000-$100,000 
• Health and dental insurance, retirement plan
• Meals in dining hall included

To Apply

Please submit one PDF including:

1. Letter of interest, addressed to Head of School, Michael Peller
2. Current résumé
3. A list of three or more professional references with contact information (phone and email)

Send materials to mpeller@vermontacademy.org.