Controller

Who We Are Nova Clean Energy is a renewable energy company focused on developing and constructing utility-scale projects across the United States. We have the patience, creativity, and capital to take a long-term view of the evolution of US energy markets. We are investing in the large-scale projects needed to advance the energy transition.

About the Role The Financial Controller will support the accounting function of a global investment company and oversee aspects of tax, accounting, and audit for its operating entities. Reporting to VP of Finance, this role will be hands-on in all operational aspects of the business. This is a hybrid role working out of our Chicago office.

Key Responsibilities: Accounting

• Preparation and completion of monthly and quarterly close process, ensuring on-time delivery of financial reporting for Nova
• Consolidating Nova’s results, including the delivery of monthly and quarterly management accounts to senior management
• Lease Accounting under ASC 842, managing and overseeing all workflows
• Completion and management of Nova’s debt schedules, financing costs, and interest calculations
• Manage a combination of outsourced providers and internal accounting stakeholders
• Completion of capital accounts and review of cost allocations for various entities.
• Accurate reporting of development and capital expenditure
• Treasury and management of Bank accounts, checks, and other sources of funds
• Management and coordination of monthly accounts payable payment cycle
• Coordinate with FP&A on cash requirements for Nova and other global business entities, as required
• Process improvements in the streamlining and design of finance processes and further enhancing financial reporting capabilities

Controls & Third-Party Oversight

• Design, document, and maintain the internal control framework over outsourced accounting activity — segregation of duties, delegated approval limits, and a documented journal review and sign-off hierarchy
• Operate a risk-based journal review protocol, with full review of manual and non-routine entries (balancing entries, reclasses, accruals, intercompany) and retained evidence of review
• Maintain a clear RACI across outsourced providers and internal teams for every close activity, keeping it current as responsibilities change
• Own service-provider SLAs covering the close timetable, deliverable due dates and query turnaround, and manage escalation and remediation where they are missed
• Define and report a monthly provider KPI scorecard — on-time close, first-time-right / rework rate, reconciling items cleared and aged open items — and run periodic service reviews against it

Reconciliation & Financial Statement Integrity

• Own the month-end balance sheet reconciliation process across all entities and currencies, ensuring every material account is reconciled to source, reviewed, and signed off to a defined timetable
• Govern ASC 842 lease reconciliations so each schedule ties to the general ledger every month, resolving differences and reducing reliance on ad-hoc balancing entries
• Own intercompany reconciliation, elimination and multi-currency translation tie-outs across the US and international entities
• Track reconciliation KPIs (accounts reconciled on time, aged and unreconciled items, recurring differences) and drive resolution of root causes, not just clearing

Innovation & Continuous Improvement

• Continuously challenge and redesign close and lease processes to reduce manual effort, cycle time and key-person dependency
• Identify and implement automation and system improvements, reducing reliance on spreadsheets and standardizing templates and reconciliations
• Apply data and AI tools to monitor accounting activity, detect anomalies and enhance management reporting
• Set measurable efficiency targets each period and track realized improvements

Audit

• Act as a liaison with external auditors
• Prepare required audit deliverables, ensuring all audit requests are delivered in a timely manner

Tax

• Monitor tax compliance at state and local levels, including property tax assessments
• Assist with any other tax documentation
• Work with the development and legal teams to ensure compliance with all tax laws and regulations

About You You have a genuine interest and proven track record in accounting, process design, and tax. You have broad experience supporting multiple finance functions of a Renewables Developer, Utility, or family office/ private equity firm with Real Estate or Infrastructure assets.

• CPA required with a minimum of 5 years' experience
• Strong working knowledge of US GAAP with experience in consolidation accounting
• Experience in compilation of multi-entity tax returns and tax documentation, K-1’s, 1099 and knowledge of flow-through entities preferred.
• Strong understanding of capital accounts and cost allocations
• Experience in renewable energy preferred
• Excellent technical/analytical and interpersonal skills with high attention to detail
• Commercially minded, demonstrating an ability to interpret financial information
• Ability to work on own initiative, taking work to completion with minimal support.
• Proven experience managing, reviewing and holding to account outsourced or offshore accounting teams, including SLA and KPI governance
• Strong internal controls mindset, with experience designing and operating month-end reconciliation and review frameworks
• Track record of process improvement and automation, using data and AI tools to drive efficiency
• Excellent organizational skills
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite with advanced Excel and AI knowledge

A diverse and inclusive team is critical to innovation. Please get in touch even if you don’t match these qualifications 100%.

The salary range for this role is $140,000 -$170,000 plus a competitive bonus. This range is an estimate, and the offered salary will be based on several factors, including but not limited to location, work experience, certifications, and education.

Benefits

• Generous PTO Policy
• Comprehensive medical, vision, dental insurance policies including HSA & FSA accounts
• Paid parental leave for all new parents
• Eligibility to enroll in 401k plan with discretionary company match
• Generous professional development and/or degree program reimbursement policies

Nova Clean Energy does not accept any unsolicited resumes or other information concerning potential candidates from any third-party recruiting firms or employment agencies. If you would like to provide your information for consideration on future searches where we engage external support, please reach out to jobs@novacleanenergyllc.com so our talent acquisition team can reach out when necessary.