Division Controller for Schools Division (Full-Time, Remote)

Division Controller, Schools--Ensemble Performing Arts

Remote | Accounting Leadership

Ensemble Performing Arts is seeking an experienced, systems and data savvy Division Controller for our Schools Business Unit. This role reports directly to the Corporate Controller with a heavy dotted line reporting responsibility to the Business Unit President and will own the full accounting operations for a portfolio of music and dance schools, leading system and process transformation, and enterprise/school standardization work. This role must understand the operating rhythm of a school including seasonality, tuition billing and recital/event revenue, and operate with the judgment and independence of a controller who can represent the accounting function in front of and partnering with school leadership.

This is the right fit for a controller who wants to build scalable infrastructure for a portfolio of schools, mentor other accounting leaders, and take ownership of rapidly growing business unit — while still staying close to the transaction-level detail of school operations.

Key Responsibilities

• Accounting Operations & Close
  • Own accurate and timely monthly and year-end closes across a portfolio of schools, with full P&L and balance sheet accountability at each location
  • Oversee tuition and enrollment-based revenue recognition, including deferred revenue for prepaid tuition, seasonal enrollment surges, and mid-session refunds or withdrawals
  • Supervise and develop a remote accounting team, including the responsibility of an outsource relationship, across general ledger and close functions
  • Review and approve school-level financial statements and reconciliations to consolidation, acting as a first line of quality control for the Corporate Controller
  • Identify and resolve complex technical accounting issues (e.g., revenue recognition for tuition and program fees, leases for studio and school locations, purchase accounting) and document conclusions
• Internal Controls & Compliance
  • Design, implement, and monitor internal controls across assigned schools, including cash handling, tuition billing, and refund controls, closing gaps proactively rather than reactively
  • Manage and lead audit preparation activities for the School Division, serving as the primary point of contact for external auditors
  • Partner with the Corporate Controller to standardize policies, procedures, and documentation across the Schools Division and the broader organization
  • Ensure complete capture and reconciliation of revenue processed through third-party platforms, including ticketing, events, and merchandise, so that no revenue stream is missed at month-end close
• M&A & Systems Leadership
  • Lead onboarding of newly acquired schools into NetSuite, student billing/enrollment systems, and related systems, including opening balance sheet validation and purchase accounting support
  • Drive system migrations and process re-engineering projects — including student billing and enrollment platforms — from scoping through go-live, acting as project lead rather than participant
  • Build and maintain scalable reporting templates and chart-of-accounts standards that can be rolled out across multiple schools
  • Create and own Ensemble’s F&A integration playbook, documenting the standard onboarding process end to end [3.1]
• Team & Cross-Functional Leadership
  • Mentor and develop accounting team members across all business units
  • Collaborate cross-functionally with FP&A, HR, and Operations to ensure accounting alignment, clean enrollment and tuition data, and consistent reporting
  • Represent the accounting function directly with School Leadership providing financial clarity on enrollment trends, tuition collections, and school-level profitability, and pushing back on issues independently
  • Act as a proactive thought partner to the Corporate Controller, surfacing risks and improvement opportunities before being asked

Who You Are

• A builder — you don't just maintain systems, you re-architect them for scale across a growing network of schools
• A technical resource — you can research and apply US GAAP independently, including tuition revenue recognition, and explain it clearly to non-accountants
• A leader of leaders — you develop other accounting managers and controllers, not just individual contributors
• A project owner — you can run a system implementation, student billing platform migration, or M&A integration from start to finish
• A trusted operator — you can represent the accounting function in front of senior leadership and School Leaders with confidence
• Comfortable with the seasonality of a school business — enrollment surges, session-based billing, and recital/event revenue

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance; CPA strongly preferred
• 7+ years of progressive accounting experience, including 3+ years in a controller or senior leadership role
• Demonstrated experience managing accounting across multi-entity, multi-state environments; experience with schools, education, membership, or subscription-based businesses is a strong plus
• Strong US GAAP knowledge, including technical research and application to non-standard transactions
• Solid understanding of revenue recognition, particularly as applied to tuition, program fees, and deferred revenue
• Advanced NetSuite experience (or similar ERP), including system implementation or migration leadership; experience with student billing or enrollment management systems is a plus
• Prior M&A integration and purchase accounting experience
• Track record of mentoring and developing accounting staff and junior leaders
• Comfortable operating with a high degree of autonomy in a fully remote, fast-scaling environment

Compensation & Benefits

The compensation range for this position is $125,000–$145,000 per year, commensurate with experience. A competitive benefits package is provided, including a 401(k) with employer match; health, vision, and dental benefits; and Paid Time-Off.

To Apply

Please submit the following:

• A resume
• A brief cover letter outlining your interest in this role
• Responses to our short questionnaire about your background. Applications without a cover letter and questionnaire response will be considered incomplete and will not be reviewed.

Diversity is a strength of our community. If you meet most but not all of the qualifications, we still encourage you to apply.

About Ensemble Performing Arts

Ensemble Performing Arts is one of the fastest-growing platforms of independently-run performing arts schools and businesses in the United States. We are powered by passionate educators and supported by a team that believes in preserving what makes each school and business unit special. With a multi-state, multi-entity footprint and active M&A pipeline, we are committed to operational excellence and a people-first culture grounded in respect, flexibility, and shared purpose. We offer opportunities for growth and leadership in a fast-scaling organization and a chance to directly shape the finance function of a mission-driven company.

Who We Are

Our mission is empowering artists by safeguarding the businesses that love them♡. Our values include:

• Stewardship: We are caretakers of our local businesses and communities, helping them thrive by making it easy for our schools and teachers to cultivate an enriching learning experience for students.
• Growth: Our teachers are integral to our success, and we are committed to their professional growth. As an ever-growing partnership of music and dance schools and related business units, we seek to increase the high-quality resources provided to our communities.
• Stagehands: Our Shared Services team runs in the background to support our schools and business units. By doing this, we champion our teachers and students to be the real stars of the show!

To learn more about Ensemble Performing Arts, visit www.ensembleschools.com.

Ensemble Performing Arts is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran status or disability status, or genetic information. Pursuant to the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and any other state or local hiring regulations, we will consider for employment any qualified applicant, including those with arrest and conviction records, in a manner consistent with applicable law. It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.