S

Symplicity

Higher education software for student affairs

Controller

Full-TimeUpdated on 10/24/2026
No salary listed
Expert
Bachelor's, MBA
Arlington County, Arlington, VA, USA
Hybrid
AccountingFinancial Accounting

About the job

Requirements
  • A bachelor's degree in Accounting is required.
  • A Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or Master of Business Administration (MBA) is required.
  • At least ten years of progressive accounting experience, including at least three years in public accounting, preferably in audit, is required.
  • At least three years in a Controller, Assistant Controller, or equivalent role with supervisory responsibility is required.
  • Advanced, hands-on NetSuite experience, including close, multi-subsidiary consolidation, revenue recognition, saved searches, and financial reporting, is required.
  • Strong technical knowledge of United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (US GAAP), including Accounting Standards Codification 606 (ASC 606), is required.
  • Experience operating within a defined corporate structure, such as a subsidiary of a larger group or a company with a public or institutional owner, with established policies, reporting calendars, and approval authorities, is required.
  • Experience leading an external audit is required.
  • Advanced Excel skills are required.
  • Employment is contingent upon successful completion of background and reference checks and validation of work authorization.
Responsibilities
  • Lead the accounting function and ensure the integrity of the company's books and records, monthly close, financial reporting under US GAAP and to the parent company under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), internal controls, tax compliance, and external audit.
  • Serve as business owner of NetSuite, the company's system of record, and lead the team responsible for revenue, billing, collections, payables, payroll, and finance operations for the Australian and Brazilian subsidiaries.
  • Own the monthly, quarterly, and annual close and deliver accurate financial statements on the parent company's reporting calendar.
  • Prepare monthly reporting packages for the Chief Financial Officer to submit to the parent company, including IFRS reporting and reconciliation of differences between US GAAP and IFRS.
  • Oversee accounting for US and non-US subsidiaries, including intercompany activity, foreign currency, and consolidation.
  • Review account reconciliations, journal entries, accruals, prepaid expenses, fixed assets, and leases.
  • Prepare technical accounting memoranda for significant or non-routine transactions.
  • Oversee revenue recognition under ASC 606 and IFRS 15 as carried out by the Revenue Manager, and work with the Director of Contracts on the accounting treatment of nonstandard terms.
  • Ensure billing, deferred revenue, and accounts receivable are accurate and reconciled to the general ledger.
  • Ensure NetSuite contract records reconcile to the annual recurring revenue (ARR) and book-of-business model maintained by Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A).
  • Oversee collections, cash application, and accounting for sales commissions and reseller fees.
  • Oversee accounts payable and vendor management, expense management in Ramp, and payroll accounting for the US, Australia, and Brazil.
  • Serve as business owner of NetSuite, including the chart of accounts, subsidiary structure, revenue recognition configuration, saved searches, and financial reports.
  • Act as finance lead on the evolution of the finance technology stack, including integrations among NetSuite, Ramp, Avalara, and banking platforms, and automation of close and reporting processes.
  • Maintain data integrity, user roles, and access controls.
  • Maintain internal controls over financial reporting consistent with parent company policies, including segregation of duties and approval authorities.
  • Serve as primary contact for the annual external audit and parent company reviews, and manage audit schedules and resolution of findings.
  • Maintain written accounting policies and close procedures.
  • Own tax compliance across US federal, state, and local, sales and use, and international jurisdictions, working with outside advisors and local providers.
  • Support the Chief Financial Officer on treasury matters, including the daily cash position, bank covenant compliance reporting, debt schedules and interest expense, and intercompany loans and transfers.
  • Partner with the Director of FP&A on the annual budget, forecasts, and budget-to-actual reporting, and ensure the actuals behind them are complete and reliable.
  • Provide financial analysis and modeling on pricing, contracts, and other business decisions as requested by the Chief Financial Officer.
  • Lead, develop, and review the work of six direct reports, including finance staff in Australia and Brazil.
  • Set the close calendar and team priorities, and ensure procedures are documented and responsibilities are cross-trained.
Desired Qualifications
  • Working knowledge of IFRS and experience reporting to a parent company under IFRS.
  • FP&A or financial modeling experience, including budgets, forecasts, and operating models.
  • Software or Software as a Service (SaaS) industry experience with subscription revenue.
  • Multi-currency and international subsidiary accounting, including oversight of finance staff outside the US.
  • Experience with Ramp, Avalara, HubSpot, or similar systems integrated with NetSuite.
  • Experience with credit facility covenant reporting.

About the company

Symplicity provides software solutions for higher education, government, and businesses to support student success, compliance, and career readiness. Its tools cover admissions, academic and student services, career services, and conduct/Title IX compliance, with a standout virtual career fair linking 4 million students from 1,100 partner schools with employers. It differentiates itself by a 20+ year presence, a global client base of 1,300 institutions, and API integrations that connect with other platforms to enable cross-department collaboration. Its goal is to streamline administration, enhance student experiences and outcomes, and improve employer engagement through technology.

Company Size

201-500

Company Stage

Acquired

Total Funding

N/A

Headquarters

Arlington, Virginia

Founded

1996

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Volaris acquired Symplicity on February 4, 2026, adding patient software-owner capital and discipline.
  • June 2, 2026 Ellucian partnership immediately opened SIS integrations for CSM customers.
  • June 9, 2026 Yello partnership exposed Symplicity's database to campus recruiters.

What critics are saying

  • Handshake's larger employer network pressures Symplicity's recruiting moat as schools chase reach.
  • Prentus, 12twenty, and uConnect market AI-native workflows that make Symplicity feel legacy.
  • If AI-native suites replace admin-heavy portals by 2028, Symplicity's seat counts compress sharply.

What makes Symplicity unique

  • Symplicity spans career services, disability, conduct, and experiential learning across one student-success stack.
  • Ellucian integration links four flagship platforms to SIS data, unifying student records.
  • It serves 2,000+ institutions worldwide, with deep higher-ed workflows and long operating history.

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Benefits

  • We offer full medical, dental, and vision insurance, and flexible spending. We also encourage employees to take advantage of our health and wellness breaks
  • We offer a 401k plan with an employer contribution match and commuter benefits
  • Work/Life Balance - With more than 50% of our staff working remotely, we work hard to accommodate different time zones and special work arrangements
  • We have awesome perks like group sports, health and wellness breaks, and 24/7 snacks, coffee, and tea for our in-office employees.

Growth & Insights and Company News

6 month growth

4%

1 year growth

4%

2 year growth

4%
Volaris Group
Feb 17th, 2026
Volaris Group Acquires Symplicity Corporation, Global Leader in Higher Education Employability and Student Services Solutions

Symplicity Corporation, a global leader in higher education career services and student support solutions, has joined Volaris Group.

PR Newswire
May 24th, 2023
Better Job Descriptions And Pay Transparency: Top Priorities For Gen Z Identified In New Symplicity Student Survey

ARLINGTON, Va., May 24, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Symplicity®, the globally trusted leader in student success in higher education and recruiting, is pleased to release its 2023 State of Early Talent Recruiting Report. Surveying over 3,700 students currently enrolled in four-year colleges and universities across the United States in March 2023, the report highlights and emphasizes many of the consistent trends among Gen Z and how they view work, employers, recruiting, and how they work with their career services offices.Only 46% of students actually feel confident in finding a job upon graduation, while 61% are actually confident that they are graduating with the skills they need for a career. There are a variety of factors Symplicity's survey identified that lead Gen Z students to this sentiment.When applying for jobs, Gen Z is seeking more realistic expectations and more specifics in job descriptions. The survey found that 59% of students were concerned that they did not have the right qualifications for the types of jobs they wanted when starting the job search process, and that too many unrealistic requirements would discourage 65% of students from applying.This sentiment was particularly truer for women, with 63% of women vs. 52% of men being concerned about their qualifications when searching for jobs. The survey results suggest that employers should consider revising their job descriptions to make them more realistic and transparent.Symplicity's 2023 survey also asked students about pay transparency

PR Newswire
May 25th, 2022
Symplicity Corporation partners with Global Business School

Symplicity® Corporation, the global leader in student employability, wellbeing, and success, is excited to announce its newest partnership with GBSB Global Business School in Malta, Spain and online.

PR Newswire
Mar 31st, 2022
Symplicity Corporation partners with London South Bank University

Symplicity® Corporation, the global leader in student employability, wellbeing, and success, is excited to announce its newest partnership with London South Bank University!

TAtech
Dec 6th, 2021
Symplicity Corporation acquires Orbis Communications

Symplicity Corporation, the global leader of student employability and engagement solutions and an H.I.G. Capital portfolio company, has announced the acquisition of Orbis Communications, the most trusted experiential learning solution for post-secondary institutions in Canada.