Controller / Fractional Finance Manager — QuickBooks, Gusto Payroll & Margin Analysis

We're a fast-growing, small-team education services company (Dyscalculia Tutoring) looking for a controller-level finance contractor to own our day-to-day financial operations and provide ongoing analysis to support decision-making. This role is a blend of two things, and we need someone genuinely strong in both — not just one: Execution (bookkeeper/controller work): Gusto payroll administration State payroll tax compliance QuickBooks Online maintenance and reporting Cash management execution (unearned revenue tracking, scheduled internal transfers) Accounts payable (light volume, but you should understand A/P thoroughly, not just execute a checklist) Accounts receivable and collections, including third-party payor billing (education savings account funding sources) — note: invoices themselves are generated by our operations team directly in our scheduling system; you'll monitor accuracy and handle collections/reconciliation, not manual invoice creation Expense tracking and budget reporting: categorizing and reconciling expenses, and providing a regular expense-vs-budget report with variances flagged Analysis (fractional-CFO-style work): Contribution margin analysis Financial reporting to support budget and cash strategy conversations with leadership A note before you apply: we've found that many finance freelancers are strong in bookkeeping/compliance execution or in higher-level financial analysis, but not reliably both. Please only apply if you can speak concretely to your experience with margin/contribution analysis — not just bookkeeping. We'll ask about this directly. What this role is NOT: you won't have final authority over budget or financial strategy decisions — that stays with the CEO. You'll execute, report clearly, and bring recommendations, not make unilateral calls on spend or strategy. You'll report directly to the CEO, with a biweekly 1:1 check-in to review the expense/budget report together (not just send-and-forget reporting). This is a remote, ongoing contractor position — not a short-term project. Availability requirement: most standing meetings at this company happen between 9:00 AM–2:00 PM Eastern Time, and your biweekly check-in will be every other Thursday at 9:30am Eastern. Please only apply if you can meet during Eastern business hours at least for this recurring meeting. To apply, please include: A brief summary of your experience with both bookkeeping/compliance work AND financial analysis (contribution margin, budgeting) Your experience with Gusto and QuickBooks Online specifically Your availability and preferred weekly hour range