Finance Director

The Finance Director will be a member of the People’s Action Institute Executive team.  They will also manage, lead, and develop three finance teammates through the day-to-day finance and accounting operations of a multi-entity enterprise with an aggregate budget activity of approximately $15 million. They will work closely with the Chief of Institutional Advancement to analyze existing processes and systems while also ensuring that appropriate internal controls are in place and maintained, all general ledger accounts are reconciled, audits are performed, and accurate financial statements are produced in a timely manner. 

As Finance Director, your responsibilities can include (but aren’t limited to): 

Finance and Accounting Leadership (40%)

• Design and implement enhanced workflows and systems to support the efficiency and accuracy of accounting data.
• Support the Executive Director and Chief of Institutional Advancement in engaging the board’s audit and finance committees around issues and trends in financial operating models and delivery
• Oversee all financial, project/program, and grants accounting; ensure that expenditures are consistently aligned with grant and program budgets throughout the grant/fund period; collaborate with the Development Director and Director of Budget and Grants Administration in all grant financial reporting.
• Oversee all ledgers/accounts and remain current on all accounting, reporting, and auditing standards that are relevant to the organization. Ensure the department’s knowledge of relevant standards and regulations.
• Optimize financial structures to support growth and stability.
• Maintain banking relationships and initiate appropriate strategies to enhance cash positions.

Team Supervision, Leadership, and Development (35%)

• Provide strong leadership, supervision, and guidance to the Finance Department staff members, leading the department to exhibit a strong data-fluent culture.
• Develop and support the Finance Department staff development, cross-team collaboration, and skills-building.
• Build strong relationships with staff across the organization, with a particular emphasis on providing excellent customer service and resolving issues.

Accounting Systems Management (20%)

• Support the ongoing implementation and management of a best-in-class ERP system (Sage Intaact). 
• Consistently analyze financial data, present financial reports accurately and timely, and keep the Executive Team abreast of the organization’s financial status.
• Assist the Director of Budgeting and Grants Administration in the annual budgeting and planning process; administer and review all financial plans and compare to actual results with a view to identify, explain, and correct variances as appropriate.
• Manage and track the performance of invested assets in keeping with policies and investment guidelines.

Other Duties as Assigned (5%)

Can be based in our Chicago, IL  or Washington, D.C. office. People’s Action Institute does not pay relocation expenses.

2 – 3 times a year

The ideal Finance Director should have the following experience and qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics, Business Administration, or a related field. Or equivalent experience.
• CPA required.

• Minimum 10+ years of experience in finance or accounting; 7 years of nonprofit experience required.

• Excellent knowledge of nonprofit accounting, operations, controls, and best practices.
• 3 – 5+ years in a leadership and management role.
• Experience with financial grant management and/or project budgeting preferred.
• Expert writing and verbal communication skills, including demonstrated ability to explain financial concepts to staff and/or board members.
• Strong financial management skills, including experience in budget planning and implementation, as well as creating, reading, and analyzing financial statements.
• Knowledge of and experience implementing financial risk management strategies.
• Proficiency in generally accepted accounting principles and procedures and their application to accounting for nonprofit organizations.
• Experience that demonstrates good professional judgment, including the ability to exercise discretion and responsibly handle highly confidential information such as financial statements, benefits, and payroll information.
• Proficiency with office technology and information systems, including financial and accounting software (FundEZ or similar) and intermediate to advanced Excel functionality.
• Strong attention to detail with exceptional organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills
• Strong commitment to racial, gender, and economic justice and their intersections, both inside and outside the organization.
• Ability to work with diverse people and organizations.

Department Director –  Level G – $118,485 – 152,485

Health Insurance, Dental Insurance, Vision Insurance, Medical on the first day of employment, and Dependent Care Flex Spending Account after 90 days, 401(k) plan after 30 days, Long-Term Disability Insurance, Life Insurance, 4 floating holidays (Presidents Day, May Day, Indigenous People’s Day, Veterans Day, 10 paid holidays plus the last two weeks of the year that includes Christmas Eve/Christmas Day as well as, New Year’s Eve, and you accrue two weeks of vacation your first year of employment.

Here at People’s Action/Institute, we are committed to providing an equitable and intentional hiring process for all of our candidates. Our process of hiring for full-time and part-time positions consists of three rounds. The first round will be conducted by our HR staff, the second round will be conducted by a hiring committee that includes staff from different parts of the organization or volunteers that have a stake in the position and the hiring manager for the position. Before anyone moves to the final round, you will complete a project meant to evaluate your skills for the position. Anything that you submit or complete for the project will be used to evaluate you for the position you are applying to. After you complete the project, if you advance to final interviews, we will also request references from our finalists. Our final round will be conducted by the hiring manager and their supervisor.

We believe in fair compensation for your work - no matter where you live. Our salary scale for full-time and part-time employees is comparable to salaries you would find in Chicago, IL, where our headquarters is based. It is based on your months/years of work experience. While we do not determine education as a factor in whether we hire someone to work for People’s Action Institute, we do factor in any relevant higher education experience that you have. To further counter pay inequities and inequality on the team, we have a non-negotiable compensation practice - this also includes vacation and benefits - and provide opportunities for advancement for full-time employees based on performance evaluation. Your starting pay reflects where you sit within our salary scale and is based on the information that you provide us on your resume. PAI continues to monitor wages through triennial compensation analysis to ensure that we continue to offer our prospective and current employees fair wages.

People’s Action/Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer; womxn, people of color, persons with disabilities, and LGBTQI people are strongly encouraged to apply.