Finance Director

About People’s Action Institute

People’s Action Institute (501c3) is a national people-powered organization that conducts public education toward winning an inclusive democracy and economy. People’s Action Institute builds the power of poor and working people in rural, suburban, and urban areas to win change through policy education and campaigns, leadership development, narrative and communications strategies, and more.

With offices in Washington, DC, and Chicago, IL, and remote staff across the country, we support and advance state-based and national efforts for common sense policies on the environment, decarceration, health care, economic security, housing, education, and more.

For more information on People’s Action Institute, please visit https://peoplesaction.org/about-us/peoples-action-institute/

The Opportunity

Do you enjoy creative problem-solving? Does building and strengthening the finance infrastructure of a mission-driven organization bring you internal control (pun intended)? If you answered yes to those questions, then this is an outstanding opportunity for you. We are searching for a hands-on finance director with a successful track record in multi-entity financial management.

Overview of the Position

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 a multi-entity enterprise's day-to-day finance and accounting operations with an aggregate budget 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 typical day will include (but isn’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 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, emphasizing 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 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%)

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.

Compensation and Benefits:

Status: Full-time, Regular, Exempt, benefits-eligible

Union Position (Yes/No): No

Salary Range: Department Director - Level G - $118,485 - 152,485

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

Reports to: Chief of Institutional Advancement

Supervises: Director of Budget and Grants Administration, Senior and Junior Accountant

Travel Requirements (Yes/No): 2-3 times a year

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

Our Commitment to Equitable Compensation:

We believe in fair compensation for your work - no matter where you live. Our salary scale 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 and provide opportunities for advancement for full-time employees based on performance evaluation. Your non-negotiable starting salary reflects where you sit within our salary scale and is based on the information that you provide us on your resume. People’s Action Institute continues to monitor wages through triennial compensation analysis to ensure that we continue to offer our prospective and current employees fair wages.

Commitment to Disability, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion:

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

Union

People’s Action Institute recognizes our staff bargaining unit affiliated with the Chicago Midwest Regional Join Board, Workers United (CMRJB). Any position that is indicated as included in People’s Action Institute’s bargaining unit will be covered under the terms of the collective bargaining agreement.

Close date: Monday, April 21st at 9:00 am CST

No phone calls, please.