Finance Manager

Finance Manager

Position Details

Job Overview

The Finance Manager plays a key role in supporting the organization’s financial planning, budgeting, and reporting functions, reporting to the Executive Director, Finance & Accounting. This position is responsible for developing and maintaining budgets, forecasts, and scenario analyses that inform organizational decision-making, as well as preparing variance analyses and KPI dashboards to support strategic and departmental planning.

The position serves as a key financial partner to department heads, meeting regularly to provide financial insight and guidance, and supports project and grant management through budget tracking, reporting, and collaboration with project/grant leads.

Additional responsibilities include departmental reporting to help manage overhead spending, managing payroll allocations for grant pre- and post-award purposes, preparing cost analyses to support service and event pricing, and performing other accounting tasks as needed. This role requires strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and the ability to communicate financial information clearly to both financial and non-financial stakeholders.

Duties and Responsibilities

Budgeting and Financial Planning (35%)

• Support the annual budgeting and multi-year financial planning processes.
• Develop rolling forecasts and scenario analyses to support decision-making.
• Support development of implementation plan for organizational strategic plan by providing financial reporting, financial analyses, and trend analyses.
• Partner with department leads to build annual departmental budgets and consolidate them into the organizational operating budget.
• Analyze revenue and expense trends to inform multi-year projections and cash flow planning.

Reporting and Analysis (30%)

• Prepare monthly actual-to-budget/forecast variance analysis.
• Manage KPI dashboards and performance tracking to support strategic planning.
• Provide department-level reporting to help manage overhead spending.
• Prepare cost analysis to assist with the pricing of services/events.
• Investigate significant variances with budget owners and document the drivers behind them.
• Support the monthly close by reviewing expense coding and accrual estimates against budget.
• Improve and automate recurring financial reporting to reduce manual preparation time.

Grant and Project Support (20%)

• Support project/grant management by maintaining budget tracking, providing project/grant reports and working with project/grant leads.
• Manage payroll allocations which are utilized in grant pre-and post-award allocations.
• Prepare grant budgets and budget narratives for proposals in partnership with Advancement and program leads.
• Monitor grant spending against award budgets and alert project leads to over- and under-spending.
• Support budget realignments, no-cost extensions, and funder modification requests.

Business Partnership and Other Accounting Support (15%)

• Hold monthly meetings with department heads to provide ongoing financial oversight.
• Train department leads on interpreting their budget reports and using financial planning tools.
• Document and improve budgeting, forecasting, and reporting procedures.
• Support the annual audit by preparing analyses and responding to auditor questions.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong financial modeling, forecasting, and analytical skills.
• Proficiency in Excel and financial planning/reporting tools (e.g., budgeting software, ERP systems, BI/dashboard tools).
• Solid understanding of budget-to-actual variance analysis and KPI development.
• Familiarity with grant/project accounting, including pre- and post-award budget tracking and payroll allocation methodologies.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to translate financial data into clear insights for non-financial department heads and leadership.
• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple deadlines across departments.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a cross-functional environment.
• Knowledge of cost allocation methodologies for pricing services or events preferred.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or a related field required.
• 5+ years of experience in financial analysis, budgeting, or accounting required (nonprofit, grant-funded, or project-based organizational experience a plus).
• Experience building and maintaining annual operating budgets and multi-year financial plans, including rolling forecasts and scenario analyses.
• Experience preparing monthly budget-to-actual variance analysis and management reporting for both departmental and executive audiences.
• Experience developing KPI dashboards and performance tracking tools that support organizational strategic planning.
• Experience preparing cost analyses to support the pricing of services, events, or programs.
• Experience tracking project and grant budgets across the pre- and post-award lifecycle, including cost allocation and payroll allocation schedules.
• Experience serving as a financial partner to non-finance department leads, including recurring budget reviews and translating financial results into operational decisions.
• Experience with ERP and financial planning systems (e.g., NetSuite and Planful) preferred.
• Experience supporting grant-funded programs or organizations with restricted/unrestricted fund accounting preferred.

Supervisory Requirements

This position has no supervisory responsibilities.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, and ability to adjust focus.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Achieving the Dream is committed to creating and maintaining a diverse work environment. Employment policies and decisions are based upon merit, qualifications, performance, and business needs. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or medical conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth), gender identity or expression, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, legally-protected genetic information, marital status, veteran status, or sexual orientation.