Associate Director, Finance

The Milken Institute is a globally minded, publicly supported, non-partisan, and nonprofit think tank headquartered in Santa Monica, with offices in Washington, DC, New York, London, Abu Dhabi, and Singapore. For the past three decades, the Milken Institute has served as a catalyst for practical, scalable solutions to global challenges by connecting human, financial, and educational resources to those who need them. The Institute conducts research and analysis, convenes top experts, and constructs programs and policy initiatives to help people build meaningful lives through health, education, employment, and community opportunities.

About the role

The Associate Director of Finance is responsible for maintaining the accuracy and integrity of the general ledger and supporting timely financial reporting. This role manages key reconciliations, executes month-end close procedures, and ensures compliance with accounting standards and internal controls. The position works closely with Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Payroll, and Finance leadership to support accurate and timely financial statements and reports to the Director of Finance.

Responsibilities

• Prepare journal entries, including but not limited to accruals, depreciation, deferrals, allocations, and reclassifications.
• Review trial balance activity and ensure proper account coding.
• Reconcile and record intercompany transactions as applicable.
• Ensure proper period cutoff procedures are followed each month.
• Record and reconcile cash activities.
• Perform monthly balance sheet reconciliations (bank, prepaid expenses, accruals, fixed assets, payroll, and other key accounts).
• Investigate and resolve reconciling items in a timely manner.
• Maintain clear supporting documentation in accordance with internal control standards.
• Execute month-end close procedures and meet established deadlines.
• Coordinate with cross-functional teams (Events, Marketing, Pillars, etc.) to ensure complete and accurate reporting.
• Support year-end close and external audit requirements.
• Assist in preparation of monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements.
• Prepare supporting schedules and management reports.
• Analyze income statement and balance sheet trends to identify anomalies and propose resolution.
• Ensure adherence to GAAP and company accounting policies.
• Maintain strong internal controls over financial reporting.
• Identify and recommend process improvements to enhance efficiency and accuracy.
• Assist in preparation of various annual and statutory filings and surveys.
• Assist in preparation of materials for board meetings.
• Other ad-hoc or special projects as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting required.
• 3–7+ years of progressive accounting experience required.
• Public accounting and audit experience preferred.
• Strong knowledge of GAAP and full-cycle accounting.
• Proficiency in NetSuite and Salesforce required.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUP, INDEX/MATCH, and other advanced formulas) and strong overall Microsoft 365 skills (Word, Outlook, PowerPoint).
• Strong analytical, organizational, and communication skills.
• CPA or CPA candidate preferred.

Schedule

This position works on a hybrid schedule consisting of three (3) days per week in-person at the Santa Monica office location (Tuesday – Thursday), with the remaining two (2) days working remotely. Occasional travel to other offices and/or venues is required, as well as occasional work outside of traditional hours. Regular virtual interaction with staff based in other U.S. and international locations is expected.

Benefits

• Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
• Retirement Plan - 403b (5% match)
• Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)
• Paid Time Off (Personal, Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)
• Family Leave (Maternity & Paternity)
• Fertility Support
• Short-Term & Long-Term Disability
• Flexible Spending Account (FSAs)
• Pet Insurance Discount
• Training & Development: LinkedIn Learning – over 15,000 self-guided classes offered
• Annual Mentor Program
• Wellness Resources: Employee Assistance Program, CALM app membership