FINANCE MANAGER

About the role

A Finance Manager who provides internal financial oversight and cost allocation management for the Association and Alliance — the work that must be done by an internal team member to preserve organizational integrity, transparency, and strategic control. Day-to-day accounting, bookkeeping, and tax preparation are managed by the external Accountant. This role focuses on what only an internal staff member can do: applying organizational judgment to allocation decisions, tracking which activities and line items belong to each entity (the Association vs. the Alliance), reviewing external Accountant outputs for accuracy, and providing management-level financial reporting to the President/CEO and Board. It also owns payroll and benefits coordination: while processing is handled by external providers and the external Accountant, this role is the internal point of contact for payroll accuracy, benefits administration, and employee financial records.

Responsibilities

• Own the Association/Alliance cost allocation framework: determine and document which costs, revenues, and activities belong to each organization; ensure the external Accountant applies allocations accurately and consistently.
• Review and validate monthly financial statements, account reconciliations, and audit workpapers prepared by the external Accountant; flag discrepancies and coordinate corrections.
• Track financial inputs and outputs by program, function, and entity; maintain internal records that provide management-level visibility into the Association's financial position across both the Association and Alliance.
• Serve as the primary internal liaison to the external Accountant: provide organizational context, approve allocation decisions, and coordinate financial reporting timelines.
• Prepare or review financial reports for the President/CEO and Board, including budget-to-actual variances and entity-specific reporting for the Association and Alliance.
• Coordinate the annual budget process in partnership with the President/CEO and external Accountant; monitor the approved budget and flag material variances throughout the year.
• Maintain internal financial controls appropriate to a small association operating with an external accounting partner.
• Manage vendor contracts and financial obligations that require internal authorization and organizational judgment — including insurance, facilities, and any contracts spanning both entities.
• Support the annual audit process by providing organizational context and internal documentation to the external Accountant and outside CPA firm.
• Process payroll and serve as the internal point of contact for payroll and benefits administration: coordinate with the external Accountant and external payroll/benefits/401(k) providers to ensure accurate and timely payroll processing, payroll deductions, benefits enrollment and changes, and employee financial records — escalating issues to the Senior Director of Strategy and Operations (HR) as needed.
• Identify and recommend opportunities to automate, streamline, or outsource financial administrative functions that do not require internal organizational judgment.

Qualifications

• Experience in financial administration, accounting coordination, operations finance, or a related field in a small organization or nonprofit.
• Solid understanding of basic accounting principles, cost allocation methodologies, and financial reporting sufficient to review and validate external Accountant outputs.
• Organizational judgment: able to make allocation decisions and translate operational activity into financial classifications.
• Comfort working with financial data, budgets, and reporting tools; high attention to detail and records accuracy.
• Collaborative and organized; able to coordinate across the President/CEO, external Accountant, and program staff with minimal supervision.
• Understanding of financial and treasury management requirements between sister/affiliate organizations preferred.