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Assistant Finance Director/Controller

Employer
Project Evident
Location
Greater Atlanta Area, Boston, Massachusetts, Manhattan, NY
Closing date
Jun 11, 2021

Job Details

Position Summary  - Assistant Finance Director & Controller
The Assistant Finance Director & Controller will be responsible for the oversight of all finance, 
accounting, contracts and business operations, reporting, and other financial activities.
Reporting to the Director of Operations with a dotted line to the Founder, Chief Executive, 
she/he/they will work closely with senior leadership in compiling presentations to the board finance 
committee and lead audits.

This role comes at a key time in the trajectory of Project Evident, where we are implementing a 
strategic growth plan that is shaping and building the evolving infrastructure and culture and 
laying the groundwork for the successful transition to independence from our Fiscal Sponsor and 
fulfillment of our vision.  The Assistant Finance Director & Controller will lead all day-to-day 
finance operations including functional responsibility of accounting, accounts payable, accounts 
receivable, payroll, staffing allocations, budgets, grant and contract administration, and partner 
with our outsourced Financial Agent to transition all financial activities in house in preparation 
for spinout.  This individual will ensure Project Evident’s financial health by conducting regular 
financial analysis, upgrading the systems and procedures that support accurate management of 
financial activity, monthly and annual budgeting,  and financial and grant reporting. He/She/They 
will play a critical role in the selection of the financial software used that will integrate with 
Salesforce, Harvest, and other key systems for the improved maintenance of accounting records, 
timely and accurate processing of financial transactions, effective communication of financial 
information and staffing allocation for use within and across verticals. This position will work with 
the Fiscal Sponsor and maintain ownership for the administration of a comprehensive set of controls 
and budgets designed to mitigate risk and ensure that reported results comply with generally 
accepted accounting principles (GAAP). The Assistant Finance Director & Controller will coordinate 
with organizational leaders to ensure that grants/contracts are managed in such a way that they 
further the work of each project, while supporting the reporting goals and programmatic standards.

The Assistant Finance Director & Controller will work collaboratively with a high impact team in an 
entrepreneurial organizational culture. He/She/They will work closely across all levels of the 
organization to track all financial activities, educate members regarding finance and accounting 
procedures, and explore how the finance function can support program operations. This position 
requires the capability and comfort managing the requests and needs of senior leadership with 
extreme attention to detail, the capacity to manage or switch among multiple tasks rapidly, ability 
to meet deadlines, and experience and ease with a variety of online tools
and software.


Essential Duties
Finance and Accounting
●    Manage and oversee all accounts, ledgers, and reporting systems ensuring compliance with 
appropriate GAAP standards and regulatory requirements
●    Review all financial transactions and processes including AP, AR, banking, payroll, and 
purchase cards
●    Oversee and manage the payroll process with our fiscal sponsor
●    Serve as primary point of contact and manager of financial information flow between Project 
Evident, our Fiscal Sponsor and outsourced Financial Agent.
●    Partner with outsourced Financial Agent and senior leadership to strengthen and execute 
financial reporting, distill key information necessary to meet financial goals and objectives of the 
organization.
●    Responsible for successfully transitioning all accounting and financial activities from 
outsourced Financial Agent
●    Partner with Founder and Managing Directors to build and manage departmental and organization 
wide budgets and forecasts
●    Develop and coordinate annual budget and mid year review process
●    Administer and review all financial plans and compare to actuarial results with a view to 
identify, explain, and correct variances as appropriate
●    Processes expense reimbursements and purchase card transactions, in accordance with Fiscal 
Sponsor policy
●    Oversee allocation process for all organizational expenses, including management of online 
time tracking system (Harvest), grant allocations, customer invoicing, and allocation of shared 
costs (including admin and occupancy) across verticals
●    Responsible for maintaining the Finance handbook and related policies
●    Design and implement internal controls that ensure an accurate system of checks and balances
●    Responsible for identifying and implementing financial software that integrate with existing 
systems including but not limited to Salesforce, Harvest, Forecast, and will support a successful 
spinout from our fiscal sponsor
●    Work with Founder and program leads to approve and process all vendor and contractor payments
●    Manage all G/L accounts, classifications, templates and reports for analysis and consistency
●    Prepare quarterly data and reports for the board and participate in board meetings
●    Design and maintain financial dashboard that provides senior leadership with accurate view of 
financial health
●    Lead and manage internal and external audits
●    Prepare key schedules of the audited financial statements and data for filing of corporate tax 
returns and the coordination of all matters related to taxes


Stakeholder Management
●    Assist in issuing timely, accurate, and complete financial reports and  statements for all 
levels, including Board of Directors, executive leaders,  investors and management
●    Lead weekly grant and contract meetings with Founder, Managing Directors and stakeholders to 
discuss the upcoming week’s deadlines, budgets, allocations, reports and troubleshooting any 
potential areas of concern
●    Serve as liaison for the Board’s Finance committees
●    Provides a high level of customer service around short- and long-term financial management and 
sustainability
●    Support senior leadership by analyzing trends and variances
●    Respond to inquiries from vendors, funders, internal and external partners in a timely manner
●    Establishes and maintains positive relationships with team members, vendors, funders, SEA, 
LEA, non-profit partners, and others

Grants and Contract Management
●    Works directly with our Fiscal Sponsor, to provide timely and effective public and private 
contract and grants management in line with goals
●    Works directly with stakeholders to build efficiencies that improve our contracting and grants 
management systems   to ensure accurate and timely   invoicing and prepare for operational 
independence from our Fiscal Sponsor
●    Responsible for managing the accurate and timely tracking, budgeting, allocation and financial 
reporting of foundation, corporate, and government grants
●    Collaborates with the team to identify and implement improvements to the contract and grant 
tracking management system(s) which manages drawdowns, allocations, reporting, restrictions, and 
projections
●    Provides clear and timely information to team members regarding status of contracts and 
support in the use of internal systems
●    Collaborates with and provides reporting and training to staff as needed, to support 
compliance and fiscal processes related to contract and  grant writing, management, and development 
including but not limited to philanthropic grants, public, federal and private contracting
●    Develops forms, processes, procedures, and policies for the purpose of implementing a 
consistent grant application methodology
●    Manages grant agreements and reporting to ensure fidelity to grant terms and allocations
●    Administers and monitors contracts and grants in Salesforce and NetSuite, including managing 
any amendments or extensions, ensuring accurate and timely entry of data and management of systems
●    Leads and coordinates with the management team the grant, contract and vendor relationships 
and all related activity including, but not limited to communications, contract management and 
extensions, internal audits, invoicing and timely billing and/or payment

Other Duties

●    Other duties as assigned

Education and/or Experience
Minimum Requirements:
●    Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or equivalent experience
●    5-7 years of non-profit accounting and finance experience
●    3-5 years experience in auditing, analysis, and tax role
●    Demonstrated experience managing the request and needs of senior leadership while providing 
sound financial guidance
●    Knowledge of GAAP
●    Solid experience in leading audit activities and managing reporting, budget development and 
analysis, accounts payable and receivable, general ledger, payroll, and accounting for investments
●    Track record in grants and contracts management with public, private and government entities 
as it relates to compliance and reporting of foundation, corporate, and government grants is 
essential
●    Demonstrated expertise with accounting software, and data management systems e.g. NetSuite, 
QuickBooks, Excel, Salesforce, etc
●    High degree of proficiency with Microsoft Excel (i.e. pivot tables, spreadsheets, vlookups, if 
statements, etc.)
●    Intermediate level of experience using common cloud-based productivity tools, e.g.GoogleDocs, 
Office 365, Zoom,  Microsoft Teams, Slack
●    Impeccable attention to detail and extremely high standards for accuracy
●    Proficient in using technology and curious about learning new systems
●    Experience working with diverse communities and a deep commitment to social and racial justice
Preferred Requirements:
●   MBA, Certified Public Accountant (CPA), or equivalent experience preferred

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

●    Excellent oral and written communication skills, with a proven ability to write clear and 
concise memos
●    Experience gathering, evaluating, presenting, and reporting financial information and key data 
across all levels of management, including board members, funders, and other external stakeholders
●    Demonstrated experience managing and having oversight of internal financial management 
information systems
●    Comfort with ambiguity and ability to respond adeptly to rapidly changing priorities, 
comfortable in a start-up environment with fast deadlines
●    Keen analytic, organization and problem solving skills which allow for strategic data 
interpretation versus simple reporting

●    Technology savvy with experience selecting and overseeing software installations and managing 
relationship with software vendors; advanced knowledge of accounting and reporting software
●    Active listener who seeks clarification, asks questions, and surfaces solutions.
●    Commitment to learning, mentoring, and training others
●    Ability and desire to translate complex financial concepts to individuals at all levels 
including finance and non-financial partners, board members, funders, and external stakeholders
●    Commitment to high performance culture, participate in giving and receiving feedback and 
belief in continuous and self-improvement
●    Demonstrated ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a fast paced 
environment on multiple projects; ability to effectively prioritize time and  tasks
●    Experience working effectively with multiple stakeholders who may have evolving priorities
●    Ability to interface with diverse staff and partners in various domains.
●    Experience and comfort working virtually

Organizational Relationships

The Assistant Finance Director & Controller reports to the Director of Operations with a dotted 
line to the Founder, Chief Executive and works collaboratively with staff, clients, contractors and 
vendors on a weekly basis to meet goals in line with organizational values. The Assistant Finance 
Director & Controller works closely with the outsourced Financial Agent and Fiscal Sponsor.
 

Physical Demands

●    N/A

Work Environment

●    Ability to work with a virtual team
●    Expected to work 45-50 hours per week
●    Up to 10% travel (In times when travel is standard practice and generally safe)

Submission and Interview Process

Candidates wishing to be considered for this position, must submit a cover letter and resume to 
careers@projectevident.org.

Reasonable accommodation will be made so that applicants with qualifying disabilities may 
participate in the application process. Please advise in writing of special needs at the time of 
application.

Candidates invited for a full interview will be asked to complete an assessment and present their 
findings in a virtual interview using Zoom or Microsoft Teams to demonstrate his/her/their 
capabilities and skills.

Project Evident, a project of Tides Center, is an “at-will” and equal opportunity employer.
Applicants and employees shall not be discriminated against because of race, religion, sex, 
national origin, ethnicity, age, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, gender 
(including pregnancy and gender expression) identity, color, marital status, veteran status, 
medical
condition, or any other classification protected by federal, state, or local law or ordinance.
 

Company

Project Evident exists to help organizations harness the power of evidence to achieve greater impact.  We do this by offering a comprehensive platform of tools, resources, and services to help state education agencies, local education agencies, nonprofits and funders improve how they measure, evaluate, and report results, while strengthening their ability to act using this evidence.  

Project Evident strives to be a trusted partner – to practitioners, funders, and other stakeholders committed to stronger, meaningful, and equitable outcomes for communities and individuals so that all can participate, prosper, and reach their full potential.* We believe in the power of data and evidence to address social and racial justice, and seek to advance a next generation  ecosystem for actionable evidence building and use. We live into our mission through our values, specifically:

 

  • Practitioner Focused - We center on practitioners, and ground our work in their needs and contexts. We help practitioners strengthen meaningful and equitable outcomes for the communities and individuals they serve, and lift up their work so it can be better understood and supported by funders and policy makers.
  • Committed to Learning, Inclusion, and Transparency - We are frank, honest, and compassionate with our colleagues, clients, funders, and stakeholders. We seek input and feedback from a wide range of voices and share our learnings openly with others. We recognize that evidence is not immune from the racism and inequities that exist in our society, and strive to understand the context in which we operate and to uphold the principles of belonging, dignity, and justice through our work.
  • Smart, Warm, Approachable and Productive -
    • Smart - we strive to find practical, implementable solutions
    • Warm - we bring heart and positivity to our work and work through discomfort
    • Approachable - we keep open and curious minds, welcoming differing viewpoints and valuing the ideas and experiences of our partners.
    • Productive - we hold ourselves accountable to the goals and timelines we set with our colleagues and partners,  and course correct as needed
  • Oriented to Actionable Evidence  - We build and use relevant and timely data and evidence with our partners and ourselves to continuously learn, improve, and make meaningful, equitable, and cost effective decisions.

 

*Language drawn from PolicyLink’s definition of equity with their permission.

Company info
Website
Telephone
917.946.4348
Location
675 VFW Parkway
Chestnut Hill
MA
02467
US

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