Vice President Finance

The Urban League of Louisiana (ULLA) is seeking a Vice President of Finance to lead all financial and fiscal management aspects of the organization’s operations. The Vice President of Finance plays a key role in helping shape and deliver on the strategic imperatives of ULLA. Reporting to the President/CEO, this individual is a member of an eight-person leadership team and has the primary responsibility for the organization’s financial management and fiscal goal setting. The Vice President of Finance will play an integral role in setting the vision and direction for both short- and long-term analysis and forecasting in strategic alignment with operations for ULLA.

The Vice President of Finance will provide leadership and coordination in the administrative, accounting, and financial efforts of the organization. This is a hands-on leadership role that will oversee all aspects of the accounting and finance department. The Vice President of Finance will be responsible for a team that produces financial statements, performs month-end close functions, tax returns, cash management, asset management, and debt financing.

The Vice President of Finance will interact with the ULLA Board of Directors, will prepare financial documents and presentations for Board and Finance Committee meetings, and will be viewed with credibility and respect as an objective voice representing the fiscal health of the organization. The Vice President of Finance will be an active partner with the President/CEO and bring a forward-looking approach and the ability to anticipate and respond to risks and opportunities.

As a member of the collaborative senior leadership team at ULLA, the Vice President of Finance will provide financial input and guidance on critical decisions that affect the growth and development of the organization. She/he will have intimate knowledge and deep understanding of ULLA’s work across the state and may be asked to collaborate and support the cultivation of new donors and support managing the relationships of existing donors.

The Vice President of Finance will balance a strong vision for the ULLA finance team with a proactive approach to managing the fiscal operations of a fast-paced, growing organization. This is an exciting opportunity for an energetic, strategic, and data-driven nonprofit finance leader

Essential Duties

Financial Strategy

• Generate a monthly financial dashboard which accurately forecasts cash, revenue, and expenses to help ULLA “see around the corner”
• Install and strengthen procedures to improve efficiencies and reduce expenses where possible, while supporting organizational growth
• Analyze financial statements to pinpoint opportunities for growth or potential weak areas and develop appropriate scenarios to address them

Financial Management

• Maintain appropriate systems and internal control safeguards and policies to manage the financial activities while maintaining compliance with the highest ethical standards, all applicable laws, regulations, and requirements of funders
• Review and approve expenditures to ensure compliance with local, state, and federal grant reporting requirements
• Oversee the approval and processing of revenue, expenditure, and position control documents, department budgets, salary updates, general ledger, and chart of accounts maintenance
• Develop and implement finance, accounting, billing, and auditing procedures
• Oversee the management of ULLA’s Endowment Fund under the guidelines of the appropriate ULLA Board of Directors Committee
• Strategically manage ULLA’s opportunities to maximize impact from earned revenue and effectively utilize unrelated business revenue as a potential source of revenue
• Interact and collaborate with senior leadership team and program managers to provide consultative support to planning initiatives through financial and management information analyses, reports, and recommendations
• Ensure records and systems are maintained in accordance with generally accepted accounting procedures (GAAP) and auditing standards
• Work closely with ULLA leadership to provide necessary financial analysis and support for revenue generation
• Handle all contracts, including grant agreements, business and vendor contracts, subcontracts, and federal agreements. Ensure compliance with federal procurement standards when applicable. Review all legal documents and Terms of Services
• Work with consultants to supplement expertise when necessary.
• Supervise, mentor, and train accounting and finance staff

Financial Reporting

• Prepare and present monthly and annual financial statements to the ULLA Board of Directors, Board Committees and CEO
• Manage annual external Audit Report and Compliance over Federal Programs (Single Audit) and serve as the liaison with the audit firm
• Ensure accurate completion of Monthly and Annual reporting in the National Urban League Affiliate Compliance System
• Prepare and manage all annual tax submissions to IRS, including Forms 5500, 990 and 1099
• Coordinate the preparation of financial statements, financial reports, special analyses, and information reports for various audiences as needed

Facilities, Assets, and Risk Management

• Maintain accurate records of property values, additions, deletions, etc. of assets held by ULLA
• Manage and renew insurance needs: property, liability, flood, for all buildings, as well as overall agency insurances, i.e., general liability, child molestation and abuse, auto, directors and officers, dishonesty bond and ERISA bonds and workers compensation
• Negotiate, prepare, and renew leases for current and/or new tenants

Candidate Profile

• Sincere commitment to ULLA’s mission and core values
• Intelligent, compassionate, driven, and equity-focused; operates with a community service orientation
• Strategic thinker who understands how finances and strong financial systems support the broader mission of the organization
• Ability to develop a team-wide vision and direction for a portfolio of diverse projects
• Ability to be a thought-partner with the CEO to support the growth and development of the organization
• Ability to collaborate with members of the senior leadership team to advance the overall direction of the organization
• Enjoys investing in building and strengthening a high-performing accounting and finance team
• High energy and motivation to understand and learn from the perspectives of others
• Highly analytical, yet able to “use data to tell a story”; is detailed and precise with their work
• Comfortable interfacing with a Board of Directors on financial and strategic matters
• Exercises good judgement in the midst of ambiguity; exercises a high degree of initiative, judgement, discretion, and decision-making to achieve objectives; demonstrates critical thinking to identify alternative solutions to complex issues
• Effective Communicator

Qualifications

• 6-10 years or more of senior management experience in the nonprofit industry with related experience including financial oversight and fiscal management.
• Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, economics, or other related fields. A CPA, MBA or MPA is strongly preferred for the position. 
• Demonstrated success in the role of senior financial leader in a nonprofit organization and an understanding of nonprofit budget models, contracts, and regulatory requirements
• Knowledge of generally accepted accounting practices (GAAP) and accrual-based accounting practices; experience in nonprofit financial management, including budgeting, forecasting, revenue/expense analysis, cost allocation process and reporting, and governmental and regulatory reporting requirements; experience with annual audits.
• Knowledge of diverse investment portfolios and advisory teams
• Leadership ability, especially related to program design and implementation demonstrating financial acumen
• Exceptional computer skills and proficiency in MS Office products (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook), QuickBooks, MIP Financial Accounting System, and ADP Payroll
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to communicate to all levels within an organization
• Evidence of strong strategic, analytical, and financial skills and experience translating a strategic vision into an operational model