Director of Finance and Accounting

Responsibilities: Planning and Strategy, Budgeting, Financial Management, Reporting and Analysis, Grants Management, Audit Coordination 

Organization Overview 

At Sankofa Community Development Corporation (CDC), we believe health to be the cornerstone of a thriving community with safety, stability, and overall viability. We are committed to sustainable, health-centered development to revitalize the Lower Ninth Ward area through a model of equity and justice. Our community and economic development programs address systemic problems that cause social and health disparities by building infrastructure that works with nature to create simple solutions to real-world problems by building infrastructure to support a resilient community in the Lower Ninth Ward. Our ultimate goal is to support the creation of a local environment that builds healthier communities for generations to come. 

Job Overview 

Sankofa CDC is seeking a highly mission- and impact-driven non-profit financial leader to support the sustainable, smooth, and efficient financial operations of Sankofa CDC, a 501c3 non-profit organization. The ideal candidate is a proactive problem-solver who identifies opportunities to improve efficient workflow and ensures procedures are established and formalized. The Director of Finance and Accounting will ensure a collaborative process across departments regarding budget creation and management, cash-flow management, grants compliance, and general administration.They must understand nonprofit finance, accounting, and systems with an ability to fiscally manage the organization in the areas of accounting, accounts payable and receivable, payroll, grants administration, capital spending and financial reporting.The Director of Finance and Accounting is responsible for overseeing the inflows and outflows of funds during the fiscal period and the long term, ensuring transactions are managed and recorded, and fairly projected. This position designs and develops budgetary principles, internal control processes, and guidelines to optimize budget performance. The Director of Finance and Accounting reports to the CEO and works closely with the Sankofa CDC management team, and finance consultants. 

Roles and Responsibility 

PLANNING and STRATEGY 

● Manage and monitor all financial and accounting systems, policies, procedures and internal controls, and then adapt as necessary to meet changing regulations and best practices. 

● Establish finance and administrative systems to support operations. 

● Implement a robust contracts management and financial management/reporting system. ● Update and implement all necessary business policies and accounting practices.

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT 

● Serve as a senior finance resource for the organization, providing leadership and direction to the Fresh Start Market business operations systems with close oversight of the organization’s financial position and potential gaps in revenues or expenses. 

● Maintain internal control and safeguards for receipt of revenue, cost allocations, program budget applications, and expenditures. 

● Manage organizational cash flow and forecasting, as well as accounts payable and accounts receivable by working with program leads to assess the financial efficacy of program operations. 

● Ensure that the contract billing and collection schedule is adhered to, and that financial data and cash flow are steady and support operational requirements. 

● Coordinate execution of payroll and maintain accrued annual employee benefits. REPORTING and ANALYSIS 

● Analyze and present financial reports in an accurate and timely manner; clearly communicate monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements. 

Manage the preparation of financial reports for the CEO and Board that are meaningful, detailed, and understandable, including the monthly and year-end close, generate weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual reports and analyses as needed to monitor, evaluate and optimize cash-flow and liquidity. 

● Oversee all financial, project/program, and grants accounting and collate financial reporting materials for all donor segments. 

● Ensure state and federal grants meet contract requirements with timely and up-to-date reporting. 

● Oversee all accounts, ledgers, and reporting systems ensuring compliance with appropriate GAAP standards and regulatory requirements. 

GRANTS MANAGEMENT 

● Ensure compliance with funder policies and procedures in implementation and intermediary grantmaking activities. 

● Manage overall grant administration workflow to support grant lifecycle from grant selection to close-out. 

● Review grant portfolio data to support reporting to funder, fund balancing and manage subaward burn rates to maximize fund availability for grantee partners. 

● Oversee grants accounting and assist with preparation of grant reports, drawdown requests to funder, and proposals for grants/funding. 

AUDIT COORDINATION 

● Coordinate and lead all audit activity, including the annual audit process. ● Make recommendations to the CEO and the board’s audit and finance committee on financial operating models and delivery.

● Ensure that the audit meets critical regulatory and legal compliance benchmarks, such as the filing of the annual audit and Form 990 with annual benchmarking of benefits and compensation. 

BUDGETING 

● Develop and manage the annual operating budget. 

● Lead annual budgeting and planning processes in conjunction with the CEO, senior leadership team and finance committee. 

● Administer and review all budgets (operations, programs, cash, grants, etc.) with monitoring and reporting of progress and updates. 

Additional projects as determined by the CEO. 

Qualifications 

● Experience in not-for-profit accounting with broad financial and operations management experience. 

● Minimum of a BA, ideally with an MBA/CPA or related degree. 

● Minimum of seven years of finance and accounting management experience. ● Minimum 3 years’ experience in federal grant and/or contract management. ● Strategic, detail-oriented, creative, and critical thinker with personal qualities of integrity, 

credibility, ability to solve problems, and dedication to the mission of Sankofa CDC. ● Ability to translate financial concepts and effectively collaborate with programmatic and fundraising colleagues who may not have finance backgrounds. 

● Experience with compliance and reporting of government, corporate and foundation grants. 

● Excellent working knowledge of Microsoft Excel and accounting systems like Bill.com and QuickBooks Online for efficient financial management and reporting. ● A successful track record in setting priorities with analysis, problem-solving skills, and sound recommendations for decision making. 

● Excellent communication and relationship building skills with an ability to prioritize, negotiate and work with a variety of internal and external stakeholders. 

● Strong financial acumen and working knowledge of generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) for nonprofit organizations and basic understanding of local, state, and federal tax laws pertinent to nonprofits. 

● Ability to translate financial concepts and effectively collaborate with colleagues who do not necessarily have finance backgrounds. 

● Robust business acumen with ability to bring keen understanding of costs, benefits and risks analysis to business dilemmas, opportunities, or situations. 

Schedule 

Full Time position 

Partial hybrid work or remote is possible