Finance Lead

As the Finance Lead at RenPhil, you will be responsible for managing the organization’s financial operations, including the oversight of day-to-day accounting processes and procedures, budgeting and financial analysis needs. You will also be required to ensure the organization’s overall readiness for audit and compliance examinations, reviews, inspections, and procedures.

As a member of a rapidly growing organization and team the right candidate for this role should possess a “builder mindset” and not be afraid to use their career knowledge and experience to help design, engineer, and implement new systems, policies, procedures, and practices for the organization from “the ground up.”

RenPhil operates using a mix of restricted and un-restricted funding sources, runs multiple programs which use a number of shared services and receive support from a central team, and currently outsources bookkeeping and accounting functions which may eventually be insourced.

Role and Responsibilities

Budgeting and Financial Analysis

• Lead the creation, structuring, and development of the organization’s entity wide and program-level budgets, ensuring alignment with Renaissance Philanthropy’s strategic goals.
• Track and manage restricted and unrestricted funding, ensuring compliance with donor requirements, financial policies, and financial regulations.
• Assist in the creation or development of budgets for new grant applications.
• Ensure accurate financial reporting for grants, contracts, and donor funding.

Financial systems and processes development

• Develop policies and procedures to manage day-to-day financial processes (e.g. accounts payable and receivables).
• Develop and improve financial systems to enhance operational efficiency.
• Implement financial tracking systems that provide real-time data on program spending, forecasts, and budgets.
• Lead the selection and implementation of financial management software to streamline reporting, forecasting, and compliance tracking.
• Work with leadership to establish financial dashboards for monitoring key metrics and trends.
• Develop and manage systems to ensure the accuracy and efficient reporting of funder reporting requirements, restrictions, and grant-by-grant, or program-by-program financial information.

Audit and Compliance

• Oversee and manage the annual audit process, ensuring full compliance with financial regulations and best practices.
• Ensure that the organization maintains the highest level of audit readiness on an annual basis so that the organization can meet or exceed audit objectives and audit deadlines.
• Ensure that the organization’s internal controls as well as the quality of its financial records for revenue and expenditures are sufficient and adequate enough to meet audit standards.
• Implement and maintain strong internal financial controls to safeguard organizational assets (both tangible and intangible) in accordance with the organization’s policies and procedures.
• Ensure compliance with all relevant nonprofit financial regulations and grant reporting requirements.

Bookkeeping and Operational Finance

• Supervise, manage, oversee, and review the quality of outsourced bookkeeping, accounting, and finance teams (which may eventually be insourced).
• Ensure and review the accuracy and maintenance of the organization’s General Ledger System or ERP Platforms
• Ensure and review the structure and maintenance of the chart of accounts, classes, cost centers, fund directly, and cash management systems
• Ensure the timely and accurate processing of the organization transactions
• Oversee and maintain the organization’s month-end and year-end close process during each close cycle based on current and recurrent needs

Outcomes

If you are successful in this role, in two years years’ time, you will:

• Led seamless annual audits, the audit readiness and financial integrity of the organization’s financial records, data, and information
• Played an integral role in ensuring the integrity and accuracy of the general ledger, financial reporting, and financial statements for the entity
• Assisted in the design and implementation of a streamlined financial system that provides real-time budget-to-actual tracking for program leads, projects, grants, and related systems.
• Prepared and developed financial models, analyses, workpapers, and presentations to support long-term sustainability and strategic decision-making.

Key Qualifications

Required

• 5+ years of professional accounting or finance experience at either a Senior Accountant, Accounting Manager, Controller or Asst. Controller level or higher within a rapidly growing organization managing people, projects, or tasks.
• Proven experience managing and overseeing finances in a US 501(c)(3) nonprofit
• Advanced journal entry skills and a robust understanding of financial statements, financial reporting, accounting principles.
• Direct experience leading and managing an annual audit process and ensuring compliance with financial regulations.
• Familiarity with grant compliance and donor reporting best practices.
• Strong and advanced MS Excel Skills and an ability to work seamlessly with formulas, pivot tables, summarizing and analyzing financial information

Preferred:

• Bachelor’s or Masters Degree in Accounting from an AACSB Accredited University.
• Experience working in a fiscal sponsor organization or a non-profit with multiple programs provided with centralized support
• 3-5 years of experience in Audit or Attestation Services (or Sophisticated Tax Advisory Services) will be given special preference
• An Active CPA (Certified Public Accountant) License in one of the 50 US Jurisdictions.
• Experience serving as the lead accountant responsible for ensuring the audit quality of an organization’s books and records as an audited entity.
• Experience with financial systems and automation tools to enhance financial reporting and tracking.
• Experience collaborating with outsourced finance teams, including bookkeepers and auditors.

Values

You will thrive within our team if you:

• Have strong mission and vision alignment: You believe in the power of science, innovation, and technology to create a brighter future for all.
• Exhibit high agency: You can move mountains and break perceived constraints.
• Inspire others and are highly collaborative: You can motivate others to join your mission and goals. You understand the value of going further by working with others.
• Value exceptional talent and the power of networks: You can spot or nurture exceptional talent and believe in the value of building networks and the power law of talent.
• Are comfortable working in fast-moving and ambitious teams: You are not afraid of ambiguity and enjoy working at pace.

Diversity

We encourage anyone who is interested in this role to apply, regardless of whether you feel you meet 100% of the qualifications. The top candidates will bring their own unique perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds from a variety of industries along with many but not necessarily all

the skills listed above.

Recruiting, hiring, mentoring, and retaining a diverse workforce is critical to our success. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran. Renaissance Philanthropy is an equal-opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

IMPORTANT NOTE: All candidates will undergo an assessment of their technical skills before hire. Candidates should be prepared to have their core accounting skills tested for level of proficiency during the interview process.

This role will report to the Head of Strategy and Partnerships.

Note: This role may also be referred to as the “Accounting Manager” / “Director of Finance” / or “Controller” in some organizations.