Finance Associate

Who we are:

The Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) is a national non-profit in service to lifting underserved leaders and equipping them with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to transform their communities through education, with collaborative, equity-driven solutions. By cultivating strong capacity across all levels, we help local leaders to drive meaningful change for communities, families, and children. Our mission is to develop and connect adults and youth leaders who strengthen communities and education systems in pursuit of equity. Our vision is an equitable society in which shared leadership effectively uses all available resources for the betterment of their communities. Learn more at www.iel.org.

Position Overview:

The Finance Associate will provide support of day-to-day financial and administrative support for the staff and initiatives of the organization. The Finance Associate must be comfortable working in a continually evolving environment and thrive in a collaborative and detail-oriented role.

Working closely with the Senior Finance Manager, the Finance Associate will support processing reimbursement requests, input transactions into financial accounting system and assuring the accuracy of all transactions and streamlining and updating financial processes. This position will also support federal grants and contracts compliance with subrecipient monitoring. This includes reviewing subrecipient reimbursements, as well as managing desk reviews and the risk assessment process.

Responsibilities:

• Prepares vouchers, invoices, checks, reports and other records and reviews them for accuracy.
• Responsible for financial and procurement transactions in QuickBooks by entering required data to ensure timely payment of invoices.
• Compiles and organizes financial documentation in proper folders.
• Prepares and maintains records and files for all grants and contracts awarded which ensures detailed accounting for all grant/contract records received.
• Provide support for the organization’s yearly independent audit and work closely with the Senior Finance Manager, VP of Finance, and Chief Administrative Officer to ensure implementation of recommendations from the audit.
• Provide financial administrative support to program staff.
• Reviews and processes payments for invoices and travel reimbursements.
• Supports creation and maintenance of standard operating procedures, resource manuals, templates, and other documents to be used during the grant life cycle.
• Supports subrecipient management and monitoring in compliance with the Uniform Administrative Requirements, risk assessment process, audit requests, desk reviews, and other audit functions from funder as needed.
• Supports the implementation of a Risk-Based Subrecipient Monitoring system.
• Oversees preparation for annual audit of federally funded programs.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or a related field preferred, but not required.
• Relevant Work Experience: 1-3 years in finance, accounting, or budgeting, preferably in a non-profit or similar environment.
• Familiarity with financial reporting and compliance regulations specific to non-profits.
• Proficiency in accounting software (e.g., QuickBooks, Sage, or similar) and Excel for financial analysis and reporting.
• Understanding and experience with OMB Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200).
• Practical knowledge of internal financial controls and developing or enhancing processes that improve efficiency or execution.
• Strong analytical skills to interpret financial data and provide insights.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Excellent communication skills for collaborating with staff, partners, and external stakeholders.
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team.
• Commitment to the mission and values of the organization.
• Willingness to adapt in a dynamic environment and handle multiple priorities.