Finance & Accounting Manager

Convergent Research is a non-profit science studio best known for pioneering the Focused Research Organization (FRO). We architect pivotal infrastructure that removes bottlenecks to breakthrough scientific research.

FROs are a new operating model for science that ensures rapid iteration cycles and high-throughput learning. Convergent secures funding and provides an operational backbone for counterfactual R&D, creating space for scientists to do what they do best. FRO teams are agile, creative, and risk-tolerant as a result. They make fast progress because they start and stay focused.

With an annual budget exceeding $60M, we receive both private and federal grants to support our work. As we continue to scale, we are expanding our finance and accounting team to support the growing complexity of our operations.

About the Role

As the Finance and Accounting Manager, you will play a key role in managing financial operations across Convergent and its FROs. Reporting to the Head of Finance, you will collaborate with internal teams and external partners to ensure financial scalability, compliance, and alignment with our mission.

You are (skills)

• Nonprofit Accounting. You understand nonprofit accounting principles, including fund accounting, restricted vs. unrestricted donations, and government grants. You enjoy solving complex reconciliation challenges and exercise a passion for ensuring financial accuracy.
• Audit/990. You have participated in quite a few audits (and single audits) and are comfortable with 990s.
• Federal Grants. You understand federal grant compliance. You have managed a few federal grants in your time and speak of federal agencies by their acronyms.
• Detail-oriented. You sweat the details, but don’t get hung up on immaterial ones. You know when it’s appropriate to push back for compliance or GAAP sake.
• Systems-savvy. You enjoy working with multiple systems and have a firm grasp of accounting systems. You know when to ask for systems help too!
• Team Player. You can explain complex accounting concepts to non-financial colleagues and proactively engage with internal and external stakeholders.

You will (duties)

• Financial Oversight. You will oversee AP/AR transactions, monitor FRO cash levels, and ensure timely and accurate monthly closes.
• Grant Reporting. You will provide financial oversight for grants and maintain detailed financial reports for FROs.
• Financial Reporting. As first line reviewer of monthly financial reports, you will review for relevancy, consistency, and completeness and propose modifications to ensure users have the financial tools they need for decision making.
• Audit & 990 Preparation. You will assist with audit processes– including preparing schedules and supporting 990 filings.
• Collaboration. You will work closely with both finance and non-finance team members to ensure that financial insights are accessible and actionable for decision-making.
• Systems & Processes. You will help improve financial systems, maintain standard operating procedures, and ensure compliance with internal controls.
• Quarterly Team Meetings. Our team meets at quarterly off-sites for a week of goal-setting, collaboration, and fun team-building activities!

In 6 months you will have (6 months goals)

• Learned a lot about who Convergent is, what we have to say about ourselves, and who our various audiences are.
• Built strong relationships with internal teams, external accounting partners, and FRO leaders.
• Learn the business of your FROs and understand their finance and accounting needs.

We offer (great benefits)

• An opportunity to change the world and work with some of the smartest and the most talented experts from different fields
• Competitive salary with up to a 6% 401k match (base salary range: $120-180k, equitably benchmarked based on experience and adjusted for location)
• Excellent medical insurance options: 10-20 plans to choose from across major national and local carriers. Employee and family premiums for most plans are fully covered by the Company contribution.
• Excellent dental and vision insurance options. Employee and family premiums for most plans are fully covered by the Company contribution.
• Company-paid life insurance, AD&D, long- and short-term disability insurance, as well as voluntary supplemental insurance options
• 19 holidays (including the week off between Christmas Eve and New Year's Day)
• 3 weeks PTO with tenure increases, with separate allotments for sick and parental leave
• Generous fertility benefits and childcare reimbursement
• Education and professional development benefits
• Wellness allowance for fitness and wellness activities
• Quarterly offsite team retreats and additional opportunities to meet your teammates in person