The Legal Aid Society has annual revenue of more than $400 million in restricted City, State and unrestricted development revenue to fund its three practice areas, Criminal Defense, Juvenile Rights and Civil Legal Services.
The Director of Financial Planning & Analysis reports to and advises the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and the Chief Operating Officer (COO) on organization wide budgeting and other financial decisions. The Director is responsible for financial reporting, the annual budget creation process, expenditure forecasting, financial planning and analysis, financial data collection, team development and financial process improvement.
The position will also need to work collaboratively with other Departments within the Legal Aid Society including but not limited to Payroll, Grants and Contracts, Accounting, Accounts Payable, Development, Human Resources, Facilities, Legal and IT. The Director is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A) team and must be strong leader, innovative thinker and a team-player who promotes an equitable and respectful work environment.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES
Budgeting, Financial Forecasting and Planning
- Manage and oversee the annual organization wide budget development process and the quarterly updates provided to the Board
- Responsible for financial projections, advising on methodology refinement, data source and accuracy
- Lead the development and maintenance of all financial models that support grant management and strategic, effective and compliant spending of all grant funding. Including ensuring such models align with LAS internal fiscal policies and all grant funder's fiscal policies
- Participate in and often lead cross functional teams to ensure financial plans are in alignment with strategic objectives and spending goals, including providing recommendations for effective utilization of funds
- Manage the development of grant level budgets ensuring compliance with all internal LAS and grant funder fiscal policies
- Ensure the timely submission of annual grant level budgets, manage any mid-year budget modifications that may be necessary to ensure effective grant spending
- Accountable for understanding and informing the CFO and senior leadership about how LAS changes in operations and policy may impact both the organization wide budget and the grant level budgets
Financial Reporting, Analysis and Data Collection
- Create and present financial reports and presentations for senior LAS leadership, LAS Board Members and meetings and other relevant stakeholders as necessary.
- Responsible for the maintenance and use of accurate data and information sources from both internal and external stakeholders and make recommendations about how financial data can be refined or improved.
- Manage and improve financial databases, data collection and financial reporting processes
- Manage financial analysis for the purpose of identifying opportunities, informing specific project goals, making recommendation to the CFO and other LAS senior leadership
Financial Process Improvement
- Engage and implement a continuous pattern of financial process improvement with written policies and procedures and with financial IT systems and software-based financial models or practices
- Participate in Finance Department wide IT system software tool modernization
- Lead cross functional working sessions to identify and implement solutions to any barriers to financial process improvement
Team Development and Supervision
- Schedule employee hours, assign work, approve time off and remote work schedule requests following the guidance of LAS policy and procedures
- Manage and coordinate staffing changes, i.e. processing separations, requesting new job postings, hires, coordination of leaves and accommodations
- Attend management meetings, participate in management training, and utilize current employment policies, practices and guidance as provided by management and Human Resources
- Conduct management and supervision practices that affirmatively support equity and inclusion in the workplace
- Supervise direct reports in setting performance standards, provide routine feedback, coaching/counseling, and issue disciplinary action as needed
- Identify and provide training and development opportunities for staff and ensure mandatory training is completed
- Identify, delegate, and document work responsibilities, roles, and procedures to meet the mission of the department
- Identify and implement department/unit management and accountability practices to track and improve performance
- Resolve employee conflict, complaints, and address union concerns, with guidance from Human Resources
- Lead organizational and culture change for the unit
Professional Development and other duties as assigned
- Participate in continuous professional development
- Continuously learn about forms of bias in the workplace and demonstrate affirmative behaviors that support an inclusive work environment
- Other duties as assigned
TRAINING AND QUALIFICATIONS
Required qualifications:
- BA/BS degree required, MPA, MBA and/or CPA preferred.
- 7+ years of relevant work experience. Nonprofit or city government experience preferred.
- Advanced Excel Proficiency
- Superior analytical and problem-solving skills
Preferred qualifications:
- Experience with financial management and accounting software systems, Financial Edge a plus; Vena Solutions a plus
- Experience with budgeting and project planning software and tools
- Experience managing a team
- Experience with Microsoft Office software suite
- Experience with New York State and/or New York City government contracts, contracting process and fund sources
- Experience managing a $400M+ budget with various revenue streams
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS
Please submit these documents as a single combined PDF when you apply via the LAS (Legal Aid Society) Recruitment Portal.
- Cover letter
- Resume
SALARY TRANSPARENCY
The posting reflects the range of potential salaries for the role. The specific salary offers will be dependent on candidate qualifications, including collectively bargained salary steps for unionized roles.
Salary Range/ Salary: $165,000 - $175,000
SALARY AND BENEFITS
The leadership of The Legal Aid Society believes in attracting and retaining exceptional talent committed to serving our clients. We offer a generous benefits package including health insurance, paid vacation, disability, and life insurance, and more. Salaries for our unionized jobs are governed by our Collective Bargaining Agreement. Please visit our Careers page for additional information. Salary and benefits information will be available to applicants, when and if, an offer is made.
Click here to read more about the benefits of working at The Legal Aid Society
HIGHER EDUCATION AND LOAN FORGIVENESS
The Legal Aid Society is a qualified employer for the purposes of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness. This position allows an employee to take advantage of PSLF and other State and Federal loan forgiveness programs.
Additionally, employees who are New York residents may be eligible for assistance from New York State to assist with loan repayments, depending on years of practice. To learn more, click the links below.
studentaid.gov
hesc.ny.gov/find-aid-you-need/new-york-state-loan-forgiveness-programs
OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION
The leadership of The Legal Aid Society is committed to a work culture of zealous advocacy, respect, diversity and inclusion, client-oriented defense, access to justice and excellent representation. We are dedicated to building a strong professional relationship with each of our clients, to understanding their diverse circumstances, and to meeting their needs. Our ability to achieve these goals depends on the efforts of all of us.
WORK AUTHORIZATION
All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States for any employer without sponsorship for a work visa or permit. We are currently unable to sponsor employment visas or permits. (However, for citizens of Canada and Mexico, LAS will provide a letter documenting employment status that is needed to obtain a TN visa.)
HOW TO APPLY
All applications must be completed online. We do not accept paper submissions. Please visit our Careers Page to review all current job postings, and instructions on the application process. For technical difficulties or questions regarding this posting, please email
As an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer, The Legal Aid Society prohibits discriminatory employment actions against and treatment of its employees and applicants for employment based on actual or perceived race or color, size (including bone structure, body size, height, shape, and weight), religion or creed, alienage or citizenship status, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity (one's internal deeply-held sense of one's gender which may be the same or different from one's sex assigned at birth); gender expression (the representation of gender as expressed through, for example, one's name, choice of pronouns, clothing, haircut, behavior, voice, or body characteristics; gender expression may not conform to traditional gender-based stereotypes assigned to specific gender identities), disability, marital status, relationship and family structure (including domestic partnerships, polyamorous families and individuals, chosen family, platonic co-parents, and multigenerational families), genetic information or predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, domestic violence victim status, arrest or pre-employment conviction record, credit history, unemployment status, caregiver status, salary history, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Location Manhattan - Legal Aid Society Headquarters