Job Title: Finance Director
Department: Finance
Reports To: Executive Director
FLSA Status: Full Time Exempt Location: Asheville, North Carolina
Supervision: Finance Team personnel
Summary:
Since 1967, North Carolina Outward Bound School (NCOBS) has delivered challenging adventure programs based in experiential education to people of all ages and walks of life. These programs help individuals discover their strength of character, ability to lead, and desire to serve. NCOBS is a nonprofit organization and proud to be part of a national network of nine Outward Bound schools in the United States and 37 international schools located all over the world. Our mission is to change lives through challenge and discovery. NCOBS is a 501(c)(3) organization with a $6M annual operating budget and $18.5M endowment that funds a robust scholarship program.
In partnership with the Executive Director, the Finance Director provides strategic financial leadership and stewardship of the School's financial resources, ensuring successful implementation of the strategic plan. Responsibilities of the Finance Director include promotion of the School's mission, vision, and values, multi-year forecasting, strategic utilization of restricted funding, modeling opportunities for growth, and budget development and management. This position requires strong analytical, strategic, and technical abilities, excellent management and communication skills, and a high level of financial expertise and nonprofit fund accounting. The Finance Director works closely with the Executive Director, the Leadership Team, all departmental leaders, and the NCOBS Board of Directors' Finance, Audit, and Investment Committees. This position proactively makes recommendations and suggests measures and strategies to ensure viable operations and sustainability of the organization.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
Strategic Planning and Financial Resource Management
- Develops, monitors, and updates multi-year forecasts and annual budgets in alignment with the strategic plan to ensure financial sustainability. This includes forecasting for operating income and expenses, capital expenditures, cash flow, and restricted income and expenses.
- Works in collaboration with the Executive Director, Board's Finance, Investment, and Audit Committees, and NCOBS Financial Advisors to strategize and steward the school's financial resources which include but are not limited to NCOBS' cash, investments, and endowments, optimizing returns on investments in accordance with investment policies.
- Develops and makes recommendations for financial strategies, policies, procedures, pricing, controls, and reporting systems to best manage the School's financial resources and opportunities.
Reporting and Analysis
- Oversees all accounting functions and manages a team of three and their related processes for complete, accurate, and timely reporting.
- Develop, document, and maintain best practices and standard operating procedures for accounting policies, procedures, and management.
- Presents and reports to the Board of Directors, Board and the Board's Finance, Audit, and Investment Committees, in coordination with the Executive Director.
- Drives continuous improvement of the School's finance function and results through education, enhanced technology solutions, and the development of dashboards and user-directed reporting.
- Analyzes financial data to provide timely information needed for strategic decision-making.
Financial Management, Compliance, and Risk Management
- Oversees all planning, organizing and completion of the School's day-to-day financial operations.
- Ensures legal and regulatory compliance for all accounting and financial reporting functions.
- Ensures all tax filings are timely and accurate.
- Oversees all annual financial audit processes, including the financial statements audit and 403(b) plan audit.
- Ensures that rigorous internal controls and safeguards for receipts, expenditures, and assets are well communicated and functioning properly.
- Ensures all financial processes are properly mitigated against cybersecurity risk.
- Works with the Chief Operating Officer to ensure that commercial insurance policies are adequate to reasonably mitigate risk of loss.
Leadership, Supervision, and Relationship Management
- Supervises, directs and evaluates all finance team of three staff members, coordinating needed training and opportunities for professional development.
- Oversees and supervises payroll, onboarding, hiring and benefits administrators.
- Ensures timely and accurate payroll processing through review, internal controls, and administration of the Isolved payroll system.
- Actively participates and serves as a member of the NCOBS Leadership Team.
- Works closely with outside service providers, such as audit firms, banking and investment advisors, Outward Bound USA and OBSG (Outward Bound Services Group).
- Performs other duties as assigned by the Executive Director and the Board Finance, Audit, and Investment Committees.
- Pursues professional development opportunities as necessary to grow financial and leadership skills and impact.
Working Conditions:
- Travels up to 5% of work time. Travel includes trips to base camps, Board meetings, regional events, and other sites as needed.
- Works at the administrative office (NCOBS Town Office located in Asheville, NC), hybrid schedule with a minimum of three days/week in the office.
Required Qualifications:
- Degree in accounting, business or related field. MBA or CPA certification preferred.
- Experience in nonprofit accounting, including monthly and annual closing, financial statement preparation, outside audit planning and preparation, 5 years or more preferred.
- In-depth understanding of unrestricted and restricted funds.
- Experience in the supervision of staff, 3 years or more preferred.
- Experience in process improvement including data systems.
- Highly effective communication skills, both written and oral.
- Grace under pressure.
- Attention to detail.
- Strong organizational skills.
- Experience in creating and presenting dynamic, relevant financial updates to stakeholders, particularly Board of Directors'.
- Knowledge and experience with full utilization of Financial Edge or similar accounting programs and databases.
- Proficient in Microsoft Office programs (Word, Excel, Outlook).
- Knowledge about NCOBS & Outward Bound programs, history and philosophy, preferred.
- Be able to clear all background and motor vehicle screening.
Compensation and Benefits:
- This is a full-time, exempt position (compensatory time eligible)
- Generous paid time off policy
- 13 Paid Holidays
- Benefits eligible: Medical, Dental, Vision, Accident, HealthiestYou, EAP, LTD, GTL, and 403(b) matching
- Salary range is $105,000 - $115,000
North Carolina Outward Bound School prohibits discrimination against, and harassment of, any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, age, religion, sex, gender, pregnancy, genetic information, ethnic or national origin, sexual orientation, marital status, familial status, military or veteran status, qualified individuals with a disability on the basis of the disability, or any other category which may be protected under applicable local, state or federal law. NCOBS promotes respect for all people and will not tolerate harassment based on any of these characteristics nor on differences based on gender identity or expression.