Budget & Reporting Manager

Alliance Defending Freedom•Scottsdale, AZ

8d•Hybrid

About The Position

Alliance Defending Freedom is seeking a dedicated Budget & Reporting Manager to lead the organization's annual budgeting process. This role is crucial for financial stewardship, ensuring resources are allocated effectively to protect religious freedom, free speech, and other core values. The Manager will serve as the primary liaison for department heads on budget matters, track personnel costs, monitor spending, and provide essential variance reporting to leadership. This position offers a chance to make a significant impact within a mission-driven organization.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Business Administration, Finance, or related fields.
5+ years of experience in accounting or finance.
Experience with ERP systems (Sage Intacct, NetSuite, etc.).
Advance proficiency in Microsoft Excel.
Knowledge of GAAP and financial compliance standards.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present complex financial information clearly.
Ability to professionally handle confidential information.

Nice To Haves

Prior experience with budget management.

Responsibilities

Manage the annual budget cycle through final approval, including timelines, submission, and requirements.
Consolidate departmental budgets into a unified organizational budget.
Implement budget policies, approval workflows, and spending controls.
Serve as the primary, ongoing point of contact for department managers on all budget-related questions throughout the fiscal year; meeting regularly with department managers to review their budget performance and walk through variances in clear, practical terms.
Build department managers’ financial confidence and literacy over time, helping them become more self-sufficient in reading and managing their own budgets.
Partner with Accounting and FP&A teams to ensure alignment between budget, actuals, and forecasts.
Maintain an up-to-date view of budgeted headcount by department, including salary, benefits, and other position-related costs, to support department managers in workforce planning decisions.
Track personnel changes as they occur, including new hires, terminations, transfers, and promotions, and update budget and headcount plans to reflect their financial impact.
Assist department managers in determining available salary budget for new and replacement hires before offers are extended, including guidance on how open positions affect remaining budget capacity. Communicate proactively when personnel-driven changes create budget risk or create newly available capacity.
Track actual spending against budget on a monthly basis by department and team, and prepare periodic variance reports for leadership.
Identify, investigate, and document variances, and follow up with department managers to understand drivers.
Flag emerging budget risks early (overspend trends, underspend that signals delays, etc.).
Produce recurring internal reporting packages (monthly close support, budget-to-actual reports, dashboards).
Maintain reporting templates and ensure consistency and accuracy across departments.
Support the month-end close processes, as they relate to budget reporting.