Director Of Accounting And Finance

Aston Carter•Silver Spring, MD

1d•$170,000 - $185,000•Remote

About The Position

The Director of Accounting and Finance provides strategic financial leadership, oversees all accounting operations, and guides long-term financial planning in a complex, multi-stream revenue nonprofit environment. This role serves as a key thought partner to senior leadership, leads budgeting and forecasting, ensures robust internal controls and compliance, and builds financial literacy across the organization. The Director also manages finance systems and technology initiatives, leads a high-performing finance team, and contributes to organization-wide decision-making with a strong focus on financial sustainability and operational excellence.

Requirements

Certified Public Accountant (CPA) credential required.
At least 10 years of progressive professional experience in a senior management role, ideally combining external audit and in-house financial management experience in a nonprofit organization.
Proven experience managing complex, multi-stream revenue environments, including fee-for-service, contracts, grants, and events, ideally within an organization with a budget of $20M or more.
Deep knowledge of nonprofit accounting standards, including fund accounting and grant accounting.
Strong understanding of Uniform Guidance compliance and nonprofit tax and regulatory requirements.
Demonstrated experience with budgeting, forecasting, financial modeling, and financial reporting.
Hands-on experience with general ledger management, month-end close, audit coordination, and cash flow planning.
Experience overseeing grants accounting and compliance, including program budgeting and spending forecasts.
Proven ability to lead or own finance systems evaluation and implementation, with comfort using technology and data tools.
Excellent written and oral communication skills, including the ability to present complex financial information clearly to non-financial audiences.
Strong people leadership skills with experience building, managing, and developing finance teams.
Excellent analytical, organizational, and abstract reasoning skills.
Demonstrated commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion within the finance function and the broader organization.

Nice To Haves

Experience working in nonprofit environments such as grant-funded, healthcare, education, or similar sectors with significant grants exposure.
Background in external audit combined with internal financial management roles.
Experience managing multi-stream revenue that includes coaching, network fees, fee-for-service offerings, contracts, grants, and events.
Experience developing and implementing pricing strategies for services and programs.
Familiarity with ERP systems, financial reporting tools, and automation solutions for finance and accounting.
Experience presenting financial information to boards, audit and finance committees, and senior leadership.
Demonstrated ability to collaborate cross-functionally and build strong relationships with program, operations, and IT teams.
Track record of driving process improvements and strengthening internal controls in finance functions.

Responsibilities

Serve as a strategic thought partner to the President & CEO, COO, and senior leadership team by providing financial analysis, perspective, and modeling to inform organizational strategy, new initiatives, and business model decisions.
Lead the annual budgeting process and long-term financial planning, including development of multi-year financial forecasts aligned with the strategic plan.
Develop and maintain forward-looking, predictive financial models and activity-based analyses to provide insight into operations, pricing, and program sustainability.
Assess the financial viability of programs, products, and revenue streams, including coaching, network fees, fee-for-service offerings, contracts, grants, and events, and recommend resource allocation and investment tradeoffs to leadership.
Support the development of organizational pricing strategy in coordination with consultants, leadership, and services management.
Develop and implement tools and systems that deliver critical financial and operational information and enable actionable recommendations on both strategy and operations.
Collaborate with unit leaders to build financial literacy across the organization by providing timely, accessible reporting and analysis.
Communicate and present key financial matters, including quarterly financial statements and budgets, to the Audit & Finance Committee and Board.
Maintain and enhance the organization’s internal controls framework and financial procedures, ensuring policies are current, documented, and consistently followed.
Oversee preparation of regular financial reports, including actuals versus budget analysis, and lead cash flow planning and forecasting.
Lead the annual audit and Form 990 process, serving as the primary liaison to external auditors and directing staff in managing day-to-day audit logistics.
Oversee cash management, banking relationships, and asset management, and coordinate with the COO on investment activity and reserve fund execution.
Ensure proper maintenance of all accounting systems and functions, including the integrity of the general ledger, month-end close, balance sheet reconciliations, and overhead cost allocation.
Oversee grants accounting and compliance, including program budget design, spending forecasts, and decision support to program management to ensure adherence to donor and contract requirements.
Ensure compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local regulatory requirements, including tax filings, state charitable registrations, and unrelated business income considerations.
Lead the finance and accounting systems roadmap in collaboration with information technology leadership, evaluating, selecting, and implementing software and tools such as ERP, reporting, and automation solutions to improve efficiency, data integrity, and scalability.
Partner with IT leadership to ensure finance systems integration, strong data governance, and effective business continuity planning for financial operations.
Identify and drive automation opportunities to reduce manual processes and strengthen internal controls.
Lead, mentor, and develop a team of direct reports, managing work allocation, professional development, performance management, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
Stay current on nonprofit accounting standards, audit best practices, and regulatory developments, and proactively communicate implications while recommending policy or process adjustments as needed.
Contribute to organization-wide leadership as a member of the leadership team, bringing a financial perspective to cross-functional decisions and organizational priorities.