Finance Director

Sagency • Moorhead, MN

5d

About The Position

Lakes & Prairies Community Action Partnership (CAPLP) provides programs and services for children, families, and seniors through its Head Start, Housing, Economic Empowerment, and Child Care Connections divisions. Its mission is to eliminate poverty, empower families, and engage communities.

The Finance Director provides overall direction for CAPLP’s financial management, accounting, and budgeting functions in collaboration with the leadership team. The role maintains strategic oversight of a budget exceeding $15 million across federal, state, local, and private funding sources; ensures effective, efficient, economical, and compliant financial and operational procedures; and supports agency-wide decision-making through financial insight and forecasting.

The Finance Director leads agency-wide budgeting, year-end audit coordination, program budget monitoring, and financial reporting. The position provides timely, accurate information to the Executive Director, Board of Directors, Head Start Policy Council, and external funders, and reviews and authorizes transactions to ensure appropriate controls and regulatory compliance. The role also directly supervises and develops the Finance Manager and Finance Technician, improves financial systems and procedures, and builds a collaborative, accountable, mission-aligned finance team.

The position requires a bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a closely related field; at least four years of accounting and/or financial operations experience; demonstrated success leading a team in financial management; and expertise in fund accounting and/or nonprofit financial management. The posting describes a comprehensive benefits package that includes health insurance, retirement contributions, paid time off, and professional development support, with specifics to be confirmed based on organizational offerings.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a closely related field.
• At least four years of experience in accounting and/or financial operations.
• Demonstrated success leading a team in a financial management context.
• Expertise in fund accounting and/or nonprofit financial management.
• Strong understanding and oversight of financial operations and regulatory adherence.
• Ability to provide high-level oversight while ensuring operational compliance and control.
• Ability to implement and improve financial systems and procedures.
• Ability to balance strategic thinking with attention to operational details.
• Ability to lead, coach, train, motivate, and performance-manage a team.
• Strong interpersonal skills, including building trust and collaboration across stakeholder groups.
• Strong communication skills, particularly the ability to explain complex financial information to non-financial stakeholders.
• Demonstrated accountability, sound judgment, follow-through, and decision-making under pressure.

Responsibilities

• Provide overall direction for financial management, accounting, and budgeting in collaboration with the leadership team.
• Maintain strategic oversight of a budget exceeding $15 million, covering federal, state, local, and private funding sources.
• Ensure financial and operational procedures are effective, efficient, economical, and compliant.
• Lead preparation and coordination of the annual agency-wide budget and year-end audit.
• Develop, monitor, and report on program-specific budgets and financial performance.
• Provide timely, accurate financial reports to the Executive Director, Board of Directors, Head Start Policy Council, and external funders.
• Review and authorize financial transactions and ensure appropriate controls and regulatory compliance.
• Provide financial insight and forecasting to support agency-wide decisions.
• Communicate complex financial information in accessible terms to diverse stakeholders.
• Balance regulatory compliance with programmatic and client service needs.
• Directly supervise and develop the Finance Manager and Finance Technician.
• Coach and engage staff at varying development levels to strengthen capacity and performance.
• Promote a collaborative, accountable, and mission-aligned finance team culture.
• Identify inefficiencies, implement financial system enhancements, and support continuous improvement in agency-wide operations.

Benefits

• Health insurance
• Retirement contributions
• Paid time off
• Professional development support

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director