Who we are

States Newsroom is the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization, with reporting from every capital. We shine a light on policy and politics in state capitals around the nation and we provide that coverage for free; no pop-ups, paywalls or ads. In an era of rampant disinformation and news deserts, we provide non-partisan coverage of the state issues that most affect people’s daily lives.

What you will do

States Newsroom is seeking a Finance Manager to help oversee the budgeting and grant management processes for our 40 state newsrooms and headquarters operation. The Finance Manager will report to the Operations Director and work closely with the operations team, outside accounting team, and state editors to carefully analyze and track state revenue and spending, prepare project budgets and reports for an increasing number of state-level grant awards, and manage and perform various financial administrative duties for the organization.

If you believe that everyone deserves access to high-quality reporting on the state-level policy decisions that most affect their lives and you’re excited to use your experience and skills in finance and grant management to ensure that our award-winning journalists and support staff members across the country are well-supported to deliver that reporting to the masses, this is the job for you.

Financial Review and Analysis

• Review the monthly financial statements prepared by our accounting team and use that data to update budget tracking and forecasting reports organized by state newsroom and HQ department, for review by the Operations Director and senior leadership
• Flag any discrepancies or errors you find in the financial statements and prepare reclass requests to be sent to the accounting team

Budget Management

• Distribute monthly budget-to-actuals reports to state editors, highlighting any concerns and answering (or escalating) any questions you receive
• With Operations Director, maintain running month budget reports, including year-to-date actuals and year-end forecasting calculations, for all state newsrooms and HQ departments
• Help coordinate organizational budgeting process, long-term financial planning, and other financial forecasting, in conjunction with the Director of Operations

Grant Management

• Work with state editors to prepare and submit grant proposals by drafting grant budgets and collecting the required due diligence documentation
• Review grant agreements to ensure guidelines can be met, make note of reporting deadlines, and maintain grant documentation files
• Draft financial grant reports and coordinate with state editors to prepare and submit complete reports according to the grant terms and by the stated deadline(s)

Contract and Lease Management

• Work with state editors and office managers to maintain recurring monthly rent payments and up-to-date lease documentation, including lease agreements, insurance questionnaires, and renewals
• Assist with contract and invoice drafting and dissemination

Financial Administration

• Review and approve weekly invoices for payment
• Assist with scanning and depositing physical checks
• Assist Operations Manager and Operations Director with approving monthly credit card reconciliation reports for 40 cardholders
• Assist Operations Director and accounting team with annual audit process

Who you are

• You have at least 3-5 years of finance or accounting experience, ideally in a nonprofit setting
• You have a bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, business administration, public administration, or a closely related field (or, alternatively, a combination of an associate’s degree in finance or accounting plus 7 total years of work experience)
• You have specific experience with nonprofit budgeting and financial projections
• You are an expert in Excel and have experience pulling and reviewing reports in Quickbooks Online
• You have strong communication and writing skills and are able to communicate clearly and patiently with a variety of stakeholders who may or may not have financial experience
• You are able to manage multiple projects simultaneously while maintaining attention to detail
• You are self-motivated with strong organizational skills
• You believe in the importance of state government coverage, especially in how decisions and policies can affect historically marginalized communities, and you want to help journalists share those stories

New laptop and any necessary equipment will be provided by States Newsroom.

Authorization to work in the United States is required. All States Newsroom employees are required to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 within 30 days of hire. This position will be based on-site at our Washington, DC or Chapel Hill, NC offices.

Our Culture

States Newsroom is dedicated to producing journalism at all levels — from quick hit to investigative — but not at the expense of burning out its employees. We are supportive, exciting, welcoming and positive. We believe in creating sustainable careers for journalists on the crucial state government beat, and for the staff who support them.

States Newsroom’s mission is to connect people to the power that shapes their daily lives through relentless reporting and incisive commentary on state government and policy. Journalism is a powerful force for social change, uniquely suited to challenging systemic inequality and racism. Our goal is to build an organization that fulfills that mission.

The 200-plus people who make up States Newsroom include many from historically marginalized backgrounds, but our organization needs to improve in terms of racial diversity. We are always working to better represent our communities and are supported in these efforts by a network-wide Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice Committee and our Equity, Inclusion & Strategic Initiatives Director.

How to Apply

Please send your resume and a cover letter detailing your interest and qualifications for the position to jobs@statesnewsroom.com. Please include "Finance Manager" in the subject line. Applicants who advance in the hiring process will also be asked to provide at least three professional references. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: From $72,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Disability insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid parental leave
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Experience level:

• 3 years
• 4 years
• 5 years

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Monday to Friday

Ability to Relocate:

• Washington, DC: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: In person