Director, Finance

The Opportunity

The Director of Finance will have primary responsibility for the organization’s financial operations. Working closely with the Vice President, Finance, the Director will handle the day to day financial business of the organization, ensuring adherence to budget and financial policies. The Director will provide regular analysis of the financial performance of Heights and build reports for the VP, program staff, the Board of Directors, and other key stakeholders. The Director will also strategize to assess, manage and minimize any potential financial risks to Heights.

You’ll help us to achieve:

• Strategic financial management and strong internal controls that ensure resources are optimized, expenses are effectively managed, and the organization maintains a healthy and sustainable financial position.
• Insightful analysis and informed decision-making grounded in historical performance, forward-looking projections, and a deep understanding of the organization’s expenses, investments, and revenue streams.
• Accurate financial reporting, meticulous recordkeeping, and transparent stakeholder engagement that build trust and provide clarity around the organization’s financial health.

What You’ll Do

Financial Management

• Preparing and managing budgets and financial reports for grants and contracts, ensuring accuracy, compliance with funder requirements, and timely submission.
• Providing oversight and review of monthly journal entries prepared by the Finance Coordinator and external consultant to ensure accuracy, compliance with accounting standards, and proper documentation.
• Overseeing and processing bi-weekly payroll, ensuring accuracy, compliance with federal and state regulations, and timely payment to all employees.
• Monitoring cash flow and forecasting, managing bank transfers and account balances
• Ensuring timely deposits and accurate recording of receipts in coordination with the Advancement team
• Maintaining donor restricted fund schedules, releasing funds against appropriate expenditures
• Coordinating with Advancement and Program Teams for up to date revenue and grant utilization
• Oversight and submission of prepared monthly invoices for government, university, and other program contracts with required approval by the VP, Finance and/or President & CEO
• Managing accounts receivable and accounts payable, in conjunction with the Finance Coordinator.
• Serving as the final approver in the A/P platform, ensuring proper authorization, compliance with internal controls, and timely disbursement of payments to vendors and students.

Financial reporting and compliance

• Preparing and presenting monthly financial reports for the Senior Leadership Team and Board, ensuring accuracy, clarity, and timely delivery.
• Supporting the annual budgeting process and lead monthly budget versus actual review meetings and quarterly re-forcasting with budget owners to drive accountability, informed decision-making, and responsiveness to changing conditions..
• Reviewing of monthly reconciliations performed by external consultant, including bank and credit card reconciliations
• Leading the coordination of the annual audit and completion of all required tax forms, working with external auditors, senior team members and Finance Committee
• Partnering with the Advancement Team to strengthen cross-department alignment by conducting monthly and quarterly reconciliations of revenue and gifts to ensure accuracy, alignment across systems, and proper donor stewardship.
• Overseeing preparation and review of Ellis Trust monthly reporting, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and alignment with donor requirements and organizational standards.

Staff & stakeholder support and management

• Leading the development and compliance of accounting policies and procedures
• Providing staff training regarding Finance policies and procedures, and ensuring staff compliance with accounting processes, troubleshooting issues and concerns as necessary

Management & Leadership

• Supporting the VP, Finance and President & CEO with materials and presentations to the Finance Committee of the Heights Board, following up with Board members, staff and others as needed.
• Overseeing month-end close processes and liaising as necessary with external financial consultants.
• Serving as a member of internal management and cross-functional teams, providing strategic support, decision-making backup, and leadership for staff engaging with the overall financial operation.
• Leading Finance team and the organization in the adoption of financial systems and tools (e.g., Sage Intacct, Bill.com), ensuring efficient processes and accurate data, driving continuous improvement initiatives in financial operations, policies, and procedures.
• Lead, mentor, and develop members of the Finance Team (currently includes the Finance Coordinator), fostering a culture of accountability, professional growth, and high performance. Conduct performance evaluations, set goals, and provide ongoing coaching and feedback. Ensure staffing and succession planning supports organizational continuity.

What You’ll Bring

• Bachelor’s Degree required, advanced degree or industry certifications desired but not required
• Minimum four years of experience in related role in a similar setting (non-profit)
• Minimum two years of management experience.

Who You Are

• Hands-on experience with Sage Intacct or related financial system, including reporting, budgeting, and system navigation to support effective financial management.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, paired with analytical problem-solving and creative, out-of-the-box thinking to identify solutions, improve processes, and build collaborative relationships across the organization.
• Ability to work individually, in a team and within a mid-sized nonprofit organization
• Dedicated remote work area that is quiet enough for employee to concentrate is required.
• Ability to travel on occasion as required to attend off-site meetings and/or events.
• Ability to frequently operate a computer and other office productivity machinery.
• Ability to lift up to twenty (20) pounds.
• Ability to perform the essential functions with or without a reasonable accommodation.
• May require more than forty (40) hours per week to perform the essential duties of the position.

In addition to your experience, expertise and strengths, you must meet PA State background check requirements [PA Criminal, PA Child Abuse and FBI Fingerprint Check] at hire and every five years thereafter. You’ll also need to adhere to COVID safety guidelines as required by the Department of Human Services and/or the School District of Philadelphia.

Compensation & Benefits

The salary for this position, which depends on prior work experience and our assessment of your demonstrated fit for the role, will be between $95,000 - $110,000. Heights offers competitive base salaries based on the Philadelphia market among not-for-profit organizations of similar size, with opportunities for salary growth over time. We believe in compensating staff members fairly in relation to each other, their qualifications, and their impact on behalf of the organization, and take internal and external equity seriously. You will have an opportunity to discuss salary in more detail after you begin the application process.

Heights offers a full benefits package designed to support employee wellness. This includes:

• Generous medical, dental & vision insurance for employees and eligible dependents, which cover 90% of costs for employee coverage
• Paid time off including 17 personal days, 6 sick days, 12 federal holidays and 2 floating holidays, and two (2) week-long office closures, one at the end of the calendar year and another in spring.
• Twelve (12) weeks of paid parental leave to support new parents
• Provision of a technology stipend to offset internet and cell phone costs
• Short and long-term disability coverage
• Monthly professional development days and resources for targeted professional development opportunities
• 401(K)-retirement savings plan with an employer contribution

Work Arrangements

Heights Philadelphia currently maintains a hybrid work environment where staff work from home, in our Center City office, and on-site with school partners, as determined by the staff member's or team’s responsibilities. We also prioritize time together as an organization - living in our value of succeeding together. This position is required to report in person three (3) days per week. In addition, including reporting on Wednesdays to our office in Center City.

Join the Team!

At Heights Philadelphia, we cultivate a culture of support. We love students. We do what we’ll say we do. We are lifelong learners. We succeed together. We are committed to maintaining a diverse staff - who reflect our students, their lived experiences, and our city. We are invested. And we invest in students to make a better Philadelphia for everyone.

If you are excited by our mission, highly skilled in your field, and eager to continue learning and growing, we invite you to apply. Visit our careers page to submit your resume. A cover letter is not required, however the application may require you to submit brief responses to a few prompts. These are directly connected to your related background and experience.