Director of Finance And Accounting

THE DIRECTOR OF FINANCE & ACCOUNTING OPPORTUNITY AT THE APAWAMIS CLUB

The Apawamis Club seeks a seasoned, communicative, forward-thinking Director of Finance & Accounting to serve as a pivotal leader and true partner to the General Manager/Chief Operating Officer during a period of meaningful transition. This is an exceptional opportunity for a finance professional energized by modernization, who embraces technology and thrives in a highly visible, relationship-driven, member-facing environment. The role calls for direct engagement with committees, department heads, members, and staff: listening carefully, explaining financial matters clearly, and resolving questions with professionalism and diplomacy to reinforce trust in the Club's financial stewardship.

Apawamis is a member-focused club with a strong culture, deep institutional pride, and a conservative tradition that is ready for thoughtful modernization. The incoming Director of Finance & Accounting will succeed a long-tenured Controller retiring after 14 years of service, inheriting accurate financial information, clean audits, and trusted controls, along with a mandate to elevate them. The Club is excited to welcome a finance leader who will strengthen member confidence through insight-driven reporting that tells the story behind the numbers, supports confident decision-making, and enhances transparency and accountability.

DIRECTOR OF FINANCE & ACCOUNTING JOB DESCRIPTION

Reporting to the General Manager/Chief Operating Officer, the Director of Finance & Accounting is the Club's senior finance executive and a key strategic partner to the GM/COO, the Board, the Treasurer, and the Finance Committee. Beyond ensuring accuracy, compliance, and an on-time annual audit, this leader is charged with transforming how the Club generates, communicates, and uses financial information.

The Director of Finance & Accounting will bring a collaborative, service-oriented leadership approach, partnering closely with department heads to deepen shared understanding of each business line and encourage the use of financial information as a practical management tool. This leader will foster clarity, alignment, and informed decision-making across the organization, ensuring finance is viewed as a resource and partner.

This is a hands-on role within a small finance department. The Director of Finance & Accounting will lead and develop a three-person team, assess existing processes and structure against the Club's future needs, document standard operating procedures, and build scalable systems to support Apawamis' active year-round calendar and significant capital-investment activity, including the current lower campus project. Many current processes are manual, and the Club wants a leader who will raise the department's technology level. The Club uses Clubessential and is open to evaluating other platforms, offering a genuine opportunity to research, streamline, and implement technology and process efficiencies.

The ideal candidate brings strong technical expertise, high emotional intelligence, empathy, a good sense of humor, and unquestioned integrity. This leader shares information freely, develops and fully utilizes the team rather than hoarding work, and leads without micromanaging. Calm under pressure, open-minded, and excited by innovation, this leader will be empowered to guide change while honoring the Club's culture.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic & Financial Leadership

• Lead all accounting and finance operations, including general ledger, month-end close, and preparation of GAAP-compliant financial statements with full supporting schedules.
• Own operating and capital budget creation, tracking, and forecasting with the GM/COO, department heads, Treasurer, and Finance Committee.
• Monitor results versus plan, analyze variances, investigate anomalies, and recommend timely corrective actions.
• Provide disciplined cash-flow management and forecasting, including short- and long-term projections.
• Prepare weekly and monthly financial and flash reports that translate data into clear, actionable insights.
• Support long-range financial planning and scenario modeling to inform strategic decision-making.
• Provide hands-on financial oversight of capital projects, including the lower campus project: modeling, sources-and-uses schedules, budget tracking, cash-flow forecasting, and funding and liquidity guidance.

Board, Governance & Committee Engagement

• Attend Board, Finance Committee, and other committee meetings as required, preparing concise, decision-ready materials, including the annual financial report for the Club's Annual Meeting.
• Confidently communicate financial results, trends, risks, and recommendations to non-financial stakeholders.

Department Head Partnership & Education

• Meet with department heads on a regular cadence, with consistent follow-up, to review results, budgets, and KPIs and provide proactive guidance rather than after-the-fact reaction.
• Explain budgets, billing, and variances in plain language, and guide department heads through budget planning, evaluation, and prioritizing capital needs.
• Serve as a liaison and educator between finance and operations, breaking down silos and keeping the finance office open, visible, and transparent.

Operational Finance & Compliance Oversight / Technology & Systems Leadership

• Manage member billing, A/R, collections, and escalation of past-due accounts in accordance with Club policy.
• Oversee A/P, vendor onboarding, credit applications, and payment processing to optimize cash utilization.
• Ensure timely, accurate monthly bank reconciliations, review, and sign-off in accordance with governance policy.
• Maintain robust internal controls and an internal audit program to ensure compliance with Club policies and applicable laws.
• Develop and maintain standard operating procedures for all finance and accounting functions and keep complete, well-organized records.
• Prepare and file all federal, state, and local tax filings with external auditors, including payroll-related compliance.
• Coordinate the annual audit with external auditors to ensure efficient fieldwork, on-time completion, and minimal management letter findings.
• Manage and enhance the Club's financial systems (currently Clubessential), championing automation and leading the evaluation of upgrades or replacements.
• Oversee the Club's IT function by coordinating with outsourced IT vendors.
• Manage banking relationships, borrowings, investments, and cash balances to safeguard Club assets.
• Oversee inventory accounting for food, beverage, supplies, equipment, and furnishings.
• Maintain fixed-asset records, including depreciation schedules and capital asset replacement planning.

Risk Management & Insurance / Human Resources & Payroll Partnership

• Administer property and casualty insurance programs and manage claims as necessary.
• Maintain insurance documentation and ensure certificate-of-insurance compliance for vendors and partners.
• Partner with Human Resources on compensation changes, benefits and 401(k) administration, payroll coordination, and related regulatory requirements.

Staff Leadership & Development / Member & Stakeholder Service

• Assess, hire, train, schedule, and develop accounting team members, including A/R and Accounts Payable staff.
• Establish clear performance standards, conduct evaluations, and support professional development.
• Foster a culture of integrity, accountability, service excellence, and openness in which members and staff feel welcome in the finance office.
• Respond to member billing, accounting, and finance inquiries promptly and professionally.

CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS

• Seasoned finance leader with 5 to 7 years of progressive accounting and finance leadership experience, including 2 years as a Controller or Director of Finance & Accounting; private club or luxury hospitality experience preferred.
• Strong knowledge of GAAP, financial reporting, operating and capital budgeting, forecasting, cash management, and internal controls, with a record of timely financial statements and on-schedule audits.
• Experience with not-for-profit financial reporting for 501(c)(7) entities; 501(c)(3) familiarity a plus.
• Advanced proficiency in MS Excel and MS Office, with substantial experience using financial reporting software and ERP platforms (ClubEssential experience a plus).
• Experience implementing systems, automating manual work, and writing standard operating procedures.
• Success leading small finance teams without micromanaging, and partnering with operational leaders.
• Executive presence and strong presentation skills; comfortable presenting to the Finance Committee and Board and able to translate financial information into plain language for non-financial audiences.
• Sound judgment and critical thinking, with the ability to synthesize input from across the Club into well-informed forecasts and recommendations.
• Strategic, big-picture thinker with strong long-term and capital planning skills and meticulous record-keeping.
• Service-oriented leader with hospitality DNA, empathy, a positive attitude, and a collaborative approach.

EDUCATIONAL AND CERTIFICATION QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, or related field required.
• CPA preferred; M.B.A. or advanced degree preferred; CHAE designation a plus.