Finance Officer in Renton, Washington at BrightSpark Early Learning Services
Job Description
POSITION: Finance Officer
Salary Range: $155,058.00-$201,576.00
FLSA Status: Exempt
REPORTS TO: Executive Officer
AGENCY SUMMARY:
BrightSpark Early Learning Services has been at the forefront of the early learning landscape for over 30 years, ensuring that all children have equitable access to safe, engaging, and positive high-quality early learning experiences that promote school readiness and lifetime success. With a staff of over 140 and a budget of $60 million (99% publicly funded), BrightSpark Early Learning Services provides a broad array of services for families and childcare providers so that they in turn can support the development and well-being of our children.
OPPORTUNITY:
BrightSpark Early Learning Services is seeking a highly motivated and leadership-oriented individual to join the Executive Team as our next Finance Officer. The role will oversee the organization's financial activities, including all financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, financial analysis, and compliance requirements. The Finance Officer will play a crucial role in developing and implementing financial strategies that support the organization’s overall financial health, mission, and goals.
The Finance Officer leads a team of 8-12 with the expectation that this new leader will hire additional key staff. Growing, supporting, and developing this team is a critical responsibility in this role, and we seek an individual with strong supervisory, coaching, and team-building experience. Responsibility to stakeholders, deep engagement with our BrightSpark Board of Directors, and a commitment to the entire staff around transparent, user-friendly financial and budgeting tools and processes are all key factors in this role.
The Finance Officer will oversee contracts from ten thousand to eleven million dollars, supporting the pass-through funding from public and private partners to our families and childcare providers of up to 25 million dollars. Partners include the Office of Head Start (Federal), the Dept. of Children, Youth and Families, King County - Best Starts For Kids, and Pierce County, to name a few.
We expect the Finance Officer to be able to manage the technical fiduciary responsibilities while leading with an antiracism lens. This role is a member of the Executive Team, which holds the financial, legal, and well-being responsibilities of the entire agency and all departments.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Financial Management:
- Manage and oversee all financial operations, including accounting, budgeting, forecasting, and financial analysis; Ensure the accuracy and completeness of financial records, including the general ledger, accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, and other financial systems.
- Prepare and present financial reports to leadership and the Board of Directors, providing analysis and recommendations as needed.
- Collaborate with leadership and the Board of Directors to develop, implement, and maintain financial policies and procedures that align with the organization’s mission, values, and strategic goals.
- Budgeting and Forecasting:
- Develop and oversee the annual budgeting process, working closely with leaders to develop realistic and achievable budgets.
- Monitor actual performance against budget and provide regular updates and analysis to leadership and the Board of Directors.
- Develop and maintain financial forecasting strategies that support long-term financial planning and decision-making.
- Grants and Funding:
- Managing financial aspects of grant applications, reporting, and compliance.
- Work closely with program managers to ensure accurate budgeting for grant-funded projects.
- Prepare and submit required financial reports to regulatory bodies and funding agencies.
- Audit and Compliance:
- Ensure compliance with all local, state, federal, financial reporting, and regulatory requirements, including tax filings, audits, and other reporting requirements.
- Facilitate and coordinate audits, addressing audit findings and implementing corrective actions, as needed.
- Manage relationships with external partners, including banks, auditors, and other financial service providers.
- Strategic Planning and Leadership
- Work closely with the Executive Team and other leaders across the organization to develop and implement strategic plans and goals that support the organization’s mission and vision.
- Provide leadership and mentorship to the finance team, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and professional development.
- Board Relations
- Report on the financial performance of the organization to the Board of Directors, including regular updates on financial risks and opportunities.
- Lead the Finance Committee, collaborating with other committee members to provide strategic financial guidance and support to the organization.
- Represent the organization at internal and external events and meetings, providing financial guidance and support as needed.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in finance, Accounting, or a related field.
- Proven Leadership experience in financial management, preferably in a non-profit setting.
- Demonstrated effectiveness as a team builder, coach, and mentor, including a fundamental respect for the dignity of others and the ability to work collegially in a team-based environment.
- Strong knowledge of accounting principles and financial regulations, including federal, state, and local government.
- Excellent organizational and analytical skills.
- Proficient in financial software and Microsoft Excel. (Current finance software is Net-Suite)
Desired Qualifications
- Familiarity with various types of government contracts and grants, preferred but not required.
- Master’s degree in finance, accounting, or business
- Certified Public Accounting license
Additional Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Qualifications
- At least ten years of Leadership experience managing finance and accounting systems. We would prefer this experience in a non-profit or government setting.
- This position requires a high-energy, creative problem solver with extensive skills leading people and projects in a rapidly growing organization.
- A demonstrated commitment to Anti-Racism; valuing diverse perspectives and encouraging contributions by all team members.
- Business “literate”: an ability to understand financial reports, apply data to assess business effectiveness and efficiency, and make fiscally responsible recommendations and decisions.
- Politically astute and tactful; attentive to the perspectives and competing interests of various internal and external stakeholders.
- Excellent ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, in addition to presenting financial data in an easily understandable way to multiple groups and stakeholders.
- Demonstrated ability to effectively coach, guide, manage and lead employees and managers in conflict and issue resolution.
COMPETENCIES:
- Core Competencies -
- Mission-driven: Demonstrates commitment to the mission and values of the mission.
- Equity mindset: Demonstrates the values of anti-racist; fosters an inclusive environment that facilitates diversity.
- Communication: Uses skillful written and oral communication with internal staff, teams, and community served; demonstrates empathy and listening.
- Adaptability: Adapts and responds to change; proactively seeks opportunities to be supportive of change that serves our mission
- Ownership and quality of work: Manages own work, and work of teams when relevant, ensuring delivery of successful outcomes.
- Leadership Competencies -
- Decision-making: Structures and facilitates decision-making processes; makes decisions responsibly to improve organizational health and impact; gathers and weighs all sorts of data (qualitative, quantitative, historical, etc.)
- Supports the development and motivation of others: Actively supports the development and motivation of others to maximize individual, team and agency impact.
- Continuous- improvement mindset: Identifies strategies to improve organization’s impact; sets course and drives implementation.
- Director & Officer Competencies -
- Manage Vision & Purpose
- Political & Organizational Savvy
- Leveraging Resources
- Organization & Strategic Alignment
COMPENSATION:
- Salary Range: $155,058.00-$201,576.00
- FLSA Status: Exempt
- This is a full-time salaried position requiring work during BrightSpark Early Learning Services Business hours, Monday through Friday from 8:30 am-5 pm and requiring a willingness to work some evenings and weekends.
BENEFITS:
BrightSpark Early Learning Services’ benefit package includes employer-paid top-tier medical, dental and vision insurance plans for employees, 21 days of PTO per year in addition to 11 paid holidays, 3 paid floating holidays, birthday holiday, and one week-long office closure at year-end, Refresh Fridays in July (BrightSpark Early Learning Services Closure Days), flexible work environment, employer-paid life insurance, short-term disability/illness leave accrual, and 401k with 3% employer match.
WORK LOCATION:
- This position is a Hybrid Position required to be in the office on average 2-3 days.
- Renton
- BrightSpark Early Learning Services employees in all types of work positions (hybrid, field, etc.) must attend training, meetings, events, or other work commitments at various BrightSpark Early Learning Services office locations or off-site locations in Washington State, including New Employee Orientation in Renton, Washington.
EQUAL EQUITY EMPLOYER:
BrightSpark Early Learning Services is an equal-opportunity employer, and we value diversity among our staff. We strongly encourage people of color, immigrants and refugees, people from the LGBTQ community, people with disabilities, and people from other historically marginalized groups to apply.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION & QUESTIONS
- To learn more about BrightSpark Early Learning Services, please visit www.BrightSpark.org
- BrightSpark Early Learning Services is a grant-funded nonprofit organization. This and all positions are contingent on grant funding being in place and can end based on the expiration of funding.
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