Director of Finance

Neighborhood Housing Services of New Haven is looking for a Director of Finance who will be responsible for fiscal management, financial planning, and risk management that positions our organization to effectively manage our financial resources. The Director of Finance will work with the Executive Director and board of directors on financial strategies and planning, including budgeting, controllership and capital development. He or she will provide leadership in all areas of the NHS' accounting and financial management, which includes the financing of development projects as well as the overall financial management of corporate operations.

Responsibilities

Specific duties shall include but not be limited to:

General Accounting

• Establishing sound fund accounting policies, procedures, and practices in accordance with contract/grant requirements.
• Coordinating, approving, and processing primary financial documents (bills, payments, bank statements, donor information, etc.) as they are received.
• Monitoring investments, contracts, and other financial matters requiring supervision.
• Working closely with the NHS administrative financial manager and being responsible for overseeing NHS' bookkeeping system, supervising the monitoring and maintaining of all accounts, reviewing the posting of all entries to the appropriate journals and ledgers, supervising the preparation of all NHS checks, maintaining related files, and preparing all books for the Treasurer's and Auditor's review.
• Delegating office deposits to an appropriate staff person to ensure sufficient separation of responsibilities and internal controls.
• Monitoring and/or conducting monthly closing of the books and bank account reconciliations.
• Refining and implementing internal control policies and procedures, as needed.
• Assisting in financial planning (operating and capital budgets, forecasts, and development proformas) in accordance with organizational objectives.
• Assisting with the financial aspects of creating a business plan.
• Conducting cost analyses and maintaining a cost accounting system.
• Managing checking, savings, investment, and escrow accounts, including transfers of funds.
• Managing loan loss reserve accounts, where required.
• Managing, overseeing, and coordinating all general ledger and subsidiary ledgers systems, including loan servicing, accounts payable, accounts receivable, and the financial management of construction projects.
• Coordinating the storage and retrieval of all office accounting files including, but not limited to, bank statements, reconciliation reports, accounts payable and receivable, Revolving Loan accounts, and other financial records.
• Coordinating and taking responsibility for the preparation and filing of all required federal and state tax information, in compliance with all laws and regulations.
• Coordinating the annual independent audit of the organization’s financial operations.
• Overseeing employee timesheets, payroll, employee and corporate retirement contributions, and taxes.
• Supervising internal control of receipts and disbursements.
• Managing records of the financial assistance provided to clients by NHS.
• Monitoring activity of the Revolving Loan Fund and working with HOC Lending to administer collection procedures for loans that are not being paid as agreed.

Financial Reporting

• Preparing basic financial statements, including budget comparison reports, cash flow reports, balance sheet information, revenue and expense reports, program services reports, project reports, and special reports on request.
• Maintaining corporate documents and ensuring that the corporation complies with various reporting requirements of federal and state agencies.
• Filing all reports in a timely fashion and assuring compliance with granting agency reporting deadlines.
• Preparing reports and schedules for external auditors, NeighborWorks® America, and other funding sources.

Business Management Support

• Working with the Executive Director, board treasurer, Department of Community Sustainability and the resource development team to support fundraising and other resource development activities.
• Cross-training appropriate staff in the accounting functions.
• Working with the board of directors to compile and analyze board requests.

Requirements of Work

NHS requires at least 4 years of experience as a financial manager/accountant/bookkeeper with a minimum of 4 years of accounting experience in a nonprofit environment. The Director of Finance must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited university and a strong math aptitude. A CPA or MBA is preferred, and a thorough knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Practices (GAAP) is required. He or she should also have prior training and experience in desktop computing using Windows Operating Systems. This position requires superb skills in application software such as QuickBooks, Excel spreadsheets, word processing, database management, and fund accounting. Prior experience in construction and/or real estate finance and an understanding of real estate development subsidies is highly desirable.

The Director of Finance must understand Single Audit requirements and have the ability to prepare financial statements with any required notes.

In addition, the Director of Finance must be able to accept the fact that his or her work with NHS requires considerable flexibility in work hours. He or she must be committed to the goals and philosophy of Neighborhood Housing Services of New Haven and must possess a high degree of motivation. The Director of Finance is expected to work as part of a team to accomplish common organizational goals and objectives.