Director of Finance & Operations

Who We Are

The Water Project unlocks human potential by building and connecting global networks of local leaders, communities of generous supporters, and an informed public to provide sustainable water and sanitation programs to needlessly suffering communities in developing countries. We are committed to bringing people together to solve the problem of finding clean water. Whether it’s our local teams in the field, our international staff, our donors and fundraisers, or the communities we serve, we believe that people are the greatest solution to the water crisis.

At The Water Project, we prioritize the well-being of our team. We provide competitive salaries and excellent benefits, including fully covered medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 401(k) match, and a generous vacation policy.

What The Role Is

The Director of Finance & Operations is The Water Project’s senior hands-on financial and operational leader. This is a player-doer role: the Director serves as the organization’s primary bookkeeper and owns the day-to-day accounting work while also leading budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting, audit coordination, and core business operations.

The Director maintains accurate books and strong controls, turns financial information into practical guidance, and ensures that the organization’s administrative systems are reliable, compliant, and well-documented. The role works closely with the President & CEO and Board on financial and operational matters.

Success in this role requires more than technical expertise. We are looking for someone who recognizes the people behind the processes, takes personal responsibility for commitments, and approaches even routine tasks with exceptional care and attention. This leader understands that sound financial stewardship and dependable operations are essential to supporting our colleagues, strengthening our partnerships, and advancing The Water Project's mission.

This is a full-time position and will require one day per week in our Concord, NH office.

How You Work

At The Water Project, how we accomplish our work matters just as much as what we accomplish. The successful candidate will:

• Put people at the center of decisions. Approach colleagues, partners, and vendors with respect, empathy, and a genuine desire to understand their needs. Recognize that financial and operational decisions affect real people.
• Be someone others can count on. Take ownership of responsibilities, honor commitments, meet deadlines, and communicate openly when challenges arise. Build trust through consistent actions, not just intentions.
• Bring exceptional care to the details. Treat routine responsibilities as opportunities to make a difference. Anticipate needs, remove obstacles, and look for thoughtful ways to make processes and experiences better for others.
• Keep the bigger picture in focus. Make decisions with the organization's mission and long-term health in mind. Collaborate generously, share knowledge, and recognize that individual success is meaningful when it contributes to the success of the whole organization.
• Lead with humility and accountability. Welcome feedback, acknowledge mistakes, address challenges constructively, and continually seek ways to improve both personal performance and organizational effectiveness.

What You Will Own and Be Accountable For

Hands-On Accounting & Financial Operations

• Serve as the organization’s primary bookkeeper and maintain complete, timely, and accurate records in QuickBooks Desktop.
• Record incoming electronic transfers, wires, checks, investment activity, and other financial transactions; ensure contributions, restrictions, pledges, and other commitments are recorded appropriately.
• Manage accounts payable, employee reimbursements, credit-card activity, recurring payments, and vendor records in accordance with established approval procedures.
• Manage daily cash activity, deposits, bank and investment accounts, and the processing or liquidation of donated stock and cryptocurrency in accordance with organizational policy.
• Complete monthly close and reconcile bank, credit-card, investment, payroll, and other balance-sheet accounts.
• Maintain the chart of accounts, accounting schedules, supporting documentation, and financial records needed for audit and management review.
• Maintain clear authorization, review, and segregation-of-duties controls so that transactions are appropriately approved and independently reviewed.

Budgeting, Forecasting & Financial Reporting

• Lead the annual organizational and departmental budgeting process and maintain rolling forecasts throughout the year.
• Monitor cash flow, reserves, investment balances, and financial performance; identify trends, risks, and corrective actions.
• Prepare timely monthly and quarterly financial reports, dashboards, and variance analyses for the President & CEO, leadership team, and Board of Directors.
• Prepare and present financial materials to the Board and relevant committees in clear, decision-useful language.
• Support the development and review of program and partner budgets, grant budgets, and other financial components of organizational plans.
• Develop scenario models and practical analyses to inform financial decisions, commitments, staffing plans, and long-term sustainability.

Audit, Tax & Nonprofit Compliance

• Lead preparation for the annual financial statement audit and coordinate schedules, documentation, and responses with the external accounting firm.
• Coordinate preparation and review of Form 990 and other required financial and regulatory filings.
• Ensure appropriate accounting for donor restrictions, grants, international program activity, and other nonprofit-specific transactions.
• Maintain current financial policies, accounting procedures, document-retention practices, and an annual compliance calendar.
• Maintain productive relationships with auditors, banks, investment providers, accountants, and other financial advisors.

Operations, Risk & Administration

• Own or coordinate organizational registrations, licenses, insurance renewals, certificates of coverage, contract renewals, and other recurring compliance obligations.
• Partner with outside counsel on contracts, corporate sponsorship agreements, governance questions, and other organizational legal matters.
• Manage key vendors, procurement, operational policies, and administrative processes with attention to cost, service, and risk.
• Oversee corporate IT and business systems, including user access, equipment inventory, cybersecurity practices, data protection, and relationships with external IT providers.
• Oversee Concord office and facilities needs, including mail and deposits, building vendors, utilities, security, taxes, fees, supplies, and related administration.
• Document recurring processes, key dates, system ownership, and contingency procedures so critical operations do not depend on one person’s memory.

Partnership with Human Resources

• Partner with the part-time Director of Human Resources on payroll, benefits, compensation, hiring, onboarding, and offboarding.
• Own payroll funding, financial controls, general ledger recording, and payroll reconciliation; Human Resources owns employee data, personnel changes, and policy administration.
• Model the financial impact of compensation, benefits, and workforce proposals and support the President & CEO in evaluating affordability.
• Coordinate systems access, equipment, and financial-administration steps for employee onboarding and offboarding, ensuring that each transition is handled with care, responsiveness, and respect for the employee experience.

Board & Leadership Support

• Serve as the organization’s principal financial resource to the President & CEO, Board of Directors, and department leaders, providing thoughtful financial guidance that balances organizational sustainability with the needs of the people and programs we serve.
• Provide candid, practical advice on financial health, operational risk, compliance, and resource allocation.
• Execute agreed financial and operational priorities and communicate material issues promptly.
• Support Board and committee work related to finance, investments, risk, and compliance.

Who You Are

Required Qualifications

• Typically seven or more years of progressive accounting and financial-management experience, including substantial hands-on responsibility for full-cycle bookkeeping and monthly close.
• Demonstrated nonprofit accounting experience, including restricted funds, contributions, grants, audit preparation, and Form 990 support.
• Strong working knowledge of GAAP, internal controls, cash management, budgeting, forecasting, and financial reporting.
• Advanced hands-on proficiency with QuickBooks Desktop and spreadsheets; comfort learning and administering other business systems.
• Ability to move comfortably between detailed transaction work and clear financial analysis for executives and Board members.
• Strong organization, accuracy, judgment, discretion, and follow-through in a lean environment with varied responsibilities.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills and the ability to explain financial information to non-financial audiences.
• Ability to work from the Concord office, approximately one day per week.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business administration, or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience.
• CPA, CMA, MBA, or other relevant certification or advanced degree.
• Experience with an international, grantmaking, or water-and-sanitation nonprofit.
• Experience with Justworks or another PEO, investment, and noncash-gift processing, and corporate IT/vendor administration.
• Experience working directly with a nonprofit Board or finance, audit, or investment committee.

Measures of Success

• Books are current, reconciled, well supported, and closed on a reliable monthly schedule.
• Budgets, forecasts, and Board reports are accurate, timely, and useful for decision-making.
• Audits and regulatory filings are completed smoothly and on schedule, with issues addressed promptly.
• Cash, approvals, account access, and other financial risks are governed by clear and consistently followed controls.
• Core financial and operational processes are documented, sustainable, and resilient during absences or transitions.
• Colleagues experience Finance & Operations as a dependable, approachable, and service-minded partner who anticipates needs, honors commitments, and makes it easier for others to do their best work.

Fully-covered medical/dental/vision insurance, a 401(k) match, remote work, and a generous vacation policy.