Director of Accounting

OVERVIEW

Are you an experienced nonprofit accounting leader who’s passionate about fighting racism, poverty, and climate change? Do you love building strong financial systems while partnering closely with mission-driven organizations? Are you excited by the opportunity to help shape and grow an innovative, values-driven accounting practice serving nonprofits across the country?

This is an exciting opportunity to join The CANOE Collective (CANOE), a creative start-up organization that’s filling a critical need in the nonprofit sector. We’re hiring a strategic, grounded, and highly capable Director of Accounting to join our core team and lead our nonprofit accounting and financial management services. In this role, you will serve as a trusted advisor to nonprofit leaders while also helping CANOE continue developing a thoughtful, high-quality, and sustainable approach to nonprofit financial management. You’ll oversee complex accounting work across multiple nonprofit partners, supervise and support a team of part-time accountants and bookkeepers, strengthen internal processes and workflows, and help shape the future of CANOE’s accounting services as we continue to grow.

This is not a traditional back-office accounting role. The right candidate will be equally comfortable diving into reconciliations and financial statements, coaching and reviewing the work of accounting staff, guiding organizational leaders through strategic financial decisions, improving systems and processes, and helping teams navigate competing priorities in a healthy and sustainable way. Because CANOE is continuing to shape and refine our accounting practice, the Director of Accounting requires someone who is proactive, resourceful, and comfortable operating in environments where structure is still being built. Success in this role will require the ability to balance responsiveness with thoughtful prioritization, communicate clearly about capacity and timelines, and identify practical solutions that strengthen organizations and our accounting work over the long term.

This is a full-time, virtual position based anywhere in the United States with a salary range of $115,898 to $131,181.

ABOUT CANOE

CANOE is a collective of operations professionals who fiercely believe that nonprofits must be strong from the inside out in order to make a significant impact on the world. We partner with around 30 small nonprofits on building the equitable and inclusive processes, infrastructure, and systems necessary to grow and thrive. Our small but mighty team provides both day-to-day operations support and big-picture consulting services in the areas of HR, IT, financial management, governance and compliance.

The following values are the compass that shapes our relationships, decisions, and day-to-day practices. They are the ground we stand on as we walk alongside organizations committed to justice and lasting impact.

• Transformative strength: We approach organizational challenges with curiosity and compassion, supporting the development of transformative strategies that build strength from within. We champion strong foundations and internal infrastructure as core necessities for positive change in the world. We strive to build and continuously improve sustainable systems that both address current challenges and prepare for the needs of tomorrow.
• Justice Centered: We uphold the principles of equity, anti-oppression, and accountability in all our actions and decisions, promoting a just, fair, and ethical world for everyone. We stand with all people subject to abusive systems of power and privilege.
• Dedication: We are dedicated to the missions of the partners we serve and deliver high quality operations work that enables partners to focus on impact.
• People First: We place people at the center of everything we do. We prioritize the well-being and development of individuals and build inclusive, accessible, and empowering environments where everyone can thrive.
• Community: We foster a culture of mutual respect and strong connections where different identities are welcomed, and collaboration is encouraged to achieve common goals. We aim to advance the improvement of nonprofit operations by connecting operations-focused professionals through knowledge sharing and learning.
• Collaborative Leadership: Our leadership philosophy is rooted in collaboration, where every voice is valued and diverse perspectives contribute to our collective success. We empower individuals to take initiative, fostering a collaborative environment where leadership is a shared responsibility.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Nonprofit Accounting & Financial Management

Approximately 50% of your time will be spent supporting approximately 5 to 8 small nonprofit partners with financial management, including:

• Maintaining accurate, timely financial records in QuickBooks Online, Xero, Sage Intacct, Ramp, and other financial systems
• Overseeing and/or executing monthly close, including reconciliations, journal entries, and accruals
• Preparing monthly and quarterly financial reports, dashboards, and management-level summaries
• Developing and maintaining budgets, forecasts, and cash flow models
• Conducting financial analyses to guide decision-making and long-term planning
• Reviewing and improving charts of accounts, internal controls, and accounting workflows
• Ensuring appropriate grant and contract tracking, reporting, and compliance
• Supporting annual audits, reviews, and financial statement preparation
• Preparing or supporting preparation of Form 990, 1099s, and other required filings
• Overseeing vendor payments, receivables, invoicing, and AP/AR processes
• Identifying opportunities for efficiency, streamlining, and automation

Fractional CFO Support

Depending on partner needs, you may also:

• Advise nonprofit leadership on financial health, sustainability, and organizational risks
• Create financial models for scenario planning, growth, or new programs
• Support leaders in communicating financial information to boards, funders, and stakeholders
• Guide organizations toward policies, tools, and practices that are equitable, transparent, and mission-aligned
• Recommend financial technologies, integrations, and process improvements

Leadership & Practice Development

The remainder of your time will be focused on building and strengthening CANOE’s accounting practice:

• Supervising part-time accountants and bookkeepers working across CANOE’s nonprofit portfolio
• Developing, iterating on, and scaling a model for nonprofit accounting support that reflects CANOE’s values and establishes us as a respected thought leader in the field
• Collaborating with CANOE team members to ensure partners receive timely, effective, and high-quality financial support
• Building tools, guidance, training materials, and resources to help nonprofits strengthen their financial operations
• Staying current on nonprofit financial standards, regulations, emerging tech, and best practices - and making informed recommendations to partners
• Supporting the Executive Director and Deputy Director with financial and administrative needs for CANOE

ABOUT YOU

• You have a demonstrated commitment to fighting racism, poverty, and/or climate change.
• You have at least 7 years of nonprofit accounting experience, including experience filing 990s, 1099s, and state tax and regulatory reports
• You have at least 3 years of experience leading a team, building a collaborative team culture, and supporting the professional growth of the people you supervise.
• You are a CPA, CMA, or experienced senior accountant/CFO-level consultant
• You’ve provided support for at least 1 small nonprofit (under $1M in revenue) with setting up and/or strengthening their financial operations.
• You are highly proficient in Quickbooks Online for nonprofit accounting, as well as accounts payable platforms like Ramp.com. Experience using Sage Intacct, Zoho Books, and/or Xero is a plus.
• You’re able to quickly learn and become proficient in new software and online applications.
• You have excellent written and verbal communication skills and can easily translate complex financial information for non-financial audiences
• You value collaboration, but are also comfortable setting priorities, clarifying expectations, and raising concerns when needed to support strong outcomes.
• You are extremely organized, attentive to detail, and capable of managing a high-volume workload across multiple partners without sacrificing quality
• You live somewhere in the United States and have everything you need to work virtually.
• You are excited about the possibility of growing into a long-term, equity-stake role at CANOE as we build toward employee ownership

Small nonprofits facing disproportionately high barriers to growth and success often are those run by BIPOC and LGBTQ individuals, people with disabilities, folks from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, and members of other marginalized groups. Because we believe that members of such communities must be centered in our work, if you identify with one or more of these groups, we strongly encourage you to apply.

Please let us know what accommodations you might need when applying or if invited for an interview.

IMPORTANT QUALITIES

CANOE aims to be an employee-owned, democratically managed company. In order to ensure optimal partnership and collaboration, we hope you have the following qualities:

• Initiative. You think proactively about tasks and try to fill in the gaps on a project before being asked. You ask questions as needed to learn what needs to be done, and you take action independently.
• Entrepreneurial. You see gaps as opportunities. You don’t just maintain the status quo - you ask whether there’s a better way and then build it. You’re comfortable with ambiguity and motivated by the idea of creating something that didn’t exist before.
• Collaborative. You believe strongly in the power of sharing ideas, celebrating / building upon the ideas of others, and working in partnership towards a shared goal. You enjoy working on a team to jointly complete a project.
• Flexible. You are not overly set in your ways and are ready to change course as needed. You enjoy reflecting on what’s going well and not going well, and you continuously look for better ways of doing things.
• Dependable. You almost always do what you say you’ll do. You can easily juggle multiple projects at once without compromising quality. If you run into challenges and/or can’t get something done, you give people a heads up and take ownership of any changes that need to be made.
• Responsive. You rarely miss an email or message that needs a timely and thoughtful response. You provide great customer service and follow up to ensure people’s needs are being met.
• Empathetic. You lead with care. You have a huge heart and very easily feel and express sympathy, especially for nonprofits leaders under significant pressure to grow and succeed.
• Imaginative. You think creatively, love brainstorming, and can easily imagine a better future. You actively seek different perspectives and incorporate new ideas into your work and life.
• Fun. You don’t take yourself too seriously and appreciate doing dumb, silly stuff on a regular basis. You bring joy to your work and the folks you work with.
• Humble. You rarely brag. You easily share the spotlight or move it to shine on other people, in particular folks with less privilege, confidence, and/or experience. You don’t mind doing boring tasks that may be below your “pay grade.”
• Straightforward. You don’t beat around the bush and, when appropriate, you say what’s on your mind. You speak clearly, simply and honestly.
• Positive. You rarely complain. When challenges arise, you focus on finding solutions, rather than griping about the problems.

COMPENSATION

This is a full-time, virtual position based anywhere in the United States. The salary range is $115,898 to $131,181 depending on experience. We are a small organization but provide generous benefits that we’re seeking to strengthen, including:

• Revenue share at least once per year
• Health, dental, and vision insurance with premiums covered at >85%
• Medical and Dependent Care FSAs
• 401(k) with up to 3.5% employer match
• Technology and home office reimbursements for new and current employees
• $75/month internet and cell phone stipend
• Generous PTO (25–30 days depending on tenure), plus 11 holidays, a floating holiday, a week off around July 4th, a week off between Christmas and New Year's, and a PTO day on your birthday
• Paid family leave, plus additional leaves
• $1,000 annual professional development reimbursement
• Short-term disability, long-term disability and life insurance

HOW TO APPLY

Fill out this application form, uploading your resume and responding to the questions (thanks in advance for taking the time!!)

We are a small organization but provide generous benefits that we’re seeking to strengthen, including:

• Revenue share at least once per year
• Health, dental, and vision insurance with premiums covered at >85%
• Medical and Dependent Care FSAs
• 401(k) with up to 3.5% employer match
• Technology and home office reimbursements for new and current employees
• $75/month internet and cell phone stipend
• Generous PTO (25–30 days depending on tenure), plus 11 holidays, a floating holiday, a week off around July 4th, a week off between Christmas and New Year's, and a PTO day on your birthday
• Paid family leave, plus additional leaves
• $1,000 annual professional development reimbursement
• Short-term disability, long-term disability and life insurance