Finance & Operations Manager

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and the position will remain open until filled.

About the Community Empowerment Fund

CEF is a non-profit organization operating in Durham and Orange Counties that is working to end the racial wealth gap by supporting people experiencing homelessness or financial insecurity. We work alongside approximately 250 volunteers and 3,000 members in their pursuit of employment, secure housing, and financial stability. We are valued by Members and partners for our ability to meet people where they are and walk alongside each individual to achieve personal goals, as well as our collaborative approach to address systemic racism and oppression which causes gaps in our local communities. We are passionate about sustaining transitions out of homelessness, and combine flexible relationship-based support with innovative matched savings accounts, referral networks, resource databases, and programs to support Members in achieving their long-term dreams. Learn more at www.communityef.org.

Position Overview

Working closely with CEF’s executive and board leadership the Finance & Operations Manager will oversee financial management and oversight, manage CEF’s financial coaching & Safe Savings programs, and ensure the organization is complying with all audit and legal recommendations. The Finance & Operations Manager will be responsible for leading organizational budgeting processes, the preparation of financial statements and projections, supervising financial record-keeping and accounting, oversight of CEF’s operating budget, check-writing, and payroll. The Finance & Operations Manager will have a combination of on- and off-site work; some tasks and duties will be performed in both CEF’s Chapel Hill and Durham offices, and other tasks can be completed remotely. The Finance & Operations Manager will report to the Executive Director, lead the Finance Committee, be an active member of the Resources & Financial Coaching team, and is a key member of the Senior Leadership Team.

Position Responsibilities 

Lead CEF’s financial systems and management:

• Lead CEF’s organizational budget and financial planning, including creating projections and calculating changes, creating program-specific budgets as needed for grants and contracts, and reporting actuals to budget on a monthly basis
• Oversee and update CEF’s internal financial management tools to be in line with recommendations from CEF’s auditors and external accountant
• Provide oversight for CEF’s internal accounting practices, ensuring that all income and expenses are entered correctly into Quickbooks, filed correctly both electronically and in paper files, and that monthly reconciliations are completed–this includes being responsible for ensuring that payments are processed in a timely manner
• Manage CEF’s Safe Savings program including ensuring that deposits and withdrawals are processed in a timely fashion, auto-save transactions are processed, and volunteer Advocates understand the program and how to support interested Members
• Manage payroll processing, including correctly allocating time off and benefits
  Communicate status of organizational finances as needed to Executive Director, Board, staff, and funders, through the generation of financial statements and reports and concise analysis

Manage CEF’s Financial Coaching & Safe Savings Program:

• Create and maintain CEF’s financial coaching curriculum: including developing new curriculum, keeping curricula up-to-date, and supporting volunteer Advocates as they work through sessions with CEF Members
• Train staff and volunteer Advocates on how to utilize financial coaching curricula, how to support Members with financial planning, and how Safe Savings accounts work including day-to-day procedures
• Advise volunteer Advocates on how to support Members in developing budgets, setting savings goals, financial management, financial planning, and account management including working directly with Advocate/Member pairs as needed
• Maintain all records for CEF’s Safe Savings accounts–this includes:
  • processing auto-saves
  • communicating with Members about their accounts
  • performing monthly reconciliations with Salesforce and Quickbooks
  • filing necessary paperwork
• Attend and actively participate in bi-weekly Resource & Financial Coaching team meetings

Bookkeeping Tasks:

Weekly Duties:

• Log operating revenue and expenses in Quickbooks
• File all expense and revenue documentation
• Prepare & print checks for ED’s signature (minimum of 2x/wk, this includes bill payments & Safe Savings transactions)
• Prepare bank deposits & make deposits at local financial institutions
• Reconcile Quickbooks to CEF’s matched savings account records in Salesforce

Monthly & Ad Hoc Duties:

• Review bank statements for accurate accounting records prior to reconciliation by contract accountant
• Lead CEF’s annual financial audit
• Prepare and send invoices

Support Executive Director with operations management and HR:

• Manage personnel documentation, including personnel roster and timesheets
• Lead coordination of organizational insurance (general liability, workers comp, cyber security, directors and officers’ insurance, etc.)
• Manage organizational accounts/subscription services (G-Suite, Slack, Asana, Salesforce, etc.) and create staff/volunteer accounts as needed
• Assist with coordinating organizational employee benefits including health insurance, retirement, etc. This includes managing the annual renewal processes, researching benefit options, etc.
• Assist with managing hiring processes – this includes checking the hiring email, maintaining a job description template, editing and posting job descriptions, anonymizing applications, helping to create evaluation rubrics for each hiring process, and working with hiring committees to communicate with candidates. Other related hiring tasks may also be required
• Additional work, as needed

CEF Team Member

• Attend and participate in all regularly scheduled team meetings, caucuses, retreats, supervision, and other activities in Durham and Chapel Hill (remote and in-person)
• Work collaboratively with team members when necessary
• Engage actively in program design and project management efforts to improve CEF’s outcomes, impact, and methodologies
• Embody CEF values and guiding principles, participate meaningfully in meetings, work collaboratively with coworkers, and engage in CEF in ways that are informed by social justice frameworks including, but not limited to relationship-based support, trauma-informed care, harm-reduction, and motivational interviewing
• Lead CEF’s financial procedures, including timely reporting of expenses, clear communication around debit card needs, and participatory budgeting, and ensure staff comply with procedures

Position Qualifications (Required unless indicated as “preferred”) 

• 3-5 years of experience leading nonprofit finance systems, including direct experience with budgeting, entering income and expenses into Quickbooks/bookkeeping, and pulling financial reports
• Experience developing and managing organizational budgets of $1M-$2M
• Minimum of 2-3 years of experience with Quickbooks Online
• Minimum of 2-3 years experience with project management and coordinating a team, including volunteers
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills
• Experience with Salesforce, preferred
• Strong aptitude with spreadsheets required, including proficiency in G Suite (Google Sheets and Docs) and
• Microsoft Office Suite (Word and Excel)
• Self-motivated, with exceptional organizational abilities and attention to detail, with ability to follow through on many simultaneous projects
• Clear analysis and understanding of racial equity, structural racism, socioeconomic inequity, and white supremacy culture, particularly in relation to communications and nonprofit organizational structure
• Commitment to CEF’s mission

An ideal candidate will have

• A commitment to shared leadership, embodying CEF’s values and guiding principles
• Affirming, empowering, collaborative, and listening-based leadership style, with a strong sense of self-direction and accountability to the community
• Ability to take initiative and complete duties independently
• Experience and comfort working with people across abilities and neurological differences, and from diverse racial, socioeconomic, educational, cultural, religious, gender, and ethnic backgrounds and identities
• Experience with work management software (ex. Asana, Slack)

Salary and Benefits

This is a full-time, salaried position. The Finance & Operations Manager is expected to work an average of 40 hours per week and will be paid $55,000 annually. This position is also eligible for 100% employer-paid health insurance; a 401(k) plan with 4% employer match; optional employee-paid dental and vision; paid vacation, sick, and holiday leave; and a professional development stipend. See an outline of CEF’s benefits here. All CEF staff are expected to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit weekly negative test results. This position is expected to start on May 1, 2023.

To Apply 

Please submit a cover letter outlining why you are a great fit for this position, resume, and 3 professional references to hiring@communityempowermentfund.org with the subject “Finance & Operations Manager.” Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and will remain open until filled.

CEF is an equal opportunity employer, and strongly encourages applications from people of color, persons with disabilities, women, LGBTQI identified people, and people with lived experience with homelessness or poverty.