Director of Finance

Sarah McLachlan School of Music; Vancouver; Hybrid; CAD 111,000 - 124,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Benefits package

Job summary

The Sarah McLachlan School of Music seeks a Director of Finance to lead financial planning and reporting for SoM, SMF, and FoM. You will oversee budgeting, cash flow, payroll, benefits, insurance, and risk management while guiding data-driven decision making as part of the leadership team.

This role requires 10+ years in nonprofit finance, CPA or equivalent, and a strategic, collaborative style. Hybrid work in Vancouver with a generous benefits package and competitive salary.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of nonprofit finance and accounting experience with endowment campaigns.
• CPA designation or relevant degree and experience.
• Strategic, collaborative leader with budgeting oversight for multiple entities.
• Strong analytical, data-driven decision-making and communication skills.
• Knowledge of federal and provincial charity laws and governance.

Responsibilities

• Oversee financial planning and budgeting for SoM, SMF, and FoM.
• Manage cash flow, payroll, benefits, insurance and risk management.
• Lead endowment campaigns and forecasting for funding.
• Prepare monthly and year-end dashboards for leadership and boards.
• Coordinate audits for all three entities and ensure compliance.
• Develop Power BI reporting and data analytics across entities.
• Collaborate with Development and leadership teams on financial insights.

Skills

Financial leadership

Strategic planning

Data-driven decisions

Stakeholder communication

Change management

Team leadership

Education

CPA designation

Post-secondary degree

Tools

Power BI

Sage

Raiser's Edge

Job description

The Sarah McLachlan School of Music (SoM) builds inclusive and barrier-free communities of musical learning where children and youth find their voice. With three locations spanning BC and Alberta, the school operates an inclusive, creative, curiosity-focused environment and a strong sense of community throughout.

The Director of Finance is a member of SoM’s leadership team that reports to the Executive Director. The position is responsible for all financial matters related to the Sarah McLachlan School of Music (SoM), The Sarah McLachlan Foundation (SMF) and The Friends of The Sarah McLachlan School of Music (FoM) including financial planning and forecasting. The main areas of focus include preparing financial statements and budgets; managing cash flow; overseeing payroll; managing employee benefits; insurance and risk management; utilizing forecasting models and conducting analysis.

The Director of Finance performs a critical role in supporting the upcoming endowment campaign, supporting organizational modernization initiatives and advancing a comprehensive approach to data analytics and decision making.

This position requires a hands-on, self-starter who thrives in a busy, self-directed environment and can work well both independently and as a part of the leadership team. The primary objective of this position is to strategically sustain the Sarah McLachlan School of Music (SoM).

Key Responsibilities

• Working with the Development team to coordinate, accept and process all donations, including gifts in kind
• Supporting Development in the creation of grant budgets and creating grant budget to actual reports
• Overseeing the revenue to tax receipt reconciliation between Sage and Raiser’s Edge
• Providing tax receipting guidance to the Development Team, Board members and donors
• Supporting the Development Team in the follow-up of outstanding pledges
• Managing the accounting for the SMF’s investment accounts and endowment fund
• Leading budget planning and design
• Maintaining budgeting and forecasting models
• Supporting and understanding the ongoing development of Power BI reporting
• Preparing monthly and year-end financial statement dashboards for the Executive Director, SoM Board of Directors, and the SMF Board of Directors
• Reporting and reviewing budget to actual variances with Programming leadership
• Managing annual audits for all three entities
• Establishing finance team priorities; managing workload and capacity; and ensuring work is aligned with SoM’s goals and timelines

The role requires

• 10+ years of progressive finance and accounting experience with an emphasis on working in non-profit organizations and supporting endowment campaigns
• Chartered Professional Accountant designation or relevant post-secondary degree or combination of relevant training, education, and experience
• Strategic and highly collaborative leader with significant experience, overseeing budgets and endowment campaigns
• Strong financial planning, analytical, and data-informed decision-making capabilities
• Exceptional communicator and relationship builder
• Adept at influencing key partners, leading change, navigating complexity with sound judgement and political acuity
• Skilled at building consensus across diverse groups
• Awareness of federal and provincial legislation affecting charities

This is a hybrid role, and because of this, candidates must have a home office situation comfortable for confidential tasks and must have the ability to commute to the Mount Pleasant area of Vancouver, BC.

We recognize that a diversity of human experiences, perspectives, and identities greatly enhances the opportunity to grow, learn, and thrive as a community. We foster a diverse and inclusive staff in all aspects of the organizational structure and service delivery.

The salary range for this 35 hour per week position is $111,300 - $123,700 based on qualifications and experience. A benefits package is available upon completion of probation. More information about the Sarah McLachlan School of Music is available at https://www.sarahschoolofmusic.com/.