Director of Finance

Equitable Hiring Group; Pittsburgh (Allegheny County); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Pittsburgh Life Sciences Alliance (PLSA) is seeking a Director of Finance to lead financial operations, grant accounting, and investment tracking for our growing nonprofit and venture initiatives. Reporting directly to the CEO, you will build budgets, forecasts, internal controls, and donor reports, while partnering with external accountants and lawyers in a hybrid office.

You will shape systems that enable rapid growth, ensure compliance with GAAP and Uniform Guidance, and help the region's

Qualifications

• Multi-funder grant accounting experience across state, federal, foundations, or corporate donors.
• Budgets aligned to organizational and funder priorities with robust forecasting.
• Strong understanding of GAAP for nonprofits and grant compliance.

Responsibilities

• Lead budgeting and annual planning in partnership with the CEO.
• Develop rolling forecasts and executive dashboards for leadership and Board.
• Oversee external bookkeeping and month-end close with A/P/A/R/payroll.
• Enhance financial systems, automation, and internal controls.
• Own grant accounting, funder reporting, and compliance across sources.
• Coordinate audits and respond to findings; ensure audit readiness.

Skills

Grant accounting

Budgeting & forecasting

GAAP / nonprofit accounting

Internal controls

Audit preparation & liaison

Financial systems automation

Tools

QuickBooks Online

Ramp

Job description

Pittsburgh Life Sciences Alliance (PLSA) is connecting the region's unique clinical, research, manufacturing, and technology strengths to enable Southwest PA as a global life sciences leader and economic engine.

About the role - Director of Finance

Launched only two years ago, PLSA is in a phase of rapid growth, aligning regional industry, academic, and philanthropic leaders to build a world-class life sciences ecosystem. We are hiring a Director of Finance to serve as our financial lead, building and running the systems that support our operations and emerging venture capital initiatives.

While we are structured as a 501(c)(3)-and need a finance lead who can keep our non-profit governance and grant tracking rock solid, we operate with the speed and mindset of an early-stage startup, where much of our team built their careers.

Reporting directly to the CEO, you will manage our modern financial tech stack, handle grant accounting, design investment tracking workflows, and ensure that our internal operations function runs smoothly We operate with a lean team where outcomes matter far more than face time (hybrid office!), offering a rare opportunity to lead a function end-to-end, build efficient processes from scratch, and do meaningful work for the region.

Your responsibilities will include

• Strategic Fiscal Leadership & Financial Operations
• Drive Annual Planning & Budgeting: Lead the organization's annual budgeting process in close partnership with the CEO, developing dynamic budgets at the organizational, program, and funder levels that align with strategic priorities.
• Proactive Forecasting & Decision Support: Develop rolling monthly and quarterly financial forecasts; analyze variances, surface strategic insights, and deliver executive-level reporting to leadership and Board.
• Oversight of External Accounting Partners: Partner with and guide external bookkeeping and accounting service provider to ensure smooth, accurate day-to-day operations, including A/P, A/R, payroll, month-end close, and reconciliations.
• System & Process: Continually evaluate and enhance financial systems, workflow automation, and internal controls to support PLSA's growth and evolving operational complexity.
• End-to-End Grant Ownership: Take accountability for understanding and ensuring all funder terms, serving as the primary authority on allowable spending, compliance, and reporting across state, federal, foundation, and corporate grants.
• Proposal Financial Strategy: Lead the financial design and narrative development for grant applications across state, federal, private foundation, and corporate donors.
• Fund Tracking & Compliance: Monitor grant spending and allowable costs to keep programs on budget and fully compliant with funder terms.
• Funder Reporting: Produce timely, accurate financial reports for grantors in compliance with donor requirements.
• Audit-Ready Documentation: Maintain structured, accessible financial records for all grant agreements to ensure seamless compliance and reporting at all times.
• Investment Operations: Establish the financial workflows needed to move, track, and account for investment capital as PLSA explores possible venture initiatives.
• Regulatory & Accounting Compliance: Ensure all investment activity, equity instruments, and capital flows strictly adhere to GAAP, nonprofit accounting standards, and relevant tax/regulatory frameworks.
• Deal & Legal Alignment: Partner with leadership, legal counsel, and investment advisors to review financial terms, evaluate deal structures, and track post-investment requirements.
• Audit Leadership & Execution: Serve as PLSA's primary liaison for external audits - including federal Single Audits under Uniform Guidance (2 CFR Part 200) - managing audit preparation, documentation gathering, and the resolution of any audit findings.
• Risk Mitigation & Control Environment: Maintain a proactive, year-round internal control environment and updated fiscal policies to safeguard organizational assets and maintain an impeccable audit posture.
• Management of Operations: Provide oversight over PLSA internal systems (IT, Facilities, etc.), including supervision of operations staff and contractors.

What you'll need:

• 7+ years of progressive financial management experience leading core accounting, budgeting, and financial strategy in dynamic or evolving organizations.
• Proven multi-funder grant accounting experience, managing restricted budgets across state/federal grants, philanthropic foundations, and/or corporate funding.
• Hands-on experience using class, division, or customer/project fields to cleanly manage expense allocations by program and funder.
• Familiarity with federal grant compliance mechanisms, including Single Audits under Uniform Guidance (2 CFR Part 200).
• Understanding of capital deployment and venture accounting, including the GAAP treatment of early-stage equity investments, SAFE notes, and convertible instruments.
• Fluency with modern cloud-based finance tech stacks (e.g., QuickBooks Online, Ramp) and a passion for automating and streamlining manual workflows.
• Exceptional communication skills, with a demonstrated ability to translate complex financial data, forecasts, and accounting nuances for non-financial stakeholders.

Who You Are

• An Enabler, Not a Gatekeeper: You see finance as a tool to empower others, not a gatekeeping function. You proactively partner with non-financial team members to help them manage their budgets, demystify complex reporting, and share financial insights openly so the whole organization can move faster together.
• Solutions-Oriented: You bring a startup mindset with a bias for action. Where others see dead ends, you look for sensible workarounds, try fresh approaches, and focus on getting things done.
• Strategic & Intentional: You recognize that time and resources are finite. You prioritize thoughtfully, focusing your effort on the work that drives the greatest value for the organization.
• A Nimble & Adaptable Teammate: You thrive amid ambiguity and rapid change. You can seamlessly shift between big-picture strategic thinking and granular daily execution, stepping outside your job description whenever the team needs a hand.
• Connected to the Region: You currently live in the Pittsburgh region or have strong established connections to the community, with an appreciation for what makes our local innovation ecosystem unique.