Finance Director and Comptroller

Philadelphia Bar Association; Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

The Philadelphia Bar Association is seeking a Finance Director to lead the accounting function across the Bar Association, Philadelphia Homeless Advocacy Project, Philadelphia VIP, and related affiliates. This senior, exempt role reports to the Executive Director and combines planning, reporting, and supervision within a small Finance Department.

Responsibilities include annual budgeting, cash-flow monitoring, close processes, financial-statement preparation, and coordination of audits and tax

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business administration, or related field.
• 12–15 years of progressive nonprofit accounting/financial management experience.
• Experience closing monthly and annual books.
• Experience coordinating external audits.
• Strong GAAP knowledge, reconciliations, internal controls, budgeting.
• Experience supervising accounting staff.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel.

Responsibilities

• Lead budgeting and forecasting processes for multiple entities.
• Develop cash-flow projections and monitor short- and long-term liquidity.
• Monitor investments, reserves, and other financial assets.
• Prepare monthly and annual financial statements and analyses.
• Coordinate audits and tax filings with external professionals.
• Maintain internal controls and supervise finance staff.
• Serve as primary liaison with auditors, banks, and service providers.
• Ensure accurate intercompany accounting and payroll accounting.

Skills

Budgeting

Financial reporting

Cash-flow management

Audit coordination

Internal controls

Payroll accounting

Staff supervision

GAAP knowledge

Education

Bachelor’s degree in accounting/finance/business administration

CPA or CMA

Master’s degree in accounting/finance (preferred)

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Accounting software

Job description

This full-time, exempt finance leadership role serves as the hands-on accounting leader for multiple affiliated organizations and reports to the Executive Director. It combines financial planning, complex accounting, reporting, audit coordination, internal-control oversight, and supervision within a three-person Finance Department.

This individual manages financial operations and reporting for the Philadelphia Bar Association, the Philadelphia Homeless Advocacy Project (HAP), Philadelphia VIP, and Friends of Philadelphia VIP. The position also provides financial reporting for the Association’s Sections and Divisions and supports contracted financial services provided to affiliated organizations.

Core responsibilities include annual budgeting and forecasting, cashflow and liquidity monitoring, investment and reserve oversight, monthly and annual closes, financial-statement preparation, reconciliations, complex journal entries, intercompany accounting, payroll accounting, and financial analysis.

The Finance Director serves as the primary contact for auditors, tax preparers, banks, investment advisors, and other providers; coordinates audits and tax filings; reviews audit adjustments; communicates findings; and designs and monitors controls covering segregation of duties, payment authorization, system access, independent reviews, and continuity procedures.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

This full-time, exempt finance leadership role serves as the hands-on accounting leader for multiple affiliated organizations and reports to the Executive Director. It combines financial planning, complex accounting, reporting, audit coordination, internal-control oversight, and supervision within a three-person Finance Department.

This individual manages financial operations and reporting for the Philadelphia Bar Association, the Philadelphia Homeless Advocacy Project (HAP), Philadelphia VIP, and Friends of Philadelphia VIP. The position also provides financial reporting for the Association’s Sections and Divisions and supports contracted financial services provided to affiliated organizations.

Core responsibilities include annual budgeting and forecasting, cashflow and liquidity monitoring, investment and reserve oversight, monthly and annual closes, financial-statement preparation, reconciliations, complex journal entries, intercompany accounting, payroll accounting, and financial analysis.

The Finance Director serves as the primary contact for auditors, tax preparers, banks, investment advisors, and other providers; coordinates audits and tax filings; reviews audit adjustments; communicates findings; and designs and monitors controls covering segregation of duties, payment authorization, system access, independent reviews, and continuity procedures.

• Performs the annual budgeting and forecasting processes
• Develop cash-flow projections and monitor short- and long-term liquidity.
• Monitor investments, reserves, and other financial assets.
• Prepare financial analyses, projections, and recommendations for the Executive Director
• Identify significant budget variances, financial trends, unusual transactions, and emerging financial risks.
• Perform the monthly and annual closing processes across the supported organizations.
• Prepare accurate and timely financial statements, management reports, and supporting analyses.
• Review payroll reconciliations, payroll-related journal entries, and payroll liability accounts.
• Serve as the principal Finance Department contact for external auditors, tax preparers, banks, investment advisors, and other financial service providers.
• Coordinate and prepare annual audits and other financial-statement engagements across the supported organizations.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business administration, or a closely related field.
• 12-15 years of significant progressively responsible experience in accounting and financial management in non-profit setting.
• Demonstrated experience managing monthly and annual closing processes.
• Experience preparing financial statements and coordinating external audits.
• Strong knowledge of general-ledger accounting, reconciliations, internal controls, budgeting, and financial analysis.
• Experience supervising accounting staff and reviewing detailed accounting work.
• Advanced proficiency with accounting systems and Microsoft Excel.
• Ability to communicate financial information clearly to executive leaders, governing bodies, program leaders, and nonfinancial stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications

• Certified Public Accountant or master’s degree in accounting,
• Experience in a nonprofit, membership association, professional association, or multi-entity environment.
• Knowledge of nonprofit accounting, including net-asset classifications, restricted funds, functional expense allocations, deferred membership or program revenue, and Form 990 reporting.
• Experience supporting multiple audits, tax filings, and affiliated entities.
• Experience working with finance, audit, investment, or governing committees.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The Philadelphia Bar Association is committed to equal employment opportunity and to maintaining an inclusive workplace. Employment decisions are based on organizational needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications, consistent with applicable law.