Finance & Operations Manager – Children’s Diabetes Foundation

Colorado Nonprofit Association; Aurora (CO); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

The Children’s Diabetes Foundation seeks a Finance and Operations Manager to lead daily administrative, financial, HR, and operational functions, partnering with the Executive Director and leadership to enhance efficiency and controls. You will manage budgeting, payroll processes, vendor relations, and annual conferences while upholding confidentiality and strong governance.

Ideal candidates bring five+ years in nonprofit operations, a solid track record in financial reporting and budgeting, HR

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Finance, Nonprofit Management, Human Resources, or a related field.
• Minimum of five years progressively responsible operations management experience.
• At least two years of direct HR administration or management experience.
• Demonstrated experience in financial reporting, budget management, GL review, and variance analysis.
• Experience managing large-scale events or conferences; sponsorships are valued.
• Strong project management, organizational, written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience with Excel and Office suite.

Responsibilities

• Oversee day-to-day operations and implement organizational priorities.
• Manage financial operations, budgeting, GL review, and reporting for leadership and board.
• Coordinate HR processes including onboarding, payroll coordination, and benefits administration.
• Lead conference and event management, including sponsorship coordination and budgeting.
• Develop and monitor internal controls, policies, and procedures to strengthen efficiency and transparency.
• Support audit preparation and Board-ready financial materials.

Skills

Operations management

Project management

Financial reporting

Budget management

Written communication

Verbal communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Finance, Nonprofit Management, Human Resources, or related field

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Excel

Job description

WHO WE ARE

The Children’s Diabetes Foundation (CDF) is a dedicated non‑profit organization focused on raising funds for specialized type 1 diabetes research, patient care, and educational programs. It serves as the fundraising arm for the renowned Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes, helping individuals and families access vital clinical treatment and support systems.

THE ROLE

Finance and Operations Manager leads and manages the day‑to‑day administrative, financial, human resources, and operational functions at CDF in service of mission delivery. Working collaboratively with the Executive Director and senior leadership, this role drives organizational efficiency, staff effectiveness and successful execution of key organizational initiatives, in part through the oversight and improvement of sound financial operations, effective HR administration, internal controls and compliance. As a trusted operational partner and advisor to the Executive Director, the position requires a high degree of discretion, independent judgment, accountability, and hands‑on execution. The Finance and Operations Manager partners closely with the staff, the Board of Directors, the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes (BDC), professional advisors, vendors, sponsors, and other external stakeholders.

Organizational Leadership & General Office Operations

• Partner with the Executive Director to implement organizational priorities, strategic initiatives, and special projects.
• Develop, implement, and evaluate procedures, internal controls, workflows, and process improvements.
• Ensure clear, consistent, and timely communication across staff, management, contractors, and external stakeholders.
• Provide regular operational updates to the Executive Director, including legal, financial, HR, project, and organizational matters.
• Coordinate contract and agreement review with the Executive Director, legal counsel, and outside organizations, including information gathering, approvals, renewals, and record‑keeping.
• Attend and, as appropriate, lead meetings to assess project progress, organizational needs, and team alignment.
• Oversee office administration, facilities coordination, vendors, service providers, technology coordination, insurance, and general office systems.

Finance Oversight

• Oversee day‑to‑day financial operations in coordination with the Executive Director and Accounting Manager, consistent with CDF financial policies and internal controls.
• Conduct monthly General Ledger (GL) reviews to support accurate, complete, and appropriately coded transactions and coordinate corrections with the Accounting Manager.
• Prepare financial reports and variance analysis comparing actual results to budget and prior periods for review by the Executive Director and Board.
• Develop Board‑ready financial summaries, dashboards, and narrative reporting in collaboration with the Executive Director and Accounting Manager.
• Perform assigned internal control reviews of payroll reports, bank statements, checks, and other financial documentation prior to processing, as applicable.
• Assist with annual audit preparation, including document gathering, reconciliations, and auditor communications.
• Support development, implementation, and monitoring of the annual budget in partnership with the Executive Director and Accounting Manager.
• Help maintain and improve financial policies and procedures to strengthen controls, transparency, accuracy, and efficiency.

Human Resources Management

• Serve as the primary internal point of contact for staff HR matters and HR processes, escalating complex or sensitive matters to the Executive Director and/or outside counsel as appropriate.
• Lead employee onboarding and offboarding, including documentation, background checks as applicable, I‑9 verification, systems access, orientation, and exit procedures.
• Administer payroll in coordination with CDF’s payroll provider, reviewing reports and resolving discrepancies.
• Oversee benefits administration, including open enrollment, employee inquiries, vendor coordination, and communication of benefit changes.
• Coordinate the annual performance review process and support consistent performance standards and documentation.
• Develop and maintain HR policies, procedures, and the employee handbook in consultation with the Executive Director and legal counsel.
• Manage hiring activities, including job postings, candidate coordination, interview logistics, and onboarding logistics in collaboration with hiring managers.
• Support compliance with Colorado pay transparency, equal employment opportunity, workplace accommodation, anti‑discrimination, anti‑harassment, health and safety, and other employment requirements.
• Maintain confidential personnel files and HR records in accordance with legal requirements, CDF policies, record‑retention practices, and data privacy standards.

Annual ATDC Diabetes Conference Management

• Serve as the primary operational lead for CDF’s annual four‑day ATDC Diabetes Conference, managing logistics from planning through execution.
• Identify, negotiate, and manage the conference venue and related requirements, including contracts, room blocks, AV, catering, insurance, compliance, and on‑site logistics.
• Recruit, coordinate, and steward conference sponsors, including sponsorship agreements, benefit fulfillment, communications, and payment tracking.
• Develop and manage timelines, budget, and vendor relationships to support on‑time, on‑budget delivery.
• Coordinate materials, registration, exhibitor management, attendee communications, and on‑site staffing.
• Collaborate with the Executive Director and BDC staff throughout planning and execution to align conference operations with programmatic and clinical goals.
• Conduct post‑event evaluation and debriefs, document lessons learned, and recommend improvements for future conferences.

Additional Events & Organizational Support

• Assist with planning and execution of other fundraising events and organizational initiatives as needed.
• Coordinate event logistics, vendors, contracts, timelines, budgeting support, and on‑site operations.
• Support cross‑department collaboration to ensure effective event and project execution.

WHO YOU ARE

You demonstrate leadership and accountability, taking ownership of responsibilities and holding self and others to high standards.

You exhibit strong financial acumen understanding GL review, variance analysis, budgeting, reporting and internal controls.

You are a strong, clear and effective communicator with staff, board members, donors, sponsors, clinical partners, vendors and other stakeholders.

You value collaboration and work effectively across teams and with external partners in a collegial, service-oriented manner.

You have demonstrated problem‑solving capacity identifying issues, evaluating risk and applying sound judgment to develop viable solutions.

You are experienced in project management, with an ability to juggle multiple competing priorities in a fast‑paced environment, meeting deadlines with minimal supervision.

You have an impeccable attention to detail, maintaining accuracy in financial, HR, administrative, compliance and event functions.

You bring a high level of confidentiality and integrity, handling sensitive organizational, personnel and financial information with discretion and professionalism.

You seek continuous improvement to strengthen systems, technology utilization, workflows, controls and organizational effectiveness.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Finance, Nonprofit Management, Human Resources, or a related field.
• Minimum of five years progressively responsible operations management experience, preferably within a nonprofit, healthcare, foundation, association, or similarly complex organization.
• At least two years of direct HR administration or management experience.
• Demonstrated experience in financial reporting, budget management, GL review, and variance analysis.
• Demonstrated experience managing large-scale events or conferences, including venue and vendor management. Sponsorship experience is strongly valued.
• Strong project management, organizational, written communication, and verbal communication skills.
• Intermediate to advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Excel.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines with accuracy, discretion, and independent judgment.

Preferred

• Nonprofit management or healthcare‑related organization experience.
• Experience supporting a Board of Directors and preparing Board‑ready financial or operational materials.
• PHR, SHRM-CP, or comparable HR certification.
• Experience with HR, payroll, accounting, and CRM systems. Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge a plus.
• Previous experience supervising, coaching, or coordinating staff.
• Experience leading organizational change, process improvement, or technology implementation.