Operations & Finance Manager

finEQUITY.org; Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); Hybrid; USD 80,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

A nonprofit organization in Philadelphia seeks an Operations & Finance Manager to oversee day-to-day financial operations, including bookkeeping and payroll management. This role also involves managing hiring logistics, ensuring timely processing of applications, and clearing operational blockages affecting participants and partners. Ideal candidates should possess strong situational awareness and the ability to prioritize tasks effectively. The position offers a salary ranging from $80,000 to $95,000 and requires in-person work during onboarding.

Qualifications

• Experience managing financial operations, including bookkeeping and payroll.
• Ability to handle multiple priorities and urgent tasks.
• Excellent communication skills with vendors and partners.

Responsibilities

• Manage day-to-day financial operations including bill pay and reconciliations.
• Own hiring logistics for fellow cohorts.
• Clear operational backlogs blocking participants or funds.

Skills

Strong situational awareness

Bias toward progress

Judgment under pressure

Job description

Join to apply for the Operations & Finance Manager role at finEQUITY.org

finEQUITY is an early-stage nonprofit focused on improving financial outcomes for justice-impacted individuals and their families. We work to expand economic opportunity and advance the financial futures of families impacted by mass incarceration.

Overview

• Start Date: January 2025
• Location: Philadelphia, PA
• Compensation: $80,000–$95,000
• Work Style: In‑person onboarding required; hybrid over time
• Type: Full-time
• Reports to: Executive Director

Core Responsibilities

Financial Operations and Execution

• Own day‑to‑day financial operations: bill pay, expense tracking, payroll coordination, grant allocations, and reconciliations
• Manage relationships with accountants, payroll providers, and other vendors
• Execute funder reporting, compliance, audits, and 990 preparation in coordination with external partners
• Own internal QuickBooks hygiene and monthly close bookkeeping (typically ~5–10 hours per month)
• Maintain clean, current financial records that are explainable at any point in time

Important context: The challenge in this role is not the volume of bookkeeping work, but prioritization when finance tasks collide with grants, funder or vendor requests, partner issues, program operations support, and other urgent operational work. Judgment about what must be protected versus what can temporarily be imperfect is critical.Hiring Operations (Cyclical – 2x/year)

• Own hiring logistics for fellow cohorts and short‑term roles (twice per year)
• Manage application intake, screening logistics, scheduling, and candidate tracking
• Ensure hiring timelines are met and candidates are not stalled or dropped
• Coordinate onboarding paperwork and start‑date readiness

Operational Execution Under Pressure

• Clear operational backlogs that block participants, partners, or funders
• Step in to unblock urgent work when priorities shift or timelines compress
• Build lightweight systems or documentation only when they reduce errors or increase speed

How This Role Relates to finEQUITY’s Strategic HIT List

finEQUITY maintains a dynamic, org‑wide Strategic HIT List reflecting our most urgent priorities at any given time. This list is shared across the organization and may change throughout the year.

This role does not own the entire HIT List. However, strong performance includes:

• Maintaining situational awareness of high‑priority items
• Taking initiative when progress is blocked and action is possible
• Exercising judgment about when to act independently versus escalating
• Advancing low‑effort, high‑impact actions that materially move work forward

What We’re Explicitly Looking For

• Strong situational awareness across multiple workstreams
• A bias toward progress — action that leads to outcomes, not action for action’s sake
• Comfort acting without perfect ownership or complete information
• Judgment about when to act, when to loop others in, and when to elevate issues

What This Role Is Not

• People‑ops leadership or HR strategy
• Product or program design role
• Documentation‑first or planning‑heavy role

Please Read Before Applying: This Role Is Not for Everyone

Early‑stage organizations can be rewarding — and they can also be fluid, interrupt‑driven, and demanding. This role requires comfort with shifting priorities while still maintaining strong follow‑through and attention to detail.

You may struggle in this role if:

• You need stable, highly defined scopes of work to feel effective
• You prefer to wait for clear ownership, permission, or full context before taking action
• You are most comfortable optimizing processes rather than moving work forward under time pressure
• You find ambiguity stressful rather than solvable

If you enjoy problem‑solving in dynamic environments, exercising judgment about when to act versus escalating, and helping organizations move forward even when conditions aren’t perfect, this role may be a strong fit.

Location & Work Style

This role requires in‑person work in Philadelphia during onboarding and the first several months. While residency within the city is not required, candidates must be able to reliably commute to Philadelphia during this period. As trust and working rhythms are established, the role is expected to transition to a hybrid schedule.

Seniority level

• Mid‑Senior level

Employment type

• Full-time

Job function

• Finance and Sales
• Non‑profit Organizations