Senior Manager Finance and Operations

ISHE; Chicago, Northern (IL, KY); Hybrid; USD 85,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

Lighthouse Foundation of Chicagoland is seeking a Senior Manager of Finance & Operations to coordinate financial operations, grant administration, vendor management, and day-to-day operations for a growing nonprofit in the Chicago area.

You will partner with the Executive Director, bookkeeper, CPA/controller, staff, and contractors to ensure accurate financial tracking, timely payments, documentation, and grant compliance while strengthening administrative processes for efficiency and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and at least 4 years of experience in finance, operations, nonprofit administration, grant management.
• Experience with nonprofit finance, grant administration, accounting support, operations, or financial tracking.
• Experience managing administrative systems, deadlines, documentation, and multi-step workflows.
• Experience using Google Docs, Google Sheets, and shared digital file systems.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong attention to detail, project management skills, and organizational discipline.
• Ability to pass a background check.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate accounts payable and payroll workflows in partnership with the Executive Director, bookkeeper, and CPA/controller.
• Ensure bills, invoices, payroll information, receipts, contracts, and other financial records are organized, complete, and submitted for timely processing.
• Work with the bookkeeper to ensure accurate data entry, expense coding, documentation, and tracking in QuickBooks and related systems.
• Work with the CPA/controller to review monthly financial reports, expense categorization, budget-to-actual reports, and other financial materials.
• Maintain event and program budgets, track actual expenses against approved budgets, and flag significant variances for review.
• Support timely reconciliation by ensuring receipts, invoices, bank records, credit card documentation, and supporting materials are complete and available to the bookkeeper and CPA/controller.
• Maintain vendor records, W-9s, payment information, contracts, and documentation needed for compliance and reporting.
• Liaise with vendors and contractors to support accurate invoicing, timely payment, and clear communication.
• Draft and manage memoranda of agreement, vendor agreements, contractor agreements, and related payment documentation in consultation with the Executive Director.
• Maintain financial calendars, payment schedules, grant spending trackers, and documentation systems.
• Support strong internal controls by ensuring that payment processing, financial review, reconciliation, and approval functions are appropriately separated among staff, the bookkeeper, CPA/controller, Executive Director, and board leadership.
• Manage administrative components of grant submissions, including portal setup, organizational attachments, standard organizational information, deadlines, and required compliance materials.
• Support the grant contract process from award notification through contract execution, payment tracking, and receipt of funds.
• Maintain organized records of current grants, pending grant opportunities, reporting deadlines, funder requirements, and grant-related deliverables.
• Support funder outreach, engagement, communication, and reporting in partnership with the Executive Director and program staff.
• Review grant materials for clarity, consistency, completeness, formatting requirements, word count, grammar, spelling, and alignment with funder instructions.
• Help organize grant budgets, budget narratives, required attachments, award letters, contracts, and reporting materials.
• Track grant spending and deliverable timelines in coordination with the Executive Director, program staff, bookkeeper, and CPA/controller.
• Support compliance with grant requirements by maintaining accurate documentation and helping staff prepare for reports, site visits, audits, and funder check-ins.
• Oversee a team of grant writers

Skills

Communication

Attention to detail

Project management

Organization

Multitasking

Problem-solving

Flexibility

Collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Master’s degree (preferred)

Tools

Google Docs

Google Sheets

Shared digital file systems

Job description

The Role:

The Senior Manager of Finance & Operations will report to the Executive Director and serve as a key organizational systems leader for Lighthouse Foundation of Chicagoland. This role will coordinate financial operations, grant administration, vendor management, internal systems, and day-to-day operations for a rapidly growing nonprofit.

The Senior Manager of Finance & Operations will not work alone. This position will work closely with the Executive Director, external bookkeeper, CPA/controller, staff, and contractors to ensure accurate financial tracking, timely payments, strong documentation, grant compliance, and smooth organizational operations.

The ideal candidate is a proactive, detail-oriented problem solver who can manage multiple systems, strengthen administrative processes, communicate clearly, and help a growing organization operate with greater efficiency, accountability, and care.

Responsibilities:

Financial Management (50%)

• Coordinate accounts payable and payroll workflows in partnership with the Executive Director, bookkeeper, and CPA/controller.
• Ensure bills, invoices, payroll information, receipts, contracts, and other financial records are organized, complete, and submitted for timely processing.
• Work with the bookkeeper to ensure accurate data entry, expense coding, documentation, and tracking in QuickBooks and related systems.
• Work with the CPA/controller to review monthly financial reports, expense categorization, budget-to-actual reports, and other financial materials.
• Maintain event and program budgets, track actual expenses against approved budgets, and flag significant variances for review.
• Support timely reconciliation by ensuring receipts, invoices, bank records, credit card documentation, and supporting materials are complete and available to the bookkeeper and CPA/controller.
• Maintain vendor records, W-9s, payment information, contracts, and documentation needed for compliance and reporting.
• Liaise with vendors and contractors to support accurate invoicing, timely payment, and clear communication.
• Draft and manage memoranda of agreement, vendor agreements, contractor agreements, and related payment documentation in consultation with the Executive Director.
• Maintain financial calendars, payment schedules, grant spending trackers, and documentation systems.
• Support strong internal controls by ensuring that payment processing, financial review, reconciliation, and approval functions are appropriately separated among staff, the bookkeeper, CPA/controller, Executive Director, and board leadership.

Grant Administration and Development Support (30%)

• Manage administrative components of grant submissions, including portal setup, organizational attachments, standard organizational information, deadlines, and required compliance materials.
• Support the grant contract process from award notification through contract execution, payment tracking, and receipt of funds.
• Maintain organized records of current grants, pending grant opportunities, reporting deadlines, funder requirements, and grant-related deliverables.
• Support funder outreach, engagement, communication, and reporting in partnership with the Executive Director and program staff.
• Review grant materials for clarity, consistency, completeness, formatting requirements, word count, grammar, spelling, and alignment with funder instructions.
• Help organize grant budgets, budget narratives, required attachments, award letters, contracts, and reporting materials.
• Track grant spending and deliverable timelines in coordination with the Executive Director, program staff, bookkeeper, and CPA/controller.
• Support compliance with grant requirements by maintaining accurate documentation and helping staff prepare for reports, site visits, audits, and funder check-ins.
• Oversee a team of grant writers

Operations, Systems, and Administration (20%)

• Work with the Executive Director to create, maintain, and refine systems for planning, tracking, grant compliance, staff coordination, and organizational accountability.
• Oversee and maintain Lighthouse Foundation’s CRM, Monday.com, and related work management systems to improve data tracking and cross-department coordination.
• Proactively identify opportunities to streamline administrative processes and improve organizational efficiency.
• Support staff in using organizational systems consistently and effectively.
• Provide operations support for Lighthouse Foundation events, including registration systems, logistics tracking, vendor coordination, and day-of staffing as needed.
• Manage or support Eventbrite and Zoom event postings, registration tracking, and related data integration.
• Maintain organized digital files, records, templates, and administrative systems.
• Support staff meetings, planning processes, internal deadlines, and organizational follow-through.
• Perform additional duties as assigned that are consistent with the role’s finance, operations, grants, and systems responsibilities.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and at least 4 years of experience in finance, operations, nonprofit administration, grant management
• Experience with nonprofit finance, grant administration, accounting support, operations, or financial tracking.
• Experience managing administrative systems, deadlines, documentation, and multi-step workflows.
• Experience using Google Docs, Google Sheets, and shared digital file systems.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong attention to detail, project management skills, and organizational discipline.
• Ability to prioritize, multitask, follow through, and manage responsibilities with minimal direction.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to navigate conflict or confusion with professionalism.
• Flexibility in a growing nonprofit environment where responsibilities may evolve.
• Familiarity with social justice, racial justice, and Black LGBTQ+ communities.
• Ability to pass a background check.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree and at least 5 years of relevant experience.
• Experience with QuickBooks
• Experience with Monday.com and Ramp
• Experience with Eventbrite, Zoom, and event registration systems.
• Experience supporting audits, grant reporting, financial documentation, or nonprofit compliance processes.
• Experience working in a small or growing nonprofit organization.
• A collaborative spirit, upbeat attitude, and good sense of humor.