VP, Finance

Ilitch Charities, Inc.; Detroit (MI); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Olympia Development of Michigan seeks a Vice President, Finance to lead financial strategy and execution across real estate development, property management, and related initiatives within The District Detroit portfolio.

The role provides strategic financial direction, oversees budgeting, forecasting, reporting, internal controls, and KPI development, and partners with Executive Leadership to drive profitability and growth.

Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years of progressive finance leadership experience.
• Experience with real estate development and property management operations.
• Expertise in budgeting, forecasting, close, controls, and financial modeling.
• Experience with ERP and BI reporting tools; strong data fluency.
• Excellent communication skills with executive presence.

Responsibilities

• Lead ODM’s annual budget cycle and long-range planning.
• Own consolidated financial statements, P&L, cash flow, and forecasts.
• Develop and execute strategic financial plan for real estate and operations.
• Partner with leaders to evaluate initiatives; model ROI and risk.
• Build and lead finance teams; ensure staffing and succession.
• Set KPIs and dashboards; drive timely, actionable reporting.
• Ensure internal controls, audits, and compliance.

Skills

Finance leadership

FP&A leadership

Budgeting & forecasting

Cross-functional leadership

ERP systems

BI tools

Executive communication

Strategic thinking

Data analytics

Team building

Education

Bachelor's degree in finance or accounting

MBA

CPA

Tools

ERP platforms

BI reporting tools

Job description

Job Summary

The Vice President, Finance for Olympia Development of Michigan (ODM) is a key financial leader responsible for planning, implementing, and controlling all finance-related activities for ODM. This role will report to the President of ODM and will ensure financial vision and discipline support successful operations, growth, and profitability across real estate development, property management, and related initiatives within the District Detroit portfolio. The VP, Finance drives value through financial insight, operational excellence, and innovative business strategies; implements processes, metrics, dashboards, analytics, and policies; and partners closely with executive leadership on organization-wide decisions.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead ODM’s annual budget cycle and long-range planning process;


• establish forecasting cadence and deliver robust business reviews with variance analysis and recommendations.


• Own consolidated financial statements, P&L, cash flow, and forecast vs. budget for ODM; ensure timely, accurate monthly close and reporting packs for executive review.


• Develop and execute a strategic financial plan supporting near-term priorities and long-term vision for ODM’s real estate development and property management operations.


• Partner with business leaders to evaluate new initiatives, development projects, and operational strategies; model scenarios, ROI, and risk considerations.


• Build and lead high-performing teams across Accounting, FP&A, Property/Project Cost Accounting, and Operational Finance for ODM; ensure staffing, bench strength, succession planning, and leadership development.


• Set clear goals and KPIs; implement best practices to produce timely, accurate, and actionable information for multiple levels of the organization.


• Drive continuous process improvement and a culture of accountability, service, and partnership.


• Serve as a strategic finance partner to Operations/Property Management and Development leaders; oversee CAM allocations/reconciliations, lien waivers, construction draws, project cost accounting, and property-level financial governance.


• Communicate capital requirements and financial implications of business decisions to ODM President and executive leaders.


• Ensure strong internal controls, policy adherence, risk management, and compliance across ODM; oversee external and internal audits and timely filings.


• Standardize accounting policies across ODM to support efficiency, transparency, and comparability.


• Implement performance dashboards and KPI frameworks (e.g., revenue, operating expense, working capital, project delivery) to drive results.


• Conduct proactive analysis to communicate financial performance; provide insight and recommendations to improve decision quality and business outcomes.


• Establish monthly and quarterly performance rhythms: close calendar, forecast updates, variance bridges, and operational scorecards.


• Support capital planning and portfolio prioritization for ODM development projects; evaluate funding options and compliance with covenants.


• Partner with treasury on cash flow optimization, liquidity planning, working capital strategies, and banking relationships.


• Ensure strategic use of the ERP and connected tools (planning, BI/reporting); lead roadmap to improve automation, close speed, data integrity, and self-service analytics.


• Champion data governance and standardized definitions to enable reliable cross-entity reporting.


• Provide financial oversight for initiatives with significant impact (district expansions, operational transformations).


• Lead cross-functional efforts to streamline processes (e.g., procure-to-pay, order-to-cash, project-to-report) and enhance end-to-end controls.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, economics or related field.


• Minimum 10 years of progressive finance leadership experience, including oversight of real estate development and property management operations.


• Demonstrated success leading FP&A and Accounting teams; expertise in budgeting, forecasting, close, audit, controls, and financial modeling.


• Experience with ERP platforms and business intelligence/reporting tools; strong data fluency.


• Excellent communication skills with executive presence; ability to influence, challenge, and align stakeholders.


• Proven track record of building teams, improving processes, and driving measurable business results.


• Strategic & Analytical Thinking: Translates business strategy into financial roadmaps and performance outcomes.


• Operational Excellence: Drives standardization, efficiency, accuracy, and timely execution.


• Decision Quality: Balances rigor and practicality; provides clear recommendations under uncertainty.


• Collaboration & Influence: Builds trust with executives and operators; navigates matrixed environments.


• Talent Builder: Develops leaders and deep bench strength; fosters accountability and growth mindset.


• Integrity & Compliance: Upholds policies, controls, and fiduciary responsibilities.

Preferred Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• MBA and/or CPA strongly preferred.

The above is intended to describe the general content of and requirements for the performance of this job. It is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities, or requirements. All items listed above are illustrative and not comprehensive. They are not contractual in nature and are subject to change at the discretion of Olympia Development of Michigan.

Olympia Development of Michigan is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regards to that individual’s race, color, religion or creed, national origin or ancestry, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, veteran status, genetic information, ethnicity, citizenship, or any other characteristic protected by law.

The Company will strive to provide reasonable accommodations to permit qualified applicants who have a need for an accommodation to participate in the hiring process (e.g., accommodations for a job interview) if so requested.

Olympia Development of Michigan is dedicated to improving the lives of people who live, work, and play in Detroit and beyond.

Through catalytic developments, innovative design and construction, and inclusive placemaking, Olympia Development provides and creates jobs, needed housing, and opportunities for Detroiters.

The company continues to develop The District Detroit, the heart of the city’s sports and entertainment district.

The District Detroit unites world-class theaters, three multi-use sports facilities, restaurants, retail, residential, educational, and commercial office developments.

This includes Little Caesars Arena, Comerica Park, the Fox Theatre, the Little Caesars World Headquarters, the Mike Ilitch School of Business at Wayne State University, and the soon to be built University of Michigan Center for Innovation.