Associate Director of Operations and Finance

Position Description

Join a diverse, fun team passionate about creating healthier and more just communities as Faith in Place's Associate Director of Finance and Operations. This position will manage day-to-day finance and grants management operations for the Finance & Operations Department, supervising the Grants Management Coordinator and working closely with accounting and program staff across the organization. This role reports to the Finance & Operations Senior Director and supports financial strategy and implementation across Faith in Place, a 501(c)3, and the Faith in Place Action Fund, a 501(c)4.

Responsibilities

Grants Management

• Oversee the full grants management lifecycle in Foundant, including pre-award budgeting, award setup, ongoing compliance monitoring, and closeout reporting for a large and active grants portfolio.
• Draft, review, and negotiate subgrant agreements and MOUs, including budget terms and liability provisions.
• Track grant-funded expenditures to ensure spending stays within allowable, allocable, and reasonable cost guidelines.
• Prepare and review financial reports for funders, ensuring accuracy and on-time submission.
• Reconcile EveryAction and QuickBooks Online (QBO) quarterly receivables in partnership with the Development Officer and Operations & Data Management Senior Coordinator, and provide backup coverage for donor acknowledgment processes.
• Maintain grant files, deadlines, and reporting calendars, and serve as a liaison between program staff and funders on budget questions and reporting requirements.

Financial Operations and Reporting

• Support monthly, quarterly, and annual financial close processes, including account reconciliations and journal entries.
• Assist in preparing budgets, forecasts, and variance analyses for departments and programs.
• Help prepare materials for the annual audit and ensure timely, accurate filing of financial reports.
• Maintain and improve internal financial controls and documentation of standard procedures, including check/ACH and credit card transaction processes.
• Provide input on finance-related components of organizational security and compliance reviews (e.g., cybersecurity questionnaires touching financial systems).

Compliance and Risk Management

• Monitor compliance with grant agreements, statutory requirements, and financial regulations across both the 501(c)3 and 501(c)4 entities.
• Flag emerging financial or compliance risks to the Finance & Operations Director.
• Support implementation of policies that safeguard organizational assets and ensure appropriate segregation of duties.

Team Support and Collaboration

• Coach and support program and outreach staff on grant budget management and grant evaluation processes.
• Partner with program and development staff to communicate budgets clearly and support data-informed decisions.
• Contribute to a culture of continuous improvement in financial and operational practices.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• 6-8 years of relevant work experience or an equivalent combination of relevant education and work experience.
• Passion for faith-based environmental justice, a strong work ethic, and a positive attitude.
• 2+ years of experience supervising or mentoring staff.
• Demonstrated experience managing grant budgets, including tracking and monitoring allowable expenditures for reimbursable and other grants.
  
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to make data-driven decisions.
• Experience managing projects in Monday.com or other similar project management software.
• Ability to work in a dynamic, fast-paced environment, managing multiple projects with attention to detail and deadlines.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to collaborate with diverse teams and build relationships with stakeholders.
• Strong knowledge of financial software (QuickBooks Online and EveryAction) and accounting systems.
  
• Candidate must reside in Illinois, Indiana, or Wisconsin.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience managing grants or finances for both 501(c)3 and 501(c)4 organizations.
• Bachelor's degree in finance, accounting, business administration, or a related field
• Knowledge of sustainable business practices and a commitment to environmental sustainability and social justice.

Hours

This is a full-time, exempt position. While most work is done during a standard workday, work opportunities occasionally occur on evenings and weekends. For any time worked outside regular work hours, comp time will be provided.

About the Organization's Mission

Faith in Place is a multifaith, environmental nonprofit 501(c)3 organization with outreach staff working throughout Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. Faith in Place's mission is to empower people of diverse faith and spiritualities to be leaders in advancing environmental and racial justice, providing resources to educate, connect, and advocate for healthier communities. Faith in Place partners with communities of faith from diverse religious traditions as well as people who identify as spiritual or motivated by justice but don't identify with a specific faith tradition.

Faith in Place organizes faith leaders, groups, and members to advance our mission by starting and coaching Green Teams. Green Teams are three or more members of a house of worship who provide cooperative leadership to educate, connect, and advocate for environmental and racial justice within the context of their community's unique culture, history, and theological practices.

All Faith in Place staff also contribute part of their working hours to the Faith in Place Action Fund, a separate 501(c)4 nonprofit organization. The Faith in Place Action Fund raises memberships and motivates lobbying for environmental justice. The Faith in Place Action Fund uses several tools to hold candidates and elected officials accountable to create more environmental justice jobs throughout the Midwest. These tools include grassroots lobbying, legislator scorecards, questionnaires, interviews, and candidate endorsements.

About the Organization's Staff Culture

The Faith in Place team works together to create a culture that is focused on growth, collaboration, healing, and justice. We value a diversity of voices and perspectives, and the staff team participates in Diversity and Equity training, Healing Circles, Case Studies, and more to learn from one another and professional teachers about the roots of injustice and how we can work together to create a collaborative and healthier work culture.

Pay and Benefits

A comprehensive benefits package is offered to full-time employees of Faith in Place. These benefits, with some employee contributions, include medical, dental, vision, life, and short-term and long-term disability insurance, and an employer-matched SIMPLE IRA plan, which begins the first of the month following employment, and a stipend to support professional development. Up to twenty (20) paid vacation days, two (2) paid personal days, and five (5) paid sick days will begin after three (3) months of employment. Monthly cell phone and internet stipends are provided along with a $500 one-time payment to help with home office needs.

Anti-Discrimination Policy

Faith in Place is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate against any employee or job applicant based on race, color, national origin, religion, caste, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, veteran status, or marital status. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, hiring, termination, promotion, transfer, layoff, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

Justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion are core values at Faith in Place. Because we believe that the BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities must be centered in the work of our intersectional environmentalism, we strongly encourage applications from these identities. We acknowledge that we must do better to represent the diverse communities that we exist to uplift and protect.

To Apply

Application Process and Timeline

Faith in Place is only accepting internal applicants until August 9th. If the posting is live after that date, external candidate applications will be welcomed. 

For internal candidates:

• A 1-hour interview

For external candidates:

• 30-minute phone interview
• 1-hour Zoom interview (questions will be sent in advance)
• Finalists will be asked to provide 2-3 professional references and may be invited for a final 45-minute interview

To apply, please submit your resume and respond to the application questions. This posting will be removed when filled; applications are welcome until then.