Director of Finance

Job Description

The Director of Finance is a strategic, hands-on accounting specialist and financial analyst, providing dynamic support and guidance to the Executive Director, department directors, managers, and the Board of Trustees. You are responsible for planning, implementing, managing and controlling all finance-related activities. Given the complex nature of our support and revenue streams, you need a strong understanding of not-for-profit GAAP.

This position manages organizational cash flow, acting as liaison with banks, investment managers, insurance agents and brokers, vendors, and various government agencies, and oversees the submission of invoices associated with Federal and State grants and contracts. Working with department directors, you prepare forecasts and continuously collaborate with budget managers to assess the financial efficacy of program operations.

This is an extraordinary opportunity for a leader with ten plus years of accounting and finance experience, ideally beginning in accounting and/or auditing. To perform this job successfully, you must be able to perform each essential duty with a hands-on approach within a small team. Currently, we contract with an independent financial management firm to fulfill these duties, along with an internal position to support accounting functions. The Director of Finance will assume some of these duties and coordinate the rest, providing an in-house, hands-on finance role that is able to provide timely response and turnaround. You will also be the liaison for any ongoing or new finance-related contractors.

This position requires high ethical standards and commitment to ensuring system-wide accountability for the accounting and financial activities of the Garden. As a member of the senior leadership team, you report directly to the Executive Director.

Annual Salary Range: $95,680 – $145,600 DOE

About Us

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden’s mission is to conserve California native plants and habitats for the health and well-being of people and the planet. Since the 1930s, Garden staff have developed and maintained an intimate knowledge of the California flora, with an emphasis on the plants and vegetation communities of California’s Central Coast and the offshore islands. Today, we take a comprehensive approach to its conservation from genes to ecosystems, with plant systematics, rare plant conservation, community ecology and habitat restoration functions. This allows us to more thoroughly tackle the conservation challenges of our day, such as habitat loss and fragmentation, invasive species, and climate change.

Support native plant conservation in a beautiful environment that encourages growth and learning as well as excellence. Our employees engage in a variety of duties related to Santa Barbara Botanic Garden’s mission, including research, plant conservation, education, horticulture, development, administration, retail operations, and visitor services.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Train and develop a strong team, preserving high ethical standards and processes.
• Develop and update policies and procedures related to internal controls, as necessary.
• Establish finance and administrative systems to support program operations.
• Analyze financial data and present financial reports in an accurate and timely manner to senior leadership and the
Board.
• Clearly communicate monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements for a variety of audiences.
• Attend bi-monthly Board of Trustee meetings, as well as the Audit, Investment, and Finance Committee meetings, most of which are held during normal business hours. Support the Executive Director in engaging and leading the Board and these committees around issues and trends with financial operating models and deliverables.
• Administer and review all financial plans and compare actuals – identify, explain, and correct variances, as appropriate, for annual budgeting and planning.
• Oversee all financial, project/program and grants accounting; ensure that expenditures consistently align and match grant and program budgets throughout the grant/fund period; collate financial reporting materials for Government, corporate, and foundation grants.
• Provide support to departments that run grants and contracts, deftly creating reimbursement reports for such revenue streams, and managing collection to optimize cash flow.
• Ensure accurate and timely invoicing of personnel hours and expenses through online portals associated with reimbursable grants and contracts.
• Coordinate with various department leaders so that all revenue and expenses are properly recorded under applicable generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) requirements.
• Assist budget managers responsible for earned revenue flows with business planning including financial modeling based on new initiatives they present for their departments.
• Oversee all accounts, ledgers, and reporting systems ensuring compliance with appropriate GAAP standards and regulatory requirements.
• Maintain internal control and safeguards for receipt of revenue, costs, and program budgets and actual expenditures.
• Coordinate all audit activity with Santa Barbara Botanic Garden’s external audit firm.

Education and Experience

You Must Be Able To:

• Communicate effectively and work collaboratively towards a common goal.
• Be flexible and respond well to change.
• Prioritize effectively and respond to demands and questions in a timely fashion.
• Bend, squat, and walk stairs and the SBBG trails.
• Stand/walk for up to 2 hours at a time, and use a computer and phone for lengthy periods.

You Will Definitely Need:

• A Bachelor’s or Master’s in Accounting (qualified candidates with or without a CPA license will be given equal consideration).
• At least 10 years of increasing responsibility in the accounting/finance function.
• At least 5 years of direct supervisory experience.
• Significant experience with not-for-profit tax compliance issues and the ability to provide assurance on the accuracy and completeness of the required tax returns. These include, but are not limited to, the federal form 990 and 990-T, the California form 199, 199-T, the RRF-1, federal and state payroll tax returns, property tax returns, and sales tax returns.
• Knowledge of point-of-sales computer systems and sales tax compliance, allowing you to evaluate the accuracy of the point-of-sales terminals, as well as their integration with the general ledger.
• Proficiency in modern general ledger software programs that specialize in NFP accounting.
• Proficiency in multiple financial and accounting software programs in a PC environment and with Microsoft Office Suite, allowing you to bridge the departments that utilize other hardware and provide support to their products’ integration into the PC environment.
• Knowledge of financial reporting for NFP entities in accordance with GAAP.
• Strong analytical skills working with quantitative data, organizing information effectively, and providing useful data.

It Would Be Nice if You Had:

• Experience with Dynamics 365 Business Central (Serenic), Raiser’s Edge, Certify
• Previous experience working with gate operations, retail, and rentals a plus.
• Public garden or museum experience

Additional Information

More About Us

The Garden is a beautiful place to work! In addition to beautiful views, outdoor work environments include exposure to extreme temperature fluctuations, rain, dust, allergens, poison oak, insects, wildlife, and sun exposure.
Disclaimer:

You must be able to perform the essential functions of the position satisfactorily, and if requested, reasonable accommodations will be made to enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions of their job, absent undue hardship.
Santa Barbara Botanic Garden retains the right to change or assign other duties to this position.

Application Instructions

For more information, and to apply, please visit our website https://sbbotanicgarden.org/about/employment/