Finance & Operations Director

Full-time/Exempt
Reports To: Executive Director

ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION:

Located in Rochester Hills, MI, and serving the entirety of the Clinton River watershed, the Clinton River Watershed Council’s mission is to protect, enhance, and celebrate the Clinton River, its watershed, and Lake St. Clair for the benefit of communities, the environment, and our future. For over 50 years, CRWC has worked to improve watershed management practices alongside local municipalities, provide educational programming for communities and children of all ages, and works to restore and enhance the Clinton River and Lake St. Clair to become a place folks want to work, live and play.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The Finance & Operations Director is responsible for leading the financial management and day-to-day operations of the organization. This will include managing all of the day-to-day financial tasks, including (but not limited to) all bookkeeping and accounting, payroll and expenses, tax reporting, and the creation and weekly maintenance of the organizational and programmatic budgets. The position will also lead all financial reporting for the organization including for all grants, contracts, and fundraising efforts – in collaboration with CRWC staff and the Executive Director. Working collaboratively with the Executive Director, the Finance & Operations Director will contribute to a strategic vision for sustainable financial management within the organization and work to implement this vision. This will include transitioning the organization to a cloud-based financial management system over the next two years and maintaining expertise in navigating and utilizing such a system to enhance organizational operations, reporting, and fundraising. The Finance & Operations Director will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the CRWC office which will also include supporting CRWC program staff, welcoming visitors, and approaching this work with a positive, kind, and service-oriented attitude.

The Finance & Operations Director is a part of the staff team at CRWC working to uphold the organization’s mission and is expected to function as a collaborative team member, including contributing to organization events and team needs as they arise; production of high-quality work in a timely fashion; courteous, service-oriented behavior towards volunteers, partners, and co-workers at all times, and a demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with partners and colleagues.   

Reporting Relationship: The Finance & Operations Director reports to the Executive Director and works closely with CRWC staff to manage the day-to-day financial and operations needs of the organization.

PRIMARY DUTIES INCLUDE:

Day to Day Financial Management

  • Manage all bookkeeping and accounting functions, including payroll, accounts receivable and payable, banking, financial statements, budget tracking, and IRS, State of Michigan, & MESC reporting. 

  • Create all budgets and financial resources needed for grant proposals, grant awards, and financial grant reporting.

  • Manage all financial needs around existing CRWC contracts, including fees for service and programming.

  • Consistently track all grant and contractual funds on a weekly basis.

  • Responsible for all tax reporting and tracking requirements for the organization including leading the preparation and materials needs for the annual audit and preparing monthly and quarterly federal and state taxes.

  • Manage, process, and track expense reports.

  • Manage and implement staff time allocations based on current year budget.

  • Oversee and approve all expenses, including salary allocations, travel, office operations, and special events.

  • Process and manage the input of donations/payments received into CRWC system; Draft, proof and send donor acknowledgments.

Operations Management

  • Manage the day-to-day running of the CRWC office including

    • IT and phone systems and service providers

    • Process all incoming revenue and outgoing bills

    • Create, process, and track contracts

    • Cleaning service and physical office maintenance needs

    • Physical office organization and day-to-day staff operations needs (ordering supplies, etc.)

    • Programmatic support for fundraising event logistics as needed  

  • Manage all special licenses including, but not limited to:

    • Maintaining & reporting - CRWC License to Solicit

    • Obtaining special liquor licenses

    • Health department licenses

    • Raffle licenses

  • Assist the Executive Director with recruitment, hiring, and onboarding of new staff.

  • Promote a productive, interactive, collaborative, and kind work environment.

Financial Strategy and Long-Term Planning

  • Create and co-manage annual budget with Executive Director

  • Transition the organization to a cloud based financial software suite, including integrating new systems with payroll, revenue and expense flow, invoicing, grant tracking, staff time management and tracking, and WaterGrass

  • Work with ED and program staff to create and implement efficient systems for stormwater billing and all types of membership renewals and billing.

  • Prepare all necessary documentation and attend all BOD Finance Committee meetings

  • Support ED in expansion of new revenue streams for organization on an as needed basis

REQUIRED SKILLS & MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Undergraduate degree in accounting, financial administration, or related field required

  • Formal training in financial administration and budgeting strongly preferred, or at least 5 years relevant experience in a budget preparation and/or management, operations, or administration capacity, preferably in a nonprofit setting 

  • Proven skills in financial management and budgeting are essential, including grant management (experience with state and federal grant management preferred)

  • Highly ethical, organized, attention to detail, 100% follow through, and can meet strict tax deadlines. 

  • Ability to think strategically about finances and operations to meet long term organizational mission and goals.

  • Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to deal appropriately with confidential and sensitive matters.

  • Must have demonstrated problem solving abilities, be a strategic thinker, a positive communicator, and a relationship builder.

  • Demonstrated ability to set goals and priorities, work independently, and manage multiple tasks accurately and in a timely fashion. 

  • Highly proficient with cloud-based accounting and finance software (currently QuickBooks), Excel, and proficient in Microsoft Office applications, spreadsheet, and database management

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The physical demands and work environment described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of the job.  Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions, unless making the reasonable accommodation would cause an undue hardship.  

  • This position will be required to work from the CRWC office located at 1115 West Avon Road, Rochester Hills, MI 48309

  • Some evening and weekend work required

  • Must maintain a valid driver’s license

  • If selected for this position, a background check will be conducted.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

Salary Range: $56,000 - $60,000

Salary commensurate with experience. CRWC offers competitive medical, vision, and dental insurance packages. The organization also offers retirement benefits, vacation, sick, and holiday pay.  Compensation is recommended by the Executive Director and approved by the Board of Directors.

APPLICATION:

The Clinton River Watershed Council is an equal-opportunity employer. It makes its employment decisions on the basis of merit and does not discriminate against any candidate on the basis of race, color, ancestry, religion, height, weight, national origin, disability, citizenship, age, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, or any other protected class or status.