The Role
Leads the Institute’s accounting and financial operations, including general ledger management, accounts payable and receivable, payroll coordination, budgeting, forecasting, grant compliance, audits, and financial reporting. Oversees internal controls, restricted funding, and finance support staff. Partners with leadership and program teams on financial strategy, systems implementation, process improvement, and translating financial information for non-finance audiences.
Summary Generated by Built In
About the Role:The is Senior Finance Manager responsible for the Pacific Institute's day-to-day financial operations and for building the systems, controls, and reporting the organization needs as it grows. This role manages the Institute's accounting, grants and contracts financial administration, budgeting, and financial reporting, and maintains segregation of duties and strong internal controls across all finance execution work. The role leads and oversees finance support staff who handle a share of day-to-day transaction entry and processing, and is responsible for their training, quality of work, and professional development. The Senior Finance Manager also leads the evaluation and implementation of financial systems and partners closely with the Chief Operating Officer, Board Finance Committee, and program staff on financial strategy. This role requires sound judgment on accounting matters, strong internal-control instincts, and the ability to translate financial information for non-finance audiences.
Responsibilities:Financial Operations & Accounting Oversight
Diversity is a core value at Pacific Institute. We are dedicated to enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion within our team and culture for two reasons:
To stay true to our values and principles: We recognize that historical and current injustices have left out certain voices and perspectives from decision-making about accessing and managing water resources. We acknowledge that the representation of these groups in water-related decision-making and careers is an important step towards addressing past and current injustices. Because Pacific Institute participates in water-related decision-making, we acknowledge that hiring and retaining a diverse staff can contribute to a broader need to address systemic injustices.
To better achieve Pacific Institute's mission and vision: We know that having diverse perspectives makes for better research, creative solutions, and can help us achieve our mission. We recognize that a diverse team with varied perspectives, skills, and experiences is essential for generating and scaling innovative ideas that solve increasingly complex challenges. We make an active effort to create an inclusive environment where everyone feels respected, heard, validated, empowered, and celebrated across different identities and cultures. We aim to constantly evolve our approach to DEI to reflect best practices in this work, just as we do with our water and climate research. As part of this commitment, we request that all candidates include a short statement in their cover letter to address how your addition to our staff would contribute to our DEI efforts.
To ApplyPlease submit the following:
No phone calls, please. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.About our recruitment process:Here’s what you can expect:
Responsibilities:Financial Operations & Accounting Oversight
- Administer the Institute's accounting system, including managing the general ledger, posting journal entries, and closing the books monthly
- Oversee accounts payable and accounts receivable, ensuring accurate coding, timely payment and collection, and proper documentation
- Reconcile all bank and investment accounts monthly, or provide final review and sign-off where reconciliations are prepared by finance support staff
- Maintain effective working relationships with vendors, contractors, and financial institutions
- Coordinate semi-monthly payroll processing across the Institute's domestic and international payroll systems, in partnership with the HR Manager
- Maintain segregation of duties between transaction entry and account reconciliation, and provide hands-on review of higher-complexity coding and reconciliation items
- Maintain and strengthen the Institute's system of internal controls, including segregation of duties across transaction entry, review, and approval
- Lead the annual audit and Form 990 preparation process, coordinating with external auditors to ensure timely completion of audited financial statements and tax filings
- Safeguard and maintain the confidentiality of the Institute's financial and other sensitive data
- Monitor compliance with funder-specific financial reporting requirements and applicable federal, state, and local regulations
- Partner with program staff to develop project budgets for grant and contract proposals
- Track financial deadlines, deliverables, and payment schedules across the Institute's portfolio of grants, contracts, and fiscal-sponsorship arrangements
- Monitor compliance with restricted funding requirements across domestic and international grants, contracts, and fiscal-sponsorship projects
- Prepare and submit funder invoices and financial reports according to each funder's format and schedule
- Maintain grants and contracts financial records in the Institute's database syste
Budgeting, Forecasting & Financial Reporting
- Prepare monthly financial reports for the Board of Directors and staff, including profit-and-loss statements, balance sheets, cash flow reports, budget-to-actual analyses, and project-level financials
- Support the Chief Operating Officer and Board Finance Committee in developing the annual budget and subsequent revisions
- Develop income projections and cash flow forecasts, incorporating pipeline and program data
- Analyze and communicate the Institute's financial position to senior leadership, identifying trends, risks, and recommendations
- Lead the evaluation, implementation, and ongoing administration of financial systems, including integration with payroll, expense, and donor/grants management systems
- Document financial procedures and the reasoning behind recurring decisions, such as account coding and project/class assignment, to reduce reliance on institutional memory
- Identify and implement process improvements that reduce manual data entry and strengthen the audit trail
- Provide leadership, training, and, where applicable, direct supervision to finance support staff, including regular feedback and professional development support
- Act as a thought partner to the Chief Operating Officer and Executive Management Team on financial strategy and organizational planning
- Respond to staff requests for financial information and support financial literacy across the organization
- Partner with the HR Manager on finance-related aspects of HR, including benefits and retirement plan administration
- Experience managing accounting and financial operations for an organization of comparable scale and complexity (for example, an operating budget in the range of $10–20M, or a comparable volume and complexity of grants and contracts)
- Demonstrated experience with fund accounting and restricted grant/contract compliance, ideally within a nonprofit organization
- Experience with general ledger and accounting software
- Experience supervising staff and reviewing the work of others
- Strong understanding of internal controls and segregation-of-duties best practices
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate financial information for non-finance audiences
- Strong attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple deadlines in a fast-paced, evolving environment
- Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience
- CPA preferred, not required
- Experience implementing or migrating financial systems
- Experience with Salesforce or a comparable CRM/grants database
- Experience working with international payroll or contractor arrangements
- Zone A: $102,200-$138,000
- Zone B: $86,200-$116,400
- Zone C: $78,400-$105,800
Diversity is a core value at Pacific Institute. We are dedicated to enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion within our team and culture for two reasons:
To stay true to our values and principles: We recognize that historical and current injustices have left out certain voices and perspectives from decision-making about accessing and managing water resources. We acknowledge that the representation of these groups in water-related decision-making and careers is an important step towards addressing past and current injustices. Because Pacific Institute participates in water-related decision-making, we acknowledge that hiring and retaining a diverse staff can contribute to a broader need to address systemic injustices.
To better achieve Pacific Institute's mission and vision: We know that having diverse perspectives makes for better research, creative solutions, and can help us achieve our mission. We recognize that a diverse team with varied perspectives, skills, and experiences is essential for generating and scaling innovative ideas that solve increasingly complex challenges. We make an active effort to create an inclusive environment where everyone feels respected, heard, validated, empowered, and celebrated across different identities and cultures. We aim to constantly evolve our approach to DEI to reflect best practices in this work, just as we do with our water and climate research. As part of this commitment, we request that all candidates include a short statement in their cover letter to address how your addition to our staff would contribute to our DEI efforts.
To ApplyPlease submit the following:
- A cover letter of no more than two pages, including:
- Your interest in the work of the Pacific Institute and specific fit for this position;
- A summary of your qualifications;
- The DEI statement described above;
- Your CV/Resume;
No phone calls, please. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.About our recruitment process:Here’s what you can expect:
- Application review
- Schedule a Phone Screen interview with the HR Manager
- Schedule a group interview with the Hiring Manager and Team
- Schedule a second group interview with the Hiring Manager and Team
- References
- Offer
Skills Required
- Experience managing accounting and financial operations for an organization of comparable scale and complexity, such as a $10–20 million operating budget or comparable grants and contracts volume
- Demonstrated experience with fund accounting and restricted grant or contract compliance, ideally within a nonprofit organization
- Experience with general ledger and accounting software
- Experience supervising staff and reviewing the work of others
- Strong understanding of internal controls and segregation-of-duties best practices
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate financial information for non-finance audiences
- Strong attention to detail and ability to manage multiple deadlines in a fast-paced, evolving environment
- Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience
- CPA certification
- Experience implementing or migrating financial systems
- Experience with Salesforce or a comparable CRM or grants database
- Experience working with international payroll or contractor arrangements
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The Company
What We Do
The Pacific Institute is a global, nonpartisan water think tank that combines science-based research, policy analysis, and stakeholder engagement to address urgent water challenges. Its work advances water resilience, equity, efficiency, reuse, nature-based solutions, and corporate water stewardship in the face of climate change. The organization collaborates with governments, businesses, utilities, nonprofits, and frontline communities to inform practical policies and solutions worldwide.
