Arabella Advisors seeks a socially engaged accounting professional to help launch and manage innovative social sector projects in direct collaboration with our clients. Accounting expertise is just as important as communication skills in this role. In addition to having a firm grasp on financial reporting, you’ll also need to work closely with our clients, breaking down and translating financial information into easily understood language. This person will manage a team of four nonprofit project accountants, and will serve as a bridge between the accounting team members and programmatic staff. If you want the opportunity to work with a fast-growing and entrepreneurial team re-shaping the charitable sector, then this job is for you.   

About Arabella Advisors

Arabella Advisors helps foundations, philanthropists and investors who are serious about impact achieve the greatest good with their resources.  We help our clients imagine what’s possible, design the best strategies, learn what works best, and do the work necessary to realize their visions.

Our staff is a team of passionate problem-solvers—mission-driven and action-oriented—with a unique combination of experience in philanthropy, business, nonprofits, government, finance, law, and other fields. We combine creative, strategic thinking with knowledge and networks developed through decades of hands-on experience. The fastest-growing philanthropic advisory firm in the nation, Arabella is also a certified B Corporation. 

Our leadership team, advisors, colleagues, and staff are fundamentally concerned with social change. We share a desire to make a difference and apply an outcomes-focused approach. Our internal culture supports employee passions, enables continuous learning, and fosters innovation, risk taking, and fun—even as it emphasizes excellence. 

About the Managed Nonprofit Organizations

Arabella Advisors provides operations and management support to multiple public charities, including the New Venture Fund, the Windward Fund, and the Hopewell Fund—all 501(c)(3) public charities—and the Sixteen Thirty Fund, a 501(c)(4).These managed organizations house new and innovative public interest projects and nonprofits, as well as coordinate collaborative initiatives between donors and administer grants programs. This type of structure is commonly referred to as fiscal sponsorship, and candidates are highly encouraged to research fiscal sponsorship prior to a first interview.  The managed organizations provide support to a diverse range of projects, including many focused on conservation and global health.  The organizations have also provided fiscal sponsorship to projects focused on voter registration, public policy, education, disaster recovery, and music and the arts. 

Essential Responsibilities:

• Supervise and provide leadership, coaching, and performance feedback to a team of nonprofit project accountants, based in each of Arabella Advisors’ offices (Washington, DC, New York, Chicago, and San Francisco)
• Provide nonprofit financial expertise and analysis to internal business teams and clients, including reviewing and analyzing program revenue and expenses as well as budgeting
• Develop financial reporting strategies and tools to meet donor, client and project needs
• Design and implement new finance processes, including identifying opportunities for efficiency and streamlining whenever possible
• Prepare, review and advise on financial deliverables for donors, clients and projects;
• Communicate financial information with clients in a polished, professional manner
• Work closely with internal and project staff to prepare annual budgets and prepare, monitor and update forecasts on an ongoing basis
• Review and help prepare financial component of proposals and reports to funders
• Manage government and foundation grant compliance responsibilities
• Conduct trainings to internal staff and projects on processes and best practices in nonprofit financial management
• Support the preparation of the 990 and audits as needed

Essential Knowledge, Skills and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting/finance/nonprofit administration required; Master’s Degree in accounting/finance/nonprofit administration preferred
• Certified Professional Accountant designation or equivalent preferred
• Minimum of seven years of relevant professional experience in non-profit organizations, including budget management and financial reporting as well as oversight of annual audit and federal Form 990 preparation
• Demonstrated experience managing staff
• Knowledge of financial and accounting best practices, including Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)
• Proficiency with accounting software (Microsoft Dynamics GP/Management Reporter preferred) and Excel
• Proven project management and leadership skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects and competing priorities
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including communication (both verbal and written)
• Ability to simplify and explain complex financial concepts
• Strategic thinker with strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and problem-solving mindset
• Willingness to work collaboratively across departments and consider new ideas

Other Preferred Skills and Experience:

• Experience managing accounting records for federal grants/contracts and familiarity with federal procurement guidelines and regulations such as OMB Circulars
• Financial management experience with fiscal sponsors and/or non-profits working in multiple foreign currencies
• Exposure to Salesforce and Great Plains preferred
• Experience supervising remote staff preferred

A Career with Arabella Advisors

We are committed to having a passion-driven, inclusive, fun, transparent, collaborative, and healthy culture.  We invite you to visit our careers website to learn more about our people, culture, and work. However, we thought you should know that Arabella is committed to providing excellent benefits to our employees.  For you and your eligible dependents, we provide a competitive package that includes health, vision, dental, and prescription insurance. We also provide you disability coverage; life insurance; personal and volunteer leave time; a 401K match that you are eligible to receive when you start; funds for professional development; and a fitness benefit.

We also are committed to building a firm that is diverse and inclusive. We invite our clients and employees to be fully themselves. By integrating diversity, equity, and inclusion into our work, we benefit from increased knowledge, creativity, flexibility, and organizational and individual growth. We expect all Arabella staff to share this commitment.

Directions

Candidates must submit a resume and one-page cover letter to be considered for the position. The cover letter must address why you want to work at Arabella and include examples that demonstrate your achievement of the essential skills and experience noted above. We will disregard candidates that do not submit the appropriate materials.

Please apply here: https://www.arabellaadvisors.com/careers/open-position/?gnk=job&gni=8a78824755713395015584553c157972&gns=Emerging%20Practitioners%20in%20Philanthropy

While Arabella is open to individuals from various locations applying to join our team, please note that we generally are unable to pay for relocation expenses.

Start Date

This position is planned to start in mid-September 2016 or as soon as possible thereafter. Please consider this potential start date when submitting your application.