Director of Finance

Summary of Position: Reporting to the Chief Financial Officer (CFO), the Director of Finance is a key member of the After School Matters senior leadership team. They will be instrumental in assisting the CFO, CEO, and other Officers with analyses of complex financial and operational projects. They will also attend Board Committee meetings, preparing materials minimally for the Finance Committee meeting.  

The ideal candidate will have the innate ability to triangulate data from a variety of sources to identify trends, opportunities, and optimal solutions to further the mission of After School Matters. The Director of Finance also ensures the development of accurate budgets from those for small-scale grants to the annual organizational budget.  

The Director of Finance also oversees Payroll, which includes stipends issued to thousands of teen participants, which is managed by a team of four FTEs plus part-time and seasonal support. Customer service and partnering with Programs, and People and Culture Departments are critical for success. 

This is a full-time position. 

Major Duties and Responsibilities: 

The Director of Finance will provide leadership in four areas for After School Matters: (1) Manage the budget and projection processes, issuing financial reports including those for the Board, (2) Oversee Payroll Team, (3) Contribute to the grant cycle for funding from government sources, and (4) Assist the Accounting team as needed.  

Annual Budget, Projection and Reporting Processes  

• Manage the process and workflow for developing the organization’s annual budget  

• Analyze budget variance and other financial data as needed  

• Manage the process and workflow for the organization’s quarterly projections  

• Oversee the preparation and distribution of financial statements on a monthly, quarterly, and ad-hoc basis  

• Lead in the creation of presentations for the Finance Committee 

Payroll 

• Supervise the department’s process and workflow for staff, part-time instructors, and teen participants who predominantly receive stipends 

• Collaborate strategically with the People and Culture, and Programs Departments 

• Oversee timely and accurate reporting to account and invoice for payroll expenses 

• Ensure appropriate customer service to employees, teens and parents/guardians 

Government Grants 

• In collaboration with Programs, Development and Research, support in responding to various, periodic proposal processes, in particular developing budgets as needed 

• Monitor the implementation of the contract and issuance of invoices and/or expenditure reporting 

• Ensure utilization of funding and prepare budget revisions as needed 

• Manage the semiannual task order process for the Chicago Public Schools contract with support from Programs, and People and Culture Department 

• Oversee two external financial audits annually for the City of Chicago Department of Family and Support Services 

• Represent After School Matters Finance at meetings with key external stakeholders as needed 

Finance Leadership  

• Assist the Accounting team on an ongoing basis including topics such as Cash Flow Management, Restricted Net Assets review, and Month End Close process  

• Provide support to the Controller during the annual financial audit 

• Participate on the 403b Audit Committee  

• Attend Board Committee meetings, including Finance, Investment and Audit, as appropriate 

• Other duties as assigned 

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: 

• Ability to analyze and interpret complex financial data and demonstrate strong problem-solving abilities  

• Demonstrated capacity to pivot quickly and thrive in a fast-paced, evolving environment 

• Highly organized and extremely detail-oriented, with a commitment to accuracy  

• Energetic team player who works well in collaborative situations across departments 

• Able to exercise sound judgement and integrity 

• Partner with the CFO and executive team to develop strategies that support organizational budget and goals  

• Excellent oral and written communication skills; capable of presenting data and/or analysis to different audiences in a clear and concise manner  

• Extensive knowledge of computer software (e.g. Word, Power Point, Excel) within a Windows environment 

• Database software expertise (e.g. financial, payroll) 

• Knowledge of government grant requirements and regulations 

Required Qualifications:  

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master of Business Administration preferred 

• 7-10 years’ experience in non-profit financial planning & analysis including budgeting, reporting, and forecasting 

• Previous experience with payroll preferred 

Schedule: 

• Hybrid role with 2-3 days/week in-person work required 

• Ability to travel to ASM sites as needed  

Benefits for full-time regular employees include:  

• Medical, Dental, and Vision 

• Medical and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts  

• Paid Parental Leave (PPL) 

• 403B Retirement Plan 

• Identity Theft, Legal, and Pet Insurance 

• Paid Time Off (PTO), Paid Sick Time and paid national holidays  

Compensation: $120,000-140,000 salary, depending on applicable experience and education 

About Us: After School Matters is a Chicago-based nonprofit organization that annually offers after-school and summer programs to nearly 19,000 Chicago high school teens to explore and develop their talents while gaining critical skills that will set them up for success in college and beyond. 

ASM has engaged more than 400,000 Chicago teens and is the nation’s largest and most successful provider of after-school and summer programs for high school teens.  

ASM offers paid apprenticeships led by professionals in the fields of arts, communications and leadership, sports, and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). Our nationally respected youth development model has been replicated in cities across the country and earned us the City Livability Award from the U.S. Conference of Mayors. 

Programs take place at community locations throughout the city, including three ASM buildings: downtown at Gallery 37 Center for the Arts, the Michael and Karyn Lutz Center in Belmont Cragin, and the Pullman community at Gately Park. Currently, After School Matters’ annual operating budget is approximately $35M and employs approximately 500 staff across the organization. 

EEO:  After School Matters is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, protected veteran status, military discharge status, age, marital status, parental status, or source of income.