Director of Finance

Location

Remote | Canada

Job description

Scope of Work

SeedChange is seeking a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) with senior leadership experience to join its team as Director of Finance. The Director of Finance will oversee all aspects of the organization’s finances and drive the organization’s financial strategy and planning.

Under the direction of the Executive Director, and in close collaboration with the Senior Management Team (SMT) and the Finance committee of the Board of Directors, the Director of Finance is responsible for leading or supervising all activities related to financial reporting and analysis, budgeting, investment management, business processes/systems, organizational risk assessment, and other aspects of organizational administration. The Director of Finance also provides leadership to the Finance and Administration team and will be the main liaison with the SeedChange Foundation.

Context

 SeedChange’s vision is an equitable world sustained by just and resilient food systems. Our mission is to build food sovereignty by working with partners to enhance biodiversity, promote ecological food systems, and counter inequity. Working at the intersection of agrobiodiversity, agroecology, climate resilience, women’s rights and rural livelihoods, our programs are designed to enhance the agency and rights of people at the heart of food systems worldwide: smallholder farmers, rural women, youth, and Indigenous peoples.

SeedChange supports local partner organizations in five ways: as trainers and facilitators sharing knowledge and connecting people, as funders raising and transferring funds, as incubators for the spread of ideas, and as influencers through policy advocacy. For more information on SeedChange, visit www.weseedchange.org.

Conditions of Employment

This is a Full-time staff position (5 days a week). The incumbent must have Canadian citizenship and ideally be based in the vicinity of Ottawa. Also, the incumbent must be available to travel internationally and in Canada for up to 6 weeks a year, conditions permitting.

Benefits available for this position

• Extended health, pharmaceutical, and dental coverage
• Life and disability insurance
• Defined contribution pension plan
• Parental leave
• Flexibility regarding working hours
• Salary in the range of $120,000-$130,000 depending on experience

Mandate of the Director of Finance

• Lead all organizational processes related to budgeting, financial reporting, and investment management;
• Supervise the finance team
• Delivering financial reports to the Executive Director and to the SeedChange and SeedChange Foundation Boards of Directors and responding to questions and requests for information in a timely manner;
• Provide Program Directors and program leads with regular financial reports and supporting the development of program-specific financial management and reporting systems;
• Ensure all expectations for financial reporting (management, Board, funders, and the general public) are met;
• Liaise with external auditors, negotiating the audit terms, and ensuring the implementation of annual audits and compliance with all federal, provincial and municipal regulations;
• Ensure excellence in financial control and accounting, and compliance with regulatory and applicable voluntary standards;
• Use various financial models and analysis to measure the potential impact of various risks on the SeedChange’s financial sustainability such as changes in funding, regulatory compliance, reputational risks, and programmatic risks;
• Provide regular updates to the Senior Management Team and Board of Directors on the organization’s risk profile, including the current risk exposures, trends, and mitigation efforts;
• Work with Executive Director and the Board of Directors and other key stakeholders to develop investment policies and procedures that outline the organization’s investment goals, risk tolerance, and decision-making process;
• Monitor and report on SeedChange’s financial performance, including investment returns and other key financial metrics, to inform decision-making and ensure transparency;
• Support organizational fundraising and proposal development;
• Provide financial support and direction to partner organizations, as appropriate;
• Remain abreast of sector best practices and overseeing the development, improvement and updating financial policies and procedures as needed;
• Oversee on-boarding and training to SeedChange staff to ensure staff members are aware of and able to comply with financial management and reporting systems;

• Ensure the organization maintains a rigorous control of systems for the receipt, accounting and disbursement of donations and gifts in-kind.

Experience/Qualifications

If you possess approximately 80% of the listed experience/qualifications, we encourage you to apply. Fluency in English is essential, French and Spanish an asset.

• At least seven (7) years (or equivalent) of progressive senior leadership experience in a not-for-profit setting, preferably in a unionized environment.
• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance or relevant field. Masters degree or postgraduate qualification is an asset.
• Professional accounting designation (CPA) or equivalent qualification
• At least five (5) years of experience in a charitable not-for-profit environment developing and administering all aspects of financial services including budget preparation, funder reporting, monthly and quarterly financial analysis, payroll, accounts payables and receivables, audit activities, financial policies and procedures, working with the Finance committee of the Board, and other related
• Extensive experience with Canadian financial reporting guidelines for non-profits, GAAP, and CRA regulations and
• Experience working with accounting software such as Odoo, QuickBooks Online, Quickbooks Enterprise. Knowledge of Salesforce is an asset.
• Excellent at communicating complex financial statements and budgets in accessible language to groups both with and without formal financial training
• Experience conducting financial analysis and reporting for multi-year budgets with multiple and highly diverse income streams and expense categories.
• Experience preparing financial reporting for government, philanthropic and other institutional donors in Canada and abroad.
• Experience working in coalition-based program delivery aimed at enhancing biodiversity, promoting agro-ecological food systems is an asset.
• Oral and written fluency in English is essential; French and Spanish is an asset.

SeedChange ways of working

SeedChange’s head office is in downtown Ottawa. Some staff are working from home, and some staff have opted for an hybrid model working a few days from home and a few days from the office every week. An employee who lives within commuting or driving distance of the office is allowed to perform their usual job duties at an approved location away from the regular workplace, (such as working from home or another location offsite) and in the SeedChange office. SeedChange directors are responsible for determining whether a position is fully remote, hybrid, or in-office at the very start of the recruiting process. The Director of Finance will have a dedicated work space in SeedChange’s office. The building is fitted with accessible doors and three elevators. The office has a push-button-lock-access and a bell if assistance is required to enter. An accessible, non-gendered washroom is available. If working remotely, SeedChange will supply resources to set up an adequate remote working space. SeedChange acknowledges that Covid-19 has disrupted work and personal lives, impacting people in different ways, and will work to support the Director of Finance to undertake their work in this context.

SeedChange is striving to decolonize our approach to international collaboration. This work is ongoing. We are seeking to recruit and retain people born in the countries where we work, and to provide a work environment as safe as possible for people with disabilities, BIPOC peoples, 2SLGBTQQIAP+ people and women.

Application instructions

To apply for the position please click on this link: https://weseedchange.bamboohr.com/careers/34?source=aWQ9MTM%3D

Please include a cover letter referencing your motivation to apply for this role, reflections on your relevant experience and skills, and any other information you would like to share, as well as a résumé.

SeedChange is committed to promoting justice, non-discrimination, equal opportunity and equal participation on employment matters. SeedChange recognizes that the process of preparing for a job interview not only requires investment of valuable time and effort but is stressful on the part of the candidates and might involve incurring financial costs. In this regard, as a token of our appreciation for your efforts all candidates who participate in a job interview with SeedChange will receive an amount of CAD$100.

The deadline for applications is March 29, 2024. Interviews of short-listed candidates are anticipated to be held during the week of April 11, 2024. We appreciate your understanding that only candidates short-listed for the position will be contacted. We are unable to accept questions about the position or recruitment. Thank you for your interest in working with SeedChange!

Job tags

Salary

$120k - $130k per year