Description

EMBRACING ABILITIES. EXPANDING POSSIBILITIES.Easterseals Serving Chicagoland & Greater Rockford (ECR) provides exceptional services for children and adults with disabilities and other special needs so they can live, learn, work, and thrive in their communities.

For more information about our organization, please visit us online at www.eastersealschicago.org.

The Senior Director of Finance plays a critical leadership role in overseeing and actively managing the organization’s financial health, performance, and strategic financial direction. This position partners closely with executive leadership to support enterprise-wide financial planning, reporting, analysis, and decision-making.

The Senior Director of Finance is responsible for leading budgeting, forecasting, and long-range financial planning; strengthening financial systems, processes, and controls; and providing clear, insightful analysis to guide organizational strategy and sustainability in a complex, nonprofit, grant-funded environment.

This position is headquartered at Easterseals Chicago Location at 1939 W 13th Street, Chicago, IL 60608.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Financial Planning, Budgeting & Analysis:

Lead enterprise-wide budgeting, forecasting, and long-range financial planning processes, continually improving accuracy, transparency, and discipline.
Integrate strategic goals, programmatic priorities, and operating plans into financial models, forecasts, and resource allocation decisions.
Analyze and interpret financial and operational data to assess performance, identify risks and opportunities, and recommend courses of action.
Develop scenario modeling and multi-year financial projections to support strategic initiatives, sustainability planning, and investment decisions.
Provide actionable financial insights and recommendations to executive leadership and the Board to support informed decision-making.

Financial Reporting, Management, & Strategy:

Develop and maintain key financial and operational dashboards and performance metrics to evaluate efficiency, impact, and financial health.
Oversee preparation, analysis, and presentation of a comprehensive set of timely, accurate, and meaningful financial and operational reports for program leadership, senior leadership, committees, and the Board of Directors.
Actively partner with business leaders to elevate financial acumen, financial planning and management, and financial performance. Strengthen financial discipline by partnering with operational leaders to optimize revenue, manage costs, and improve cash flow, liquidity, and capital planning.
Prepare financial analyses, presentations, and reports for a variety of stakeholders, translating complex information into clear, decision-ready insights.
Partner with senior leadership to develop and execute financial strategies that align with ECR’s mission, strategic imperatives, and long-term sustainability.
Make sound recommendations and support financial decision-making related to program investments, contracts, pricing, and resource allocation.

Financial Systems and Processes:

Provide leadership and oversight for financial systems, including general ledger, budgeting, forecasting, reporting, and grants management systems.
Identify and lead opportunities to modernize and streamline financial and administrative processes through system enhancements, automation, and improved workflows.
Ensure strong controls, data integrity, and compliance with accounting standards, grant requirements, and regulatory obligations.
Lead and support finance transformation initiatives, including system implementations, upgrades, testing, and adoption.

Leadership & Cross-Functional Collaboration:

Develop and lead a high-performing finance function, that demonstrates service, accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, and learning.
Establish clear goals, performance expectations, and development plans.
Promote documentation, cross-training, and knowledge sharing to ensure continuity and scalability.
Collaborate effectively with program leadership, IT, operations, and other administrative teams to support organizational objectives.

Other:

Assist with internal and external audits by overseeing preparation of schedules, analyses, and documentation and addressing findings as needed.
Perform special projects, analyses, and other duties as assigned in support of organizational priorities.

Requirements

Education/Certification:

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field or equivalent combination of education and experience required
Master’s degree preferred.

Experience Required:

Ten (10) years of progressive experience in accounting, financial reporting, financial management, and financial planning and analysis.
Five (5) years of experience in a leadership role.
Experience in nonprofit, grant-funded, healthcare, education, or human services environments strongly preferred.
Experience with federal and state grants and knowledge of cost principles, allowability, allocability, and compliance requirements.

Skills/Abilities:

Strong financial acumen with advanced expertise in financial analysis, modeling, forecasting, and performance management.
Demonstrated leadership skills with the ability to influence, mentor, and develop high-performing teams.
Experience with financial systems, ERP and FP&A tools, and data visualization or reporting platforms.
Systems-oriented mindset with a track record of improving processes, controls, and technology solutions.
Exceptional project management skills and ability to lead complex initiatives from concept through execution.
Strong problem-solving, organizational, and decision-making skills with high attention to detail.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including experience presenting complex financial information to senior leadership and Boards.
High ethical standards, integrity, professionalism, and commitment to Easterseals’ mission and values.

Vehicle/Transportation Requirements:

Valid driver’s license
Auto insurance
Reliable vehicle

ADA: Easterseals will make reasonable accommodations in compliance with the Americans with Disability Act of 1990. Unless exempted by the Americans with Disabilities Act, all persons hired for this position are required to possess the ability to perform the physical tasks necessary to treat clients, i.e., bending, floor-sitting, etc., as well as to have the ability to lift up to 50 pounds frequently.

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