Practical Farmers of Iowa is Hiring a Finance Director

Practical Farmers of Iowa is seeking a diligent, respectful and passionate person to serve as a finance director for the finance department. 

For 40 years, Practical Farmers has worked to equip farmers to build resilient farms and communities. This work has always been rooted in our value of welcoming everyone and creating a culture of mutual respect. We believe that a diversity of people, ideas and perspectives strengthens our ability to find creative solutions, enriches our understanding and broadens our impact.

At Practical Farmers, we celebrate this diversity and are committed to ensuring that our policies and practices create an equitable and inclusive workplace. We take equal opportunity seriously and seek to empower and support all applicants and teammates. Practical Farmers offers a flexible, fast-paced work environment with opportunities for independent initiative and professional development.

About the Position

The finance department provides critical organizational support to process, track and manage all organizational income and expenses, and to ensure PFI’s financial sustainability and health to carry out its mission. Practical Farmers of Iowa is in an exciting phase of growth, which brings with it a need for increased efficiency of financial processes to control costs, mitigate risk and streamline internal processes for clarity and expediency. 

An active participant in setting PFI’s overall financial strategy, the finance director will also oversee all financial administration, budgeting, financial reporting, fiscal grant management and financial policies and controls maintenance. 

The finance director will support the finance department’s growth and day-to-day activities by: 

1) Setting a strategic financial direction for the organization and connecting financial planning, execution and strategy to our strategic plan

2) Reviewing and developing financial policies and procedures, including analyzing and improving processes and systems to maximize access to and utility of financial information for planning, execution and strategy

3) Preparing and presenting PFI monthly financial reports to staff and the board of directors

4) Conducting monthly allocations and other periodic accounting processes and filings

5) Supervising PFI’s finance staff members 

Duties

• Develop and oversee finance vision and strategy to achieve strategic plan
• Develop evaluation procedures and make decisions based on evaluation results for finance:

     - Oversee financial planning and analysis, and provide guidance on reporting

     - Align financial analysis with strategic plan goals and identify funding gaps and opportunities

• Ensure sustainable funding for PFI programs and strategic objectives with support from the development team:

     - Design and present to board and staff long-term budget forecasting

     - Work with the board of directors and executive director to keep PFI’s investment policy current with board of director   

        investment priorities and investment best practices 

     - Manage cash flow in an efficient manner that safeguards PFI’s cash and maximizes return

• Ensure that finance department processes meet generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP)
• Oversee contractors, staff members, volunteers and partners who conduct finance and insurance work:

     - Supervise PFI’s finance department staff members

     - Lead audit firm selection and A-133 audit process with hired firm

• Facilitate collaboration between departments, teams and board in accordance with PFI by-laws:

     - Create and present monthly financial reports to the PFI board of directors, finance committee and department leaders

     - Work with all departments to establish and maintain processes for purchasing that maintain financial controls while ensuring

         efficient operations

     - Facilitate finance committee in partnership with the board treasurer

• Design and implement data management tools for finances:

     - Create standards for, and recommend and approve changes to, the chart of accounts and other dimensions in the enterprise

         resource planning (ERP) software

• Review and conduct periodic finance processes including but not limited to: 

     - Monthly reconciliations

     - Required local, state and federal filings

• Design and implement processes to ensure consistency and efficiency of finance department work
• Other duties as assigned or volunteered to support department or team projects

  Required Qualifications and Characteristics

• Satisfactory completion of background and credit check
• Minimum of a bachelor’s degree in finance, business administration, accounting, economics or related field or equivalent experience
• Knowledge of generally accepted accounting principles and laws governing financial management
• Knowledge of investment options and strategies for nonprofit organizations
• Knowledge of nonprofit fund accounting
• Strong grant accounting skills including budgeting, invoicing and financial reporting with experience in federal and foundation grant accounting 
• Strong financial reporting skills including creating dashboards and financial reports and reporting financial status to stakeholders
• Strong data analysis skills including identifying and presenting key metrics from complex financial data for decision-making
• Strong financial data management skills, preferably with managing chart of accounts
• Strong organizational budgeting and long-term financial planning skills
• Strong cash flow management skills
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Strong process evaluation and optimization skills 
• Strong proficiency with Microsoft Excel
• Demonstrated or transferable personnel management skills 
• Ability to take and give feedback to improve work
• Ability to meet deadlines in a fast-paced work environment
• Ability to learn quickly
• Ability to maintain high quality of work through attention to detail 
• At least five years’ experience managing finance processes, systems and budgets for a multimillion-dollar nonprofit or comparable entity, preferably with a budget of $10 million or more
• Experience leading an organization through an A-133 audit

Desired Qualifications and Characteristics

• Master’s degree in business administration or certified public accountant
• Change management skills
• Proficiency with enterprise resource planning (ERP) software for financial data management (Great Plains, Serenic or Sylogist preferred) 
• Proficiency with program and grants management software
• Vendor management for finance services (audit, payroll)

This is a full-time position based in our Ames, Iowa, office with potential for a hybrid schedule. Applicant must be in the Ames office at least twice per week. The salary range for this position is $86,000 to $105,000 with annual opportunity for merit salary increases and position advancement. 

PFI values its employees and is a flexible and supportive work environment. We offer employees a competitive benefits package that includes employee health insurance with 100% employer-paid premium, generous paid time off, flexible hours, six weeks of fully paid parental leave and 4% automatic 401k contribution after one year of employment. 

We also encourage employee professional development and offer a range of specialty benefits employees can use to support their wellness, sustainability and financial goals. Examples of our specialty benefits include contributions towards spouse or dependent health insurance, stipends for remote workers and reimbursements for fitness costs, CSA subscriptions, student loans or eco-friendly purchases. Practical Farmers is a family-friendly employer.   

Please apply by completing an application (including contact information, cover letter, resume and references). Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.