| Job Description MDRC, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to building reliable evidence about effective education and social programs that can improve the well-being of low income people, is seeking a dynamic, skilled, and committed professional to join its leadership team as Deputy Chief Financial Officer and Director of Finance. Background MDRC, founded in 1974, is committed to finding solutions to some of the most difficult problems facing the nation — from reducing poverty and bolstering economic self-sufficiency to improving public education and college graduation rates. We design promising new interventions, evaluate existing programs using the highest research standards, and provide technical assistance to build better programs and deliver effective interventions at scale. Throughout its more than 40-year history, MDRC’s findings in social welfare, education, housing, and employment have been codified in the policies, practices, and budgets of federal, state, and local governments, as well as by nonprofit service delivery agencies. The Board and staff of MDRC are engaged in a multiyear, organization-wide campaign to make MDRC more effective and more efficient. To that end, we are redesigning all our internal systems, including modernizing the performance management program and the employee pension and health care benefit platforms; upgrading our information technology systems to gain more accessible, cloud-based computing power at a lower cost, while also enhancing security; and installing an integrated suite of budgeting, accounting, and human resources management tools. A parallel effort is underway on the program side of the organization, as we develop new ways to do our work and design new tools (including behavioral science interventions, data analytics, and predictive modeling) that we provide to partner organizations whose programs we are studying and helping to improve. With an annual budget approaching $100 million and a staff of more than 300 persons in four offices located strategically across the country, the Board and leadership of MDRC seek to provide reliable, nonpartisan evidence and the highest-quality technical assistance and advice to its public and private partners alike in the most economical and efficient way possible. In our quest to improve value by reducing costs and increasing timeliness, a key goal is to ensure that financial resources are used effectively across the organization while continuing to provide the highest quality product to its funders. The position of Deputy Chief Financial Officer and Director of Finance is a key member of the leadership team responsible for helping the organization achieve these goals. Deputy Chief Financial Officer and Director of Finance Reporting to the CFO, this position has a broad range of responsibilities, including corporate and project budget and planning; overseeing the Controller and through the Controller all aspects of the accounting function; managing the corporation’s financial systems, which include the JAMIS Prime Enterprise Resource Planning and Vena budgeting software; preparing financial analyses, benchmarks, and dashboards to guide resource management and budgeting; managing the external audit process and the creation of draft financial statements; working with the Investment Committee of the Board to oversee the organization’s Endowment investments as well as the corporation’s treasury function including investment of the corporation’s operating cash and non-endowment long-term investments; and supervising contract administration and post-award processes, procurement, and pre-award due diligence. Ideal Candidate The candidate for this position must be a leader, have work experience in a professional services organization, be a master of nonprofit accounting, have federal contract experience and working knowledge of Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), be knowledgeable about data analytics, be able to direct and manage project and corporate budgeting and planning, have a track record working collaboratively across an organization, have experience working well as part of a team, and be comfortable in a research organization that values data and evidence-based decision making. The Deputy Chief Financial Officer and Director of Finance is expected to be goal-oriented, efficiency-minded, and able to execute effectively. He or she must be able to fit into the organization’s culture and work closely with the President, the Board, the senior leadership team, and program staff in a supportive and direct manner. The candidate must have strong interpersonal skills, excellent written and oral communication skills, a hands-on management style, and the ability to identify and address problems or issues that arise not just in his or her immediate department but corporate-wide. In addition, he or she should be diplomatic, have the highest integrity, and possess sound judgment as well as a sense of humor. Specific Responsibilities: - As a member of the leadership team, supervise the Controller, contracts, and project budget staff.
- Oversee all financial operations of MDRC, creating an auditable set of books that meet GAAP and all other requirements that the corporation is subject to, such as Uniform Guidance, FAR, and 990 reporting.
- Analyze project costs, develop project budgeting benchmarks, and develop corporate budget strategy documents.
- Direct production of all financial reporting, including cash flow forecasts, short-term fund management and capital expenditure analysis, and project budgeting analysis.
- Supervise annual audits and oversee timely implementation of audit recommendations.
- Manage contractor, grant, and consultant selection, as well as budgeting, payment, auditing and closeout.
- Advise the CFO, President, and Board on financial matters and risks.
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