Employment Opportunities at Berkshire Natural Resources Council
Job Posting: Director of Finance and Administration
October 2022
DirectorofFinance/Admin.pdf
Berkshire Natural Resources Council (BNRC) is a nonprofit conservation organization in western Massachusetts that helps to care for the ancestral homelands of the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohicans, who were forcibly displaced from the region by European colonization. As a land trust, BNRC conserves land, protects wildlife and habitat, preserves local farms, and provides free access to the Berkshire outdoors for everyone, at over 55 nature reserves across the region. Since 1967, BNRC has helped conserve more than 100,000 acres of forest, fields, wetlands, and farmlands, and now holds over 23,000 acres of land and conservation restrictions and manages over 60 miles of trails.
Berkshire Natural Resources Council (El Consejo de Recursos Naturales de Berkshire) es una organización sin ánimo de lucro que conserva el terreno, protege la vida silvestre y el hábitat, preserva las granjas locales y contribuye a mantener los exteriores de Berkshire libres y accesibles para todos. El BNRC está contratando personal. Aunque el trabajo que se describe a continuación se inicia completamente o casi completamente en inglés, el BNRC agradece el interés de los candidatos bilingües que puedan ayudar a la organización a ser más inclusiva en su trabajo.
BNRC is seeking a Director of Finance and Administration (DFA) to join its administrative team. While currently envisioned as a 3-day/week job, there is potential to make it a full-time position in time.
This is a new position, taking the place of a one-day-week CFO. As such, the new DFA will have the opportunity to work with the President and Finance Committee to further develop and refine the job’s duties and responsibilities.
Reporting to the President, the DFA will have overall responsibility for BNRC’s fiscal and HR functions to ensure that BNRC is operating in a fiscally responsible way, using raised funds according to donor intent, adhering to all relevant laws and policies, and stewarding its resources to accomplish its mission.
As a member of the senior management team, the director will be involved in strategic planning, evaluation, and professional development initiatives, as well as planning for BNRC’s future headquarters. Specific responsibilities include:
Financial Management:
- Assume responsibility for and oversee BNRC’s financial functions.
- Manage the preparation and finalization of monthly, quarterly, and annual financial reporting statements in accordance with GAAP.
- Prepare financial reporting materials and metrics for BNRC’s President, senior staff, and Board of Directors.
- Oversee budgeting, financial forecasting, and cash flow for administration and programs.
- Oversee grant accounting to ensure foundation and government grants and restricted donations are spent in accordance with donor requirements.
- Meet with Department managers monthly to review their actual financial statements vs. Budget.
- Ensure strong internal controls and compliance.
- Manage one part-time bookkeeper; hire and retain support staff as needed in the future.
- Coordinate all tax filings and audit activities.
Investment Management and Oversight:
BNRC holds approximately $14 million in board-designated, endowed, restricted, and unrestricted funds. The DFA will:
- Serve as the liaison to BNRC’s investment committee and financial managers.
- Develop systems and processes to support the Foundation’s implementation of Board-approved investment policies.
- Implement investment-related decisions made by the Investment Committee.
- Monitor investment activities to ensure assets are safeguarded.
- Prepare quarterly cash availability reports and a summary of investment activities for presentation to the Investment Committee and Board of Directors.
Human Resources Management:
BNRC offers a full slate of benefits including health insurance, 401(k), family leave and other benefits, and strives to have comprehensive, fair, and equitable human resource policies. The DFA will:
- Set staff salary structure and annual merit pool in conjunction with the President.
- Work with the senior team to ensure that performance reviews are conducted in a fair, consistent, and timely way.
Other Duties
- Collaborate with senior staff to oversee contractors including preparing RFPs, negotiating contracts, ensuring accurate billing and fulfillment of project deliverables.
- Conduct an annual review of business insurance policies and recommend changes to coverage when necessary.
- Serve as a public representative on behalf of the organization to support the President and other senior staff to advance BNRC’s mission and goals.
- Coordinate with BNRC’s technology staff to manage and improve our IT plan to meet organizational needs (hardware, software, training, support) as the organization grows.
- Oversee the management of the organization’s physical infrastructure, physical plant, and system maintenance (phone system, security, cleaning, supplies, etc.) with support from other staff.
- Perform additional duties as requested by the President, Treasurer and Chairs of the Audit, Finance, and Investment Committees.
Qualifications. The successful candidate may not have all these qualifications so if you have some, and/or demonstrably related experience, please go ahead and apply.
- At least five to eight years of professional experience, including managing the finance and administration of a high-growth organization (preference given to nonprofit experience).
- Bachelor’s degree (MBA preferred) in Business, Management, or Finance; special preference for Sustainable MBA. CPAs also welcome to apply.
- Experience with accounting requirements related to land conservation.
- Excellent people skills, with experience collaborating in a multidisciplinary, diverse, and dynamic team.
- Demonstrated experience in financial management and accounting, ideally in the nonprofit sector.
- Expert-level proficiency in QuickBooks.
- Experience should include budgeting, as well as working with fundraising, auditors, contractors and lawyers.
- Demonstrated resourcefulness in setting priorities, proposing new ways of creating efficiencies, and guiding investment in people and systems.
- Proven effectiveness leading a finance team.
- Technologically savvy, with an ability to point to examples of having developed and implement new processes and systems that increased efficiency in a fast-moving environment.
- Flexible and a self-starter; able to multitask while also being highly detail oriented.
- Personal qualities of integrity, credibility, and a commitment to BNRC’s mission.
BNRC is an equal-opportunity employer.
BNRC does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, ancestry, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identification and expression, age, physical or mental disability, marital status, genetic information, veteran status, being a member of the Reserves or National Guard, status as disabled or Vietnam Era veteran or status in any group protected against discrimination by federal, state, or local law.
We welcome applications from BIPOC, LGBTQ+, women, and veterans. BNRC is actively engaged in ensuring its properties are welcoming to all, and increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of its work.
Though the job described above will begin entirely or almost entirely in English, BNRC welcomes interest from bilingual candidates who can support the organization in being more inclusive in its work.
Compensation:
Hourly rate of $70 – $80, depending on experience
Benefits Include:
- Medical and dental coverage
- Holidays and PTO pro-rated to match part-time schedule
- Flexible hours and hybrid remote/office work
- 401(k) and employer match
- Travel reimbursement
- A great team of coworkers in a welcoming office setting in Lenox, Massachusetts