Director of Finance

Director of Finance/$130,000 annual salary

Opportunity for Advancement to Chief Financial Officer

Position Summary

Mental Health America of Dutchess County is seeking an experienced, hands-on, and highly motivated Director of Finance to oversee the organization’s day-to-day financial operations and help strengthen its financial infrastructure for continued growth.

This position is intended for an accomplished nonprofit finance professional who is ready to assume significant responsibility and who has the potential and desire to grow into the role of Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Advancement to CFO will be based upon demonstrated performance, leadership, mastery of MHA Dutchess's financial operations, and the evolving needs of the organization.

The Director of Finance will work closely with the CEO and organizational leadership and will be responsible for accounting, budgeting, financial reporting, cash management, government contracts, grants, regulatory reporting, audits, internal controls, and financial analysis.

Prior experience with the New York State Consolidated Fiscal Report (CFR) is required. The successful candidate must also be highly proficient in Microsoft Excel and have experience with Fund EZ. Experience with Medicaid, insurance, or other healthcare-related billing is strongly preferred.

MHA Dutchess is seeking more than an accountant. We are looking for a finance professional who can understand the relationship between programs, funding, staffing, reimbursement, and organizational sustainability and ultimately develop into a strategic financial leader for the organization.

Essential Responsibilities

Financial Operations and Accounting

• Oversee the organization's day-to-day accounting and financial operations.
• Ensure timely and accurate maintenance of the general ledger and financial records.
• Oversee accounts payable, accounts receivable, cash management, reconciliations, and other accounting functions.
• Ensure revenues and expenses are appropriately recorded and allocated across programs and funding sources.
• Maintain effective internal financial controls and ensure appropriate financial policies and procedures are followed.
• Monitor cash flow and organizational financial obligations.
• Ensure financial records are accurate, complete, organized, and audit-ready.

Budgeting and Financial Analysis

• Lead the preparation and ongoing management of the organization's annual operating budget.
• Work collaboratively with program directors and senior leadership to develop individual program budgets.
• Prepare monthly financial reports and budget-to-actual analyses.
• Identify and investigate significant financial variances.
• Develop financial projections and forecasting models to assist leadership with decision-making.
• Analyze the financial impact of potential new programs, contracts, grants, staffing models, and other initiatives.
• Translate complex financial information into understandable information that can be used by managers and leadership to make informed decisions.

CFR and Regulatory Reporting

• Take a leadership role in the preparation and completion of the New York State Consolidated Fiscal Report (CFR).
• Maintain appropriate financial documentation necessary to support CFR reporting.
• Ensure expenses, revenues, staffing costs, and allocations are appropriately reported.
• Coordinate financial reporting required by governmental agencies, funding sources, and regulators.
• Monitor reporting deadlines and ensure required financial reports are accurate and submitted timely.

Candidates must have previous experience working with the New York State CFR process.

Government Contracts and Grants

• Provide financial oversight of government contracts, grants, and other restricted funding.
• Monitor program expenditures against approved budgets and funding requirements.
• Ensure revenue and expenses are accurately attributed to appropriate programs and funding sources.
• Assist with contract budgets, grant budgets, budget modifications, and financial reporting.
• Identify potential under-spending, over-spending, reimbursement issues, and other financial concerns and bring them to leadership's attention.
• Work collaboratively with program leadership to ensure that programs understand and operate within applicable financial requirements.

Billing and Revenue Cycle

• Assist with financial oversight of billing and reimbursement activities.
• Monitor receivables and revenue collection.
• Work with billing and program staff to identify reimbursement problems, delayed payments, denials, or other issues that may affect organizational revenue.
• Experience with Medicaid, managed care, third-party insurance, behavioral health billing, or other healthcare reimbursement systems is strongly preferred.

Audit and Compliance

• Coordinate preparation for the organization's annual independent financial audit.
• Work directly with external auditors to provide necessary reports, documentation, schedules, and supporting information.
• Assist with financial portions of governmental, regulatory, and funding-source audits.
• Maintain appropriate internal financial controls and recommend improvements where necessary.
• Ensure financial practices are consistent, accountable, and well documented.

Financial Systems

• Maintain and effectively utilize Fund EZ as the organization's accounting system.
• Maintain a high level of competence in Microsoft Excel, including advanced financial spreadsheets, calculations, budget models, projections, and financial analysis.
• Identify opportunities to increase efficiency, accuracy, and automation within financial operations.
• Ensure financial information can be readily accessed and presented in meaningful formats for management decision-making.

Leadership and Collaboration

• Provide leadership and supervision to finance/accounting staff as assigned.
• Establish clear expectations and accountability within the finance function.
• Work collaboratively with the CEO, senior leadership, program directors, and administrative staff.
• Help program managers understand their budgets and financial responsibilities.
• Develop a responsive finance function that supports programs while maintaining appropriate financial controls and accountability.
• Participate as a member of the organization's leadership team and contribute to broader organizational planning.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a closely related field.
• Significant professional experience in accounting, finance, or fiscal management.
• Previous experience working within the finance or accounting department of a nonprofit organization.
• Demonstrated experience with the New York State Consolidated Fiscal Report (CFR).
• Strong understanding of nonprofit accounting principles.
• Experience with organizational and program-level budgeting.
• Experience with government contracts, grants, and/or restricted funding.
• Proficiency with Fund EZ accounting software.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel.
• Experience preparing financial statements and management reports.
• Experience working with independent financial auditors.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to communicate financial information effectively to individuals who do not have accounting backgrounds.
• High level of professional integrity and discretion when handling confidential financial information.

Preferred Qualifications

• CPA, master's degree, or other advanced financial/accounting credentials.
• Experience as a Director of Finance, Controller, Assistant Controller, or comparable senior nonprofit financial management position.
• Experience within behavioral health, mental health, substance use treatment, healthcare, or human services.
• Experience with Medicaid and/or third-party billing and reimbursement.
• Experience working in an organization supported by multiple state, county, federal, philanthropic, and contractual funding streams.
• Previous supervisory or financial department leadership experience.

Career Advancement Opportunity

MHA Dutchess views this position as having the potential to develop into the organization's Chief Financial Officer role.

The Director of Finance will have opportunities to progressively assume greater responsibility for organizational financial strategy, executive-level financial analysis, long-range financial planning, organizational risk management, Board reporting, and strategic decision-making.

Advancement to CFO will be based upon demonstrated performance and organizational need, including the individual's ability to:

• Develop a comprehensive understanding of MHA Dutchess's financial operations and funding structure.
• Demonstrate consistent accuracy and reliability in financial reporting.
• Successfully oversee the CFR, audit, budgeting, and financial reporting processes.
• Strengthen financial systems and internal controls.
• Effectively supervise and develop finance department staff.
• Provide leadership with meaningful financial analysis rather than simply reporting financial data.
• Anticipate financial challenges and proactively develop solutions.
• Demonstrate the judgment and leadership necessary to participate in executive-level organizational decisions.
• Communicate effectively with the CEO, leadership team, Board of Directors, auditors, funders, and external partners.
• Demonstrate readiness to assume responsibility for the overall financial strategy and fiscal integrity of the organization.

The Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate will combine strong accounting skills with a desire to grow into executive financial leadership.

We are particularly interested in someone who is willing to be hands-on and learn the organization from the ground up, while also possessing the analytical ability to see the larger financial picture.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced nonprofit finance professional who may currently be serving as a Director of Finance, Controller, Assistant Controller, or senior accountant and is ready for the next stage of their career.

The successful candidate will understand that strong nonprofit financial leadership is not simply about producing reports. It is about helping the organization use its resources responsibly and strategically so that MHA Dutchess can continue to fulfill and expand its mission.