Finance Director

About the Organization

OWL is a nonprofit organization dedicated to breaking barriers to employment for individuals with disabilities and individuals impacted by incarceration, poverty, and workforce displacement. Through supported employment, training, and wraparound services, OWL helps people regain

economic independence, stability, and purpose. OWL exists to serve people first, operations support the mission, not the other way around. OWL has a subsidiary called the Lexington Manufacturing Center (LMC), which is a for-profit arm that partially funds OWL’s operations and overhead.

 

Position Summary

Opportunity for Work & Learning seeks a hands-on, mission-aligned Finance Director to serve as the senior financial officer across OWL and its manufacturing subsidiary, the Lexington Manufacturing Center (LMC). This is a role for a financial leader who thrives in complexity, someone equally comfortable with nonprofit compliance and manufacturing cost accounting, and who sees strong financial systems as the foundation of mission impact.

Working closely with a newly placed CEO and Board of Directors, the Finance Director will own the full financial function: reporting, controls, payroll, benefits, audit, and cash management across two distinct but interdependent entities. This is a building role as much as a managing role. The right candidate will bring both technical rigor and the energy to strengthen systems, develop staff, and position OWL for long-term sustainability and growth.

 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Financial Reporting & General Accounting

• Manage the full month-end and year-end close process for OWL and LMC, including journal entries, accruals, reconciliations, and intercompany eliminations
• Prepare and deliver monthly financial statements for OWL and LMC: income statement, balance sheet, cash flow statement, and budget-to-actual analysis
• Maintain the integrity of the general ledger and chart of accounts for both entities
• Oversee and review all account reconciliations, including bank, AR, AP, payroll, and balance sheet accounts

Manufacturing Cost Accounting — LMC

• Maintain and monitor the cost accounting system for LMC's manufacturing operations, including standard costing, variance analysis, and cost of goods sold
• Track, analyze, and report on direct labor costs, including hours, rates, productivity, and variance from budget
• Manage inventory accounting: valuation, cycle counts, and reconciliation to physical inventory
• Partner with LMC operations leadership to ensure financial data accurately reflects production activity, cost drivers, and operational performance.
• Monitor production costs, identify cost trends, and provide analysis to support operational decision-making

Cash Management & Financial Planning

• Monitor daily cash positions across OWL and LMC bank accounts.
• Maintain a rolling cash flow forecast and provide updates to the CEO.
• Ensure sufficient liquidity for payroll, vendor obligations, and operational needs.
• Lead the annual budgeting process for OWL and LMC in partnership with the CEO.
• Prepare monthly budget-to-actual reports and variance analysis for leadership and the Board.
• Provide financial modeling and analysis to support strategic planning and decision-making.

Accounts Payable & Vendor Management

• Oversee the accounts payable function for OWL and LMC, ensuring accurate coding, timely payment, and proper approval workflows
• Maintain vendor master files, payment terms, and ACH authorization records
• Review and approve vendor contracts within delegated authority thresholds; escalate to CEO as required

Accounts Receivable & Revenue

• Oversee customer invoicing and collections for LMC, including aging review and collections follow-up
• Manage billing, invoicing, and reporting under cooperative agreements
• Monitor all OWL revenue streams and ensure accurate and timely recording in general ledger system
• Ensure cooperative agreement reporting deadlines and compliance requirements are met without exception
• Support financial oversight and reporting requirements for grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements as applicable.

Payroll & Benefits Administration

• Oversee payroll processing for both entities, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and compliance with applicable labor laws
• Serve as the primary point of contact for the payroll platform and ensure all payroll tax filings, deposits, and year-end reporting (W-2, 1099) are current
• Administer employee benefits programs including health, dental, vision, life, and retirement (401k); manage open enrollment, carrier relationships, eligibility, and COBRA
• Track ACA compliance data and maintain related reporting obligations
• Monitor workers' compensation claims, coordinate with the insurance carrier, and manage the annual WC audit

Budget & Financial Planning

• Lead the annual budget development process for OWL and LMC in partnership with the CEO
• Prepare monthly budget-to-actual reports and variance analyses for leadership and the Board
• Provide financial modeling and analysis to support strategic decisions, contract negotiations, and capital planning
• Provide financial insight and recommendations to the CEO regarding financial sustainability, cost management, and long-term financial planning.

Audit, Compliance & Tax

• Prepare schedules and documentation for annual financial audit 
• Serve as the primary liaison to the external auditor and ensure the audit process runs on schedule
• Prepare the annual financial report and accompanying notes
• Maintain a compliance calendar covering all federal, state, and local filing deadlines including Form 990, payroll taxes, sales tax, and state registrations
• Ensure compliance with cooperative agreement terms, including financial reporting and audit response obligations
• Maintain fixed asset records and depreciation schedules
• Ensure all financial operations comply with GAAP, nonprofit accounting standards, and applicable regulatory requirements

Internal Controls & Governance

• Design, implement, and maintain a system of internal controls appropriate to the size and complexity of OWL and LMC
• Develop and enforce financial policies and procedures
• Prepare financial reports and presentations for the CEO and Board of Directors and attend Board meetings
• Identify and escalate financial risks, compliance issues, and material operational concerns to the CEO and Board in a timely manner

Staff Supervision

• Directly supervise the Accounting Coordinator, providing day-to-day direction, performance feedback, and professional development
• Assign, review, and approve the work of the Accounting Coordinator, including AP/AR processing, payroll support, and bank entries
• May also provide oversight of HR administrative functions depending on organizational need

 

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting
• Minimum 5 years of progressive accounting or finance experience

Strongly Preferred

• Demonstrated experience in manufacturing cost accounting, including inventory management, direct labor cost tracking, and COGS analysis
• Proven ability to manage a full month-end and year-end close process independently
• Strong knowledge of GAAP and financial reporting standards
• Nonprofit accounting experience, including fund accounting, cooperative agreement management, or grant reporting
• Experience serving as an audit liaison
• Experience with Microsoft Dynamics Great Plains or a comparable ERP system
• Experience with employee benefits administration
• Experience supervising accounting staff