Director Of Finance And Grants Manager

The South Shore Chamber Community Development Corporation (SSCCDC) is a 501c3 located in the South Shore community of Chicago, IL. SSCCDC is committed to fostering and maintaining vibrant commercial corridors through active redevelopment of underutilized properties, development of vacant lots and coordination of resources that promote local entrepreneurship, reduces vacancy rates and provides community wealth-building opportunities for residents.

SSCCDC is the sister organization to the South Shore Chamber of Commerce. Although two separate legal entities, the day-to-day work goes hand-in-hand.

The CDC priorities include:

• Lead the commercial revitalization strategies along South Shore commercial corridors;

• Undertake direct development to reactive vacant/blighted properties and provide spaces for small businesses;

• Provide technical assistance and support to other development projects in the corridor;

• Undertake fundraising activities to support redevelopment along the corridor;

• Provide grants/development match to support small businesses launching on the corridor that meet community goals; and 

• Pursue and coordinate community wealth-building opportunities including the launch of a South Shore Community Investment Vehicle – We The People

As Director of Finance, the position serves as fiscal project manager overseeing grants and fiscal management including reporting, analysis, assist with auditing, policy / procedures / protocol development ensuring the overall fiscal health and sustainability of the organization and its programs.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Prepares monthly financial statements; implements proactive strategies to resolve financial condition compliance issues as needed.

• Works with third-parting accounting/bookkeeping providers and/or internal staff to control costs and reconcile expenditures.

• Analyzes and prepares budgets, creates accounts, and works with the financial accounting system to allocate, authorize, monitor, and control expenses.

• Create relevant policies, procedures, internal controls and tracking management systems that support fiscal grants management sustainability.

• Reconciles monthly financial data, assists in the preparation of monthly variance reports and annual effort reports, supports the year-end close process.

• Serves as the primary contact for grants and contracts management, including processing all grants through relevant grants management systems.

• Works with programmatic leads on financial tracking and grant reporting to ensure that grant funds are expended and reported in a timely fashion.

• Manages the grant’s budget, ensuring budgets and fund accounts set-up.

• Manages the post-award phase of the grant’s lifecycle.

• Manage the financial accounting and tracking for SSCCDC real estate properties and related development projects including but not limited to rent payments and operational costs.

• Support property acquisitions and loan closings for SSCCDC real estate projects and related development projects

• Oversees the procurement process for the selection of vendors and service providers and the purchase of equipment and supplies, as applicable to the grant; ensures costs are allocated to appropriate grant fund accounts and purchases adhere to procurement policies and procedures.

• Reviews audits, financial statements, operating budgets, and other financial documents to verify grant compliance.

•  Keeps abreast of changes to financial systems, policies, regulations, and guidelines; proposing efficiency improvements as needed.

• Prepares and maintains all financial compliance documentation (including compliance monitoring findings, responses, resolutions, reports) in hard copy or electronic form as required.  Performs simple and complex financial calculations to assess financial feasibility/viability and ensure compliance.

• Performs other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor’s degree in accounting or finance is required. Master’s degree preferred. 

• Certified public accountant (CPA)

• At least  5-7 years experience conducting financial analysis or fiscal monitoring

• Working knowledge of Grants Management and Financial Accounting Enterprise systems including Quickbooks or any other accounting system is required.

• Understanding of account reconciliations, general ledger processing, financial statements, investments, and financial reports, required.

• Ability to communicate effectively with strong oral and written communication skills. 

• Ability to work independently and meet time-sensitive deadlines. 

• Strong proficiency in Intermediate/Advanced MS Excel including pivot tables and other complex analysis techniques.

• Strong analytical and problem resolution skills required. 

• Detail oriented with the ability to multitask and be a team player. Willingness to work outside of normal business hours (including some weekends) during monthly, quarterly, and annual close to meet deadlines.