Finance Director

Job Description Job Description Position: Finance Director Hiring Salary Range : $128,556.00-$160,695.00 FLSA Status: Exempt Report To: Finance Officer AGENCY SUMMARY: BrightSpark Early Learning Services is dedicated to strengthening early childhood education and supporting children, families, and communities through high-quality programs and services. The organization partners with families, educators, and community stakeholders to ensure young children have access to strong early learning opportunities that support long-term success. As the organization continues to grow in both program scale and funding complexity, particularly through federal and grant-funded programs, BrightSpark is investing in strengthening its financial leadership and systems to support long-term sustainability. The Finance Director will play a key leadership role in helping ensure the organization’s financial operations remain strong, transparent, and aligned with its mission. of our children. OPPORTUNITY: BrightSpark is seeking a strategic and collaborative Finance Director to oversee the organization’s financial operations and help guide long-term financial sustainability. Working closely with the Finance Officer and the leadership team, the Finance Director will ensure strong financial stewardship across the organization and provide clear financial insights to support decision-making and program success. This leader will oversee budgeting, financial reporting, audit management, and grant financial compliance while leading and developing a team of finance professionals. The role requires someone who enjoys balancing strategic thinking, operational execution, and team leadership in a mission-driven environment. WHY THIS ROLE MATTERS : BrightSpark operates within a complex funding environment that includes federal, state, and grant-funded programs. As the organization continues to grow, the Finance Director will help ensure that financial systems, reporting processes, and compliance practices remain strong and scalable. This role will help leadership better understand financial performance, support program sustainability, and ensure the organization continues to operate with transparency and accountability. RESPONSIBILITIES: Key Priorities Strengthening Financial Planning and Visibility The Finance Director will help strengthen financial planning processes and ensure leadership and programming teams have clear insight into financial performance and funding sustainability. Supporting Complex Grant-Funded Programs A large portion of BrightSpark’s funding comes from government and grant sources. The Finance Director will ensure strong financial oversight, reporting, and compliance with funding requirements. Improving Financial Systems and Processes The organization continues to evolve its financial tools, reporting structures, and workflows. This leader will help identify opportunities to streamline processes and improve financial visibility across departments. Developing a Strong Finance Team The Finance Director will lead and support a team of accounting professionals while fostering a collaborative, supportive, and accountable team culture What you’ll be responsible for: Strategic Financial Leadership & Planning (30%) Lead the organization’s financial planning and budgeting processes while helping leadership translate strategy into sustainable financial plans. You will: Lead the annual budgeting process and long-range financial planning Partner with program leaders to develop grant and program budgets Monitor financial performance and key financial KPIs Support strategic planning and long-term financial sustainability Financial Operations & Reporting (25%) Ensure the organization’s financial operations run smoothly and provide clear, actionable insight to leadership. You will: Oversee monthly close, financial reporting, and budget-to-actual analysis Develop dashboards and financial reports for leadership and the board Strengthening financial systems, reporting processes, and financial transparency Translate financial data into insights for program and executive leaders Finance Team Leadership & Systems Improvement (25%) Lead, develop, and mentor the finance team while continuously improving systems and processes. You will: Supervise the Controller and support a team of accounting professionals Foster a culture of collaboration, learning, and continuous improvement Identify opportunities to improve financial systems, workflows, and technology Support financial literacy across the organization Grant Financial Management & Compliance (10%) Support the organization’s large portfolio of locally & federally funded programs through strong financial oversight and compliance. You will: Oversee financial management of federal and state grants Ensure compliance with GAAP, federal grant requirements, and regulatory reporting Manage annual financial and federal audits and serve as primary liaison with auditors Maintain cost allocation methodologies and indirect cost structures Organizational Partnership & Executive Support (10%) Act as a trusted thought partner to the Finance Officer and leadership team. You will: Present financial insights to senior leadership Collaborate with program, development, and operations teams Maintain relationships with financial institutions, grantors, and external partners Support cross-department financial planning and decision-making WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE : Successful candidates in this role will help ensure that: Leadership has clear financial insights to guide strategic decisions Financial processes are efficient, reliable, and transparent Grant funding and regulatory compliance remain strong and well managed Finance systems and reporting processes continue to improve The finance team is supported, engaged, and collaborative KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES: Minimum Qualifications The successful candidate will bring strong nonprofit financial leadership experience along with the ability to translate complex financial information into actionable insights. Candidates who thrive in this role will likely bring: Experience in nonprofit financial leadership and accounting Experience managing federal or government grant funding, including leading A-133 audits Strong understanding of GAAP and financial compliance Experience in creating and managing an annual operating budget 10M+ Experience leading and mentoring finance teams Strong collaboration skills and ability to work across departments Ability to communicate financial concepts clearly to non-finance leaders WHY THIS ROLE IS EXCITING: This is an opportunity to help guide the financial sustainability of a mission-driven organization that supports early learning and community impact. The Finance Director will play a key role in ensuring BrightSpark has the financial insight, systems, and leadership needed to continue expanding its impact on children and families. HIRING PROCESS TIMELINE: Applications accepted March-May 2026 Phone screens starting April 2026 2-3 Interviews May 2026 -June 2026 Start date goal of July 1, 2026 COMPETENCIES: Core Competencies - Mission-driven : Demonstrates commitment to the mission and values of the mission. Equity mindset: Demonstrates the values of anti-racism; fosters an inclusive environment that facilitates diversity. Communication: Uses skillful written and oral communication with internal staff, teams, and community served; demonstrates empathy and listening. Adaptability : Adapts and responds to change; proactively seeks opportunities to be supportive of change that serves our mission Ownership and quality of work : Manages own work and work of teams when relevant, ensuring delivery of successful outcomes. Leadership Competencies - Decision-making: Structures and facilitates decision-making processes; makes decisions responsibly to improve organizational health and impact; gathers and weighs all sorts of data (qualitative, quantitative, historical, etc.) Supports the development and motivation of others: Actively supports the development and motivation of others to maximize individual, team, and agency impact. Continuous-improvement mindset: Identifies strategies to improve the organization’s impact; sets course and drives implementation. Director & Officer Competencies - Manage Vision & Purpose Political & Organizational Savvy Leveraging Resources Organization & Strategic Alignment COMPENSATION: Hiring Salary Range: $128,556.00-$160,695.00 FLSA Status: Exempt This is a full-time salaried position requiring work during BrightSpark Early Learning Services Business hours, Monday through Friday from 8:30 am-5 pm, and requiring a willingness to work some evenings and weekends. BrightSpark will determine the specific salary for the successful candidate based on factors including, but not limited to, the available budget, prior experience, skills, and education as they relate to the position’s qualifications. The posted salary range reflects just one component of our total compensation package. Other components of the total compensation package may include participation in group life, health and dental insurance, retirement plan, wellness program(s), paid time off, and paid holidays. BENEFITS: BrightSpark Early Learning Services’ benefits package includes employer-paid top-tier medical, dental, and vision insurance plans for employees, 21 days of PTO per year in addition to 11 paid holidays, 3 paid floating holidays, birthday holiday, and one week-long office closure at year-end, Refresh Fridays in July (BrightSpark Early Learning Services Closure Days), flexible work environment, employer-paid life insurance, short-term disability/illness leave accrual, and 401k with 3% employer match. WORK LOCATION: This position is a Hybrid position. Hybrid positions at BrightSpark require at least two days in the office per week. These days may vary based on individual positions and departmental needs. BrightSpark Early Learning Services employees in all types of work positions (hybrid, community, etc.) must attend training, meetings, events, or other work commitments at various BrightSpark Early Learning Services office locations or off-site locations in Washington State, including the New Employee Orientation in Renton, Washington. EQUAL EQUITY EMPLOYER: BrightSpark Early Learning Services is an equal opportunity employer, and we value diversity among our staff. We strongly encourage people of color, immigrants and refugees, people from the LGBTQ community, people with disabilities, and people from other historically marginalized groups to apply. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION & QUESTIONS To learn more about BrightSpark Early Learning Services, please visit BrightSpark Early Learning Services is a grant-funded nonprofit organization. This and all positions are contingent on grant funding being in place and may end upon funding expiration.