Director of Finance & Accounting

Director of Finance & Accounting

The Geological Society of America (GSA) is seeking an experienced and strategic Director of Finance & Accounting to lead and modernize the Society's financial operations, accounting systems, reporting, budgeting, and financial controls in support of GSA's mission and long-term sustainability.

Reporting to the Executive Director & CEO, the Director of Finance & Accounting provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for all accounting and financial functions across the Society and related entities. This role will oversee financial stewardship, organizational budgeting and forecasting, audits and compliance, investments, grants administration, and financial reporting while helping advance operational efficiency, process improvement, and enterprise financial systems modernization.

The Director of Finance & Accounting will serve as a collaborative partner across departments and will support financial operations related to meetings, publications, membership, grants, eCommerce, subscriptions, and international activities. This individual will also provide leadership for GSA's financial systems infrastructure, including oversight and optimization of NetSuite ERP and related integrations.

The ideal candidate will bring substantial nonprofit finance and accounting leadership experience, strong knowledge of nonprofit fund accounting and GAAP, expertise with ERP systems and financial operations, and a demonstrated ability to lead organizational and systems improvements within a complex mission-driven environment.

Key Responsibilities

Provide strategic and operational leadership for all financial functions of the organization, including accounting, budgeting, forecasting, payroll oversight, accounts payable and receivable, cash management, investments, grants administration, audits, and compliance activities.

Lead and oversee financial operations utilizing NetSuite ERP and related financial systems, including workflows, reporting structures, internal controls, approvals, integrations, dashboards, and process optimization.

Maintain and strengthen nonprofit fund accounting practices, including restricted and unrestricted funds, deferred revenue, grant accounting, project tracking, and investment accounting.

Oversee monthly, quarterly, and annual financial close processes and ensure the timely preparation of accurate financial statements, forecasts, dashboards, variance analyses, and management reports.

Coordinate development of annual operating and capital budgets, including forecasting models, departmental collaboration, and reporting for leadership, committees, and governance groups.

Prepare and monitor cash flow projections, investment reporting, and related financial analyses and recommendations for executive leadership, the Treasurer, Finance Committee, Investment Committee, Audit Committee, and Council.

Lead annual audits, tax filings, compliance reporting, and related financial documentation activities.

Develop, maintain, and strengthen internal controls, financial policies, procurement processes, and audit readiness procedures.

Collaborate with organizational leadership and department directors to analyze financial performance, operational trends, strategic initiatives, and budget variances.

Partner with Information Technology and operational teams to support integrations between NetSuite and other enterprise systems, including AMS/CRM, payroll, banking, eCommerce, expense management, and reporting platforms.

Lead, mentor, and develop the Finance & Accounting team, including hiring, coaching, performance management, and professional development.

Participate as a member of the Executive Director's leadership team and contribute to organizational strategy, operational planning, and cross-functional initiatives.

Participate on Society committees and task forces as needed.

Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications and Skills

Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or related field required; Master's degree preferred.

Certified Public Accountant (CPA) designation required.

Minimum of 10–12 years of progressive accounting and finance leadership experience, including significant nonprofit accounting and fund accounting experience.

Extensive experience leading finance and accounting operations within a complex nonprofit or mission-driven organization with multiple revenue streams.

Extensive experience with NetSuite ERP administration, financial operations, reporting, workflows, and process optimization in a nonprofit environment required.

Demonstrated expertise in nonprofit fund accounting, GAAP accounting, financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, deferred revenue management, grant accounting, and audit management.

Strong understanding of internal controls, financial governance, compliance procedures, procurement oversight, and audit readiness best practices.

Experience supporting operational environments involving meetings/events, publications, memberships, subscriptions, grants, sponsorships, eCommerce, and/or international activities preferred.

Demonstrated ability to develop executive dashboards, financial models, KPI reporting, and organizational performance analyses.

Excellent analytical, organizational, problem-solving, and communication skills with strong attention to detail.

Demonstrated ability to lead organizational change, improve operational efficiency, and develop scalable financial processes.

Experience supervising and developing finance and accounting staff and external vendors.

Technologically proficient with experience collaborating across finance, IT, and operational teams to improve enterprise systems and workflows.

Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel and financial reporting tools required.

Experience with nonprofit AMS/CRM platforms, payroll systems, expense management tools, and business intelligence/reporting platforms preferred.

Collaborative, solutions-oriented leadership style with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic environment.

Personal qualities of integrity, professionalism, sound judgment, credibility, and commitment to GSA's mission.

Demonstrated ability to build and maintain effective, diverse, and multicultural working relationships.

Ability to work both independently and collaboratively, with a professional demeanor and the capacity for mature judgment in interactions with all levels of society members, staff, and external contacts.

The highest ethical standards, ability to maintain confidentiality, and strong commitment to upholding GSA's scientific integrity initiatives and RISE policies are required.