Vice President, Finance

Vice President, Finance

ACEC was recently recognized as a "2026 Best Place to Work in the Greater Washington Area" by the Washington Business Journal.

ACEC is seeking an experienced, detail-oriented Vice President, Finance to manage the association's day-to-day financial operations and help ensure the financial health and integrity of ACEC and the ACEC Research Institute. This role works closely with the CFO to support budgeting, financial reporting, audit, and tax processes, while overseeing a small finance team responsible for the association's accounting operations.

The Vice President, Finance will serve as the operational backbone of the finance function—managing monthly close, financial statements, and reconciliations, while also serving as the organization's primary point of contact with outside auditors. This person will bring strong internal controls and process discipline to cash management, credit card transaction processing, and general ledger integrity, and will look for opportunities to continue to improve and automate finance processes.

This position is ideal for someone who is highly organized, hands-on, and comfortable balancing independent ownership of day-to-day finance operations with close coordination and reporting up to the CFO. The ideal candidate genuinely enjoys the detail work of reconciliations and account maintenance—someone who finds satisfaction in getting the numbers to tie out precisely, not just someone who tolerates it.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Manage the day-to-day financial operations of ACEC, in coordination with the CFO, including preparation of budgets and monthly financial statements for senior team and Treasurer. Solicit regular input from senior team on projections and monitor the budget throughout the year to ensure balanced books.
• Perform monthly accounting close activities, including monitoring revenue and expenses against projections, recording depreciation/amortization and deferred rent entries, reconciling certain general ledger accounts, and reviewing disbursements.
• Supervise, train, and evaluate the performance of the Director of Finance and Accounting Manager.
• Oversee the processing of all corporate credit card transactions (currently via Concur (ACEC) and PayPal (Institute)) into the accounting system and identify opportunities to streamline and automate this and other processes. Also maintain the PCI compliance of these processors.
• Generate dues and other invoicing reports from ACEC's AMS (NetForum) to support financial reporting and reconciliation.
• Maintain and administer the Association's accounting software (Sage Intacct), including troubleshooting, upgrades, and coordination with outside technical support as needed.
• Support the CFO's work with the Executive Committee, Board of Directors, and standing committees by:
  • Assisting with preparation of the Three-Year Budget as part of ACEC's multi-year budget cycle;
  • Preparing the quarterly Treasurer's Report and presentation materials for the Executive Committee and semi-annual Board of Directors' meetings;
  • Preparing the quarterly Investment Summary Report for the Financial Oversight Committee; and
  • Providing support to the Budget Committee.
• Maintain internal controls and procedures over cash management and disbursements, including managing cash flow to ensure sufficient funds are available for operations while working with outside advisors to invest excess cash.
• Administer ACEC's investment policy, liaising with outside advisors in coordination with the CFO.
• Serve as the primary contact with ACEC's outside auditors; draft the GAAP financial statements and coordinate the annual audit process.
• Draft information and tax returns (Forms 990, 990-T and D-20) for ACEC and the ACEC Research Institute, oversee review of these forms by the outside auditors, and ensure timely filing. Also prepare and file the annual Forms 1099 and 1096 for ACEC and the ACEC Research Institute.
• Prepare the Association's Use Tax on a monthly basis.
• Maintain the Association's Basic Business License and file biennial reports for ACEC and the Institute.
• Provide support to staff regarding accounting inquiries, questions, or budget issues.
• Assist with non-financial activities when necessary.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in finance, accounting, or equivalent; CPA certification a plus.
• Minimum of 10-15 years of progressively responsible accounting/finance experience, preferably in a nonprofit or association environment.
• Proficiency with Sage Intacct or similar cloud-based accounting/ERP software required.
• Experience with Concur or similar expense management systems required.
• Familiarity with NetForum or similar AMS platforms strongly preferred.
• Firm grasp of accounting, finance, budget, and business concepts; broad knowledge of accounting/finance and/or auditing work.
• Prior supervisory experience preferred.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills; efficient in multi-tasking.
• Excellent computer skills, including Microsoft Office.

About ACEC The American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) is the business voice of America's engineering and design services industry. Founded in 1906, ACEC is a national federation of 51 state and regional organizations representing nearly 5,500 engineering firms and 600,000+ engineers, surveyors, architects, and other specialists nationwide. ACEC was recently recognized as a "2026 Best Place to Work in the Greater Washington Area" by the Washington Business Journal, and our member firms drive the design of America's infrastructure and built environment.

ACEC is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, or sexual orientation), national origin, age, disability, military status, or genetic information. Salary and Compensation We offer a competitive salary range of $195K-$225K annually, commensurate with candidates' experience and qualifications. Additional Benefits Our benefits package includes a hybrid work environment, comprehensive health coverage, a retirement plan, generous paid time off, and opportunities for professional development.