Finance Manager

Position: Finance Manager

Job Type: Full-time (40 hrs/week)

Department: Administration

FLSA Status: Non-Exempt

Reports To: Managing Director

Direct Report: Finance Associate

Overview

The Finance Manager provides strategic oversight and day-to-day leadership of HOPE Church's financial operations, ensuring faithful stewardship of the resources God has entrusted to the organization. This role exists to develop, maintain, and improve financial systems, reporting, controls, and processes that support sound decision-making, operational excellence, and long-term ministry sustainability.

The Finance Manager plays a key role in advancing HOPE's strategic priorities to Reach Families, Grow Leaders, Plant Churches, and Go Far and Wide by ensuring the financial health and stewardship necessary to support ministry growth and expansion. Through accurate reporting, thoughtful analysis, strong internal controls, and sound financial planning, this role helps build the infrastructure needed for effective ministry today and for scalable growth in the future.

This position oversees all core accounting and finance functions, including financial reporting, budgeting, accounts payable, payroll, cash management, reconciliations, donor contribution accounting, audit preparation, and financial analysis. The Finance Manager partners closely with leadership, ministry teams, the Finance Committee, and external partners to ensure financial operations remain accurate, compliant, efficient, and aligned with HOPE's mission and strategy.

This position directly supervises the part-time Finance Associate, providing leadership, oversight, and accountability for day-to-day bookkeeping, transaction processing, and financial administration.

Key Responsibilities

Financial Leadership and Oversight

• Oversee all accounting and financial operations for HOPE Church and related entities, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and compliance with organizational policies and nonprofit accounting requirements
• Maintain accounting principles, practices, procedures, and internal controls that safeguard organizational assets and support reliable financial reporting
• Ensure all financial activity is recorded accurately using appropriate fund accounting and cost accounting structures
• Support leadership in evaluating financial implications of ministry initiatives, special projects, capital expenditures, and strategic opportunities
• Maintain appropriate segregation of duties and approval processes across finance operations

Team Leadership & Development

• Provide direct supervision, coaching, and support for the Finance Associate
• Oversee daily bookkeeping workflows, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and compliance in financial transactions and reporting
• Delegate, review, and approve transactional financial work, including deposits, payables, reconciliations, and expense coding
• Develop efficient financial workflows and systems that improve clarity, consistency, and accountability
• Foster professional growth and development within the Finance team

Financial Reporting and Analysis

• Prepare and distribute timely monthly financial statements and reporting packages for leadership and the Finance Committee
• Develop regular and ad hoc financial analyses to support decision-making across ministry areas
• Monitor spending against approved budgets and communicate budget performance to ministry leaders
• Prepare agendas, reports, dashboards, and supporting materials for Finance Committee meetings
• Analyze financial trends, operational performance, and ministry-related data to identify risks and opportunities

Budgeting and Financial Planning

• Participate in annual budget development and ongoing forecast reviews
• Partner with ministry leaders to develop budgets aligned with HOPE's strategic priorities
• Assist leadership with cash forecasting, scenario planning, and long-range financial modeling
• Support financial planning related to capital projects, campaigns, facility expansion, and future ministry initiatives

Cash Management and Banking

• Oversee cash flow and ensure compliance with established cash management guidelines
• Ensure weekly and periodic deposits are processed accurately, including:
  • church giving
  • electronic donations
  • thrift revenue
  • café revenue
  • program income
  • mission trip payments
• Review and approve bank reconciliations prepared by the Finance Associate
• Ensure monthly and quarterly banking compliance requirements are completed accurately and on time
• Oversee scheduled and additional principal loan payments

Accounts Payable and Expense Management

• Oversee accounts payable workflows, including checks, ACH payments, and vendor disbursements
• Review and approve staff reimbursements and HOPE-sponsored credit card activity, ensuring receipts, approvals, and supporting documentation are complete
• Ensure proper expense coding and cost allocation across departments and entities
• Maintain strong vendor payment processes and internal financial controls

Contribution and Donor Accounting

• Oversee the contributions cycle, including weekly donation processing and giving reconciliation
• Ensure contribution activity from all giving platforms is accurately reconciled and recorded
• Partner with the Stewardship team to ensure donor records and giving statements are accurate and distributed on schedule
• Maintain the integrity and confidentiality of donor financial records

Payroll Administration

• Serve as the lead administrator for payroll processing
• Ensure accurate and timely biweekly payroll for all employees
• Review payroll changes, deductions, tax treatment, and compensation adjustments for accuracy and compliance
• Process payroll-related vendor payments, including retirement contributions, HSA funding, and payroll tax obligations
• Manage payroll-related journal entries and reconciliations
• Ensure payroll compliance with all applicable reporting and tax requirements

Audit, Compliance, and Controls

• Coordinate the annual external audit and prepare all required schedules, reconciliations, and supporting documentation

• Ensure compliance with nonprofit financial requirements, internal policies, and applicable regulations
• Evaluate and strengthen internal controls and recommend process improvements where needed
• Support insurance-related financial reporting and compliance as needed

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner effectively with leadership, ministry teams, Stewardship, Outreach, Retail, and Operations teams
• Provide financial guidance and support to ministry leaders and budget owners
• Communicate financial processes, reporting, and expectations clearly across departments
• Serve as a trusted, solutions-oriented resource for financial questions and process improvement

Other Duties as Assigned

• Perform other duties as assigned in support of HOPE's mission and operational needs

Requirements

Education

• Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, business, or related field preferred

• CPA or equivalent advanced financial credential preferred, but not required

Experience

• Minimum 5 years of progressively responsible accounting or finance experience
• Experience supervising financial processes and/or support staff preferred
• Experience in nonprofit, ministry, church, or multi-entity accounting environment preferred
• Experience managing payroll, budgeting, financial reporting, and audit preparation required

Skills & Competencies

• Strong knowledge of accounting principles, internal controls, budgeting, and financial analysis
• Experience with fund accounting and job cost accounting
• Advanced Excel and financial reporting skills
• Strong attention to detail and a high degree of accuracy
• Excellent organizational and project management skills
• Ability to manage multiple deadlines with minimal supervision
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• High discretion with confidential financial information
• Ability to identify process improvements and implement practical solutions

Work Schedule

• Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM-5:00 PM
• Additional hours may occasionally be required during audit, budget season, year-end close, or special projects
• Participation in all-staff "All-In" days, including Christmas Eve and Easter Sunday.

Physical Demands

• Primarily sedentary work involving extended periods at a desk
• Frequent computer use and communication with staff, vendors, and ministry leaders
• Occasional movement throughout campus to support operational needs