Planetree Manager Finance/Controller

Finance Manager / Controller

The Finance Manager / Controller manages Planetree's day-to-day finance and accounting function and is responsible for accurate, timely financial operations and reporting. The role oversees the general ledger and close, budgeting and forecasting support, cash-flow reporting, accounts payable and receivable oversight, audit preparation, and finance policies, procedures, and controls.

Working under the Vice President, Corporate Services, the role translates organizational priorities into reliable budgets, forecasts, reports, and financial processes. The position provides financial analysis and recommendations but does not hold sole responsibility for enterprise strategy, Board governance, organizational risk management, or final approval of major financial decisions.

The position is designed to supervise and work alongside a Finance Accountant/Coordinator who manages transaction processing, routine reconciliations, supporting documentation, compliance calendars, audit requests, collections follow-up, and recurring reporting support. Responsibilities and system access must be assigned to maintain appropriate segregation of duties.

Finance Team Structure

Role - Primary Accountability

Vice President, Corporate Services - Sets executive direction; owns final budget and forecast recommendations, major financial decisions, Board-level communication, and enterprise risk oversight.

Finance Manager / Controller - Manages accounting, close, reporting, budgeting and forecasting processes, finance controls, cash-flow reporting, analysis, and supervision of finance support.

Finance Accountant / Coordinator - Processes AP and AR, prepares reconciliations and schedules, maintains supporting records and trackers, and supports audit, compliance, collections, and routine reporting.

Responsibilities

Financial Management and Business Support

• Manage the day-to-day finance function and serve as the primary operational finance contact for leadership and budget owners.
• Provide the Vice President, Corporate Services with timely financial data, analysis, and recommendations to support organizational decisions.
• Identify material trends, variances, cash concerns, and control issues and escalate them promptly with recommended actions.
• Coordinate with external accountants, tax advisors, auditors, banks, and other finance partners within approved scopes of work.

Accounting, General Ledger, and Financial Close

• Manage the integrity of the general ledger and the accuracy and completeness of financial records.
• Manage monthly and year-end close activities, including review of journal entries, accruals, reconciliations, and supporting schedules prepared by finance staff or external support.
• Ensure accounting transactions are recorded consistently and in accordance with applicable accounting standards, organizational policies, and nonprofit requirements.
• Review account reconciliations, investigate discrepancies, and ensure corrective items are resolved and documented.
• Maintain close checklists, accounting schedules, and audit-ready supporting documentation.

Budgeting, Forecasting, and Financial Planning Support

• Coordinate the annual budget process under the direction of the Vice President, Corporate Services, including the calendar, templates, assumptions, and budget-owner submissions.
• Consolidate departmental and regional submissions and prepare draft organization-wide budgets and forecasts for leadership review.
• Maintain rolling forecasts and cash-flow projections based on actual performance, commitments, and updated operational assumptions.
• Prepare budget-to-actual and forecast variance analysis and help budget owners understand financial implications and corrective actions.
• Maintain planning models, assumptions, and documentation so forecasts are transparent and repeatable.

Financial Reporting and Analysis

• Prepare accurate monthly, quarterly, year-end, and ad hoc financial reports in accordance with established deadlines.
• Develop concise dashboards and analysis covering revenue, expenses, cash, receivables, payables, budget performance, and other key indicators.
• Prepare leadership and Board financial materials for review and presentation by the Vice President, Corporate Services or executive leadership.
• Support project, contract, restricted-fund, grant, and sponsorship reporting as applicable.
• Explain financial information clearly to non-financial stakeholders and respond to reasonable follow-up questions.

Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, and Cash Oversight

• Supervise the Finance Accountant/Coordinator's processing of invoices, payment requests, expense reimbursements, billing, cash receipts, and collections follow-up.
• Review payment packages for coding, approval, budget alignment, documentation, and policy compliance; payment authorization remains subject to delegated approval limits.
• Oversee client invoicing and receivables aging and coordinate with internal owners to resolve missing billing inputs or overdue balances.
• Monitor cash balances, banking activity, upcoming disbursements, and short-term cash needs, and provide regular cash-flow reporting.
• Review bank and credit-card reconciliations prepared by finance support and ensure discrepancies are resolved.

Compliance, Internal Controls, and Financial Risk

• Maintain and improve practical finance controls, approval workflows, accounting procedures, and documented review requirements.
• Ensure duties and system access are assigned so that no individual initiates, approves, records, and reconciles the same transaction.
• Coordinate annual audit preparation, requested schedules, supporting documentation, and follow-up items with finance staff and external partners.
• Maintain a finance compliance calendar with the Finance Accountant/Coordinator and external advisors for audit, tax, nonprofit, grant, and other financial reporting deadlines.
• Monitor adherence to finance policies and escalate suspected errors, control gaps, noncompliance, fraud concerns, or material financial risks to the Vice President, Corporate Services.
• Support required filings and risk responses; legal, tax, insurance, and enterprise compliance determinations remain with the appropriate executive owner or qualified external advisor.

Financial Systems, Documentation, and Process Improvement

• Maintain effective use of accounting, reporting, purchasing, expense, and related finance systems in coordination with Technology.
• Maintain current procedures, calendars, templates, account mappings, and recurring-report instructions.
• Improve workflows and automation to increase accuracy, timeliness, transparency, and ease of use.
• Support appropriate finance-system access, backup coverage, and continuity planning.

Team and External Partner Coordination

• Supervise, prioritize, coach, and review the work of the Finance Accountant/Coordinator.
• Establish clear deadlines, review points, and backup arrangements for recurring finance processes.
• Coordinate external accounting or bookkeeping resources and confirm that contracted deliverables are complete and timely.
• Maintain constructive working relationships with budget owners, auditors, banks, vendors, and other partners.

Teamwork & Culture

• Live and uphold Planetree's Mission, Vision, and Values.
• Work collaboratively, reliably, and respectfully with colleagues across the organization and globally.
• Demonstrate compassion, openness, accountability, confidentiality, and sound judgment.
• Contribute to continuous improvement, organizational learning, and constructive feedback.
• Complete mandatory training and required compliance activities in a timely manner.

Critical Skills

• Strong working knowledge of accounting principles, nonprofit accounting, financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, and internal controls.
• Demonstrated ability to manage monthly close, general-ledger integrity, reconciliations, AP/AR oversight, and cash-flow reporting.
• Ability to review detailed accounting work while maintaining focus on deadlines, material issues, and organizational priorities.
• Sound understanding of segregation of duties, documentation standards, audit readiness, and financial compliance coordination.
• Strong analytical, organizational, problem-solving, and supervisory skills.
• High accuracy, attention to detail, professional judgment, and discretion.
• Ability to explain financial information clearly to non-financial audiences and work effectively across teams.
• Strong spreadsheet and financial-systems skills and the ability to improve processes without weakening controls.

Competencies

Area - Minimum - Preferred

Education - Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field; an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience may be considered. - Advanced degree or relevant finance/accounting certification.

Experience - Five to seven years of progressive accounting or finance experience, including month-end close, financial reporting, budgeting, AP/AR oversight, reconciliations, and audit support. - Nonprofit, multi-entity, or international experience; two or more years supervising staff or external providers