Director of Finance/Controller

Job Title: Director of Finance/Controller Reports to: Chief Executive Officer Role Type: Full-time Location: Boston: Hybrid, weekly in-office attendance is required FLSA Status: Exempt Salary: $140,000 - $160,000

POSITION SUMMARY

The Director of Finance / Controller is responsible for overseeing Project Evident’s accounting operations, ensuring timely and accurate financial workflows, reporting, strong internal controls, and full compliance with GAAP and nonprofit fund accounting standards. This role serves as the organization’s senior accounting leader, translating financial activity into clear, reliable information that supports leadership decision-making and organizational accountability.

The Director of Finance / Controller reports to the CEO and partners closely with the Chief Budget Officer (CBO), the Manager of Business & Finance Analytics, and senior leadership to ensure alignment across accounting, budgeting, and financial reporting and workflows. This role informs the development and implementation of the organizational budget and ensures high-quality financial , reporting, data integrity, and insights to inform planning and performance management. Finally, this role works closely with the Chief Operating Officer to ensure alignment and efficient allocations, OKR and payroll workflows and systems.

A key priority for this role is leading the organization’s transition to and ongoing management of Sage Intacct as Project Evident’s primary accounting platform. The ideal candidate brings deep Sage Intacct expertise, including system configuration, module optimization, reporting, and interoperability with the organization's broader technology stack.

This is a hands-on role suited to a growing, complex nonprofit operating across grants, fee-for-service contracts, and new revenue sources. The ideal candidate is technologically proficient, detail-oriented, systems-savvy, collaborative, and comfortable operating in a dynamic, evolving environment.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

Accounting Operations & Controls (40%)

• Oversee day-to-day accounting operations, including general ledger integrity, journal entries, reconciliations, and month-end close.
• Ensure timely and accurate monthly, quarterly, and annual financial closes.
• Review and approve accounting transactions prepared by internal staff and/or outsourced partners.
• Maintain chart of accounts, accounting policies, and documentation to support accurate reporting across grants, fee-for-service contracts, and unrestricted activities.
• Ensure appropriate revenue recognition and expense allocation in accordance with GAAP and fund accounting requirements.
• Design, implement, and maintain strong internal controls to safeguard organizational assets and ensure financial integrity.
• Serve as the primary accounting lead for the annual financial audit and other external reviews.
• Coordinate audit preparation, documentation, and responses in collaboration with internal teams and external auditors.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and funder financial requirements, including nonprofit and grant compliance standards.
• Oversee accounting-related tax filings and regulatory reporting in partnership with external providers.

Financial Management (40%)

• Ensuring the organization has timely and accurate financial reporting that meets both GAAP, Management and Board of Director needs, including but not limited to monthly financial statements, pipeline reports, productivity reports, grant and contract reports, statements of activities, financial position, and cash flow.
• Partner with the Manager of Business & Finance Analytics to support management-level reporting, dashboards, and variance analysis.
• Provide clear explanations of financial results, trends, and variances to leadership and internal stakeholders.
• Support grant and contract reporting requirements by ensuring financial data accuracy and consistency across systems.
• Partner with the Chief Budget Officer to support organizational, departmental, and grant/contract budgeting processes.
• Provide financial data, historical analysis, and variance reporting to inform budget development and monitoring.
• Monitor actuals against approved budgets and flag risks, trends, or misalignments for leadership review.
• Oversee cash flow monitoring and short-term liquidity management.
• Manage banking relationships and cash positioning in coordination with leadership.
• Ensure accurate cash forecasting and alignment between accounting records and bank activity.

Department Management (20%)

• Ensure excellence in department performance, staffing, and systems to meet financial and accounting priorities.
• Serve as accounting system owner for Sage Intacct, BILL.com, and other related finance tools, ensuring proper configuration, internal control, user access management, and data integrity.
• Partner with finance and operations teams to improve accounting workflows, controls, reporting, and documentation using agentic solutions where possible.
• Supervise accounting & finance staff and/or outsourced accounting partners, setting clear expectations and reviewing work quality.
• Oversee and maintain finance policies, procedures, and SOPs.
• Support scaling of finance operations as the organization grows.

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field (CPA strongly preferred).
• 7–10 years of nonprofit accounting experience
• Direct Sage Intacct expertise is required; system migration preferred.
• Proven experience managing month-end close, audits, and internal controls.
• Ability to translate complex financial accounting data into clear, actionable insights.
• Collaborative leadership style and comfort growing with technology.
• High attention to detail, sound judgment, and discretion with sensitive financial information.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Ability to work with a virtual team.
• The team works across multiple time zones and expects regular availability between 10:00am - 4:00pm (ET).
• Hybrid position with regular presence in Boston.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• Ability to sit, talk, and listen continuously for up to 8 hours per day.
• Requires fine motor skills, such as typing for up to 4 hours continuously.
• Ability to lift at least 30 pounds.

WHY JOIN PROJECT EVIDENT?

We hope you're excited about the possibilities of working at Project Evident! To support you in bringing your best self to work, we offer:

• Comprehensive Benefits – Generous medical, dental, and vision plans, a 403(b) retirement plan with employer match, and life and disability insurance.
• Flexible Time Off – Unlimited vacation days, Summer Fridays between Memorial Day and Labor Day, and organizational-wide closure from December 25 to January 1.
• Support for Your Growth & Well-Being – Remote work stipends, reimbursement and time off for professional development, and coverage for relevant membership fees.

About Project Evident

Project Evident harnesses the power of data, evidence, and technology to achieve greater impact. We believe that by empowering practitioners to drive their own data and evidence building while also strengthening the surrounding ecosystem, we can increase the number of effective solutions in the social and education sectors and scale them faster, ultimately producing stronger, more meaningful, and more equitable outcomes for students and communities.

Project Evident is an equal opportunity employer, dedicated to building an inclusive and diverse workforce committed to a culture of belonging and accountability.

Studies have shown that women and people of color are often reluctant to submit a job application unless they meet all qualifications—we encourage applicants who may not meet 100 percent of the position qualifications to apply anyway.