Senior Manager Finance and Operations

The Senior Manager of Finance & Operations will report to the Executive Director and serve as a key organizational systems leader for Lighthouse Foundation of Chicagoland. This role will coordinate financial operations, grant administration, vendor management, internal systems, and day-to-day operations for a rapidly growing nonprofit.

The Senior Manager of Finance & Operations will not work alone. This position will work closely with the Executive Director, external bookkeeper, CPA/controller, staff, and contractors to ensure accurate financial tracking, timely payments, strong documentation, grant compliance, and smooth organizational operations.

The ideal candidate is a proactive, detail-oriented problem solver who can manage multiple systems, strengthen administrative processes, communicate clearly, and help a growing organization operate with greater efficiency, accountability, and care.

• Coordinate accounts payable and payroll workflows in partnership with the Executive Director, bookkeeper, and CPA/controller.
• Ensure bills, invoices, payroll information, receipts, contracts, and other financial records are organized, complete, and submitted for timely processing.
• Work with the bookkeeper to ensure accurate data entry, expense coding, documentation, and tracking in Quick Books and related systems.
• Work with the CPA/controller to review monthly financial reports, expense categorization, budget-to-actual reports, and other financial materials.
• Maintain event and program budgets, track actual expenses against approved budgets, and flag significant variances for review.
• Support timely reconciliation by ensuring receipts, invoices, bank records, credit card documentation, and supporting materials are complete and available to the bookkeeper and CPA/controller.
• Maintain vendor records, W-9s, payment information, contracts, and documentation needed for compliance and reporting.
• Liaise with vendors and contractors to support accurate invoicing, timely payment, and clear communication.
• Draft and manage memoranda of agreement, vendor agreements, contractor agreements, and related payment documentation in consultation with the Executive Director.
• Maintain financial calendars, payment schedules, grant spending trackers, and documentation systems.
• Support strong internal controls by ensuring that payment processing, financial review, reconciliation, and approval functions are appropriately separated among staff, the bookkeeper, CPA/controller, Executive Director, and board leadership.

• Manage administrative components of grant submissions, including portal setup, organizational attachments, standard organizational information, deadlines, and required compliance materials.
• Support the grant contract process from award notification through contract execution, payment tracking, and receipt of funds.
• Maintain organized records of current grants, pending grant opportunities, reporting deadlines, funder requirements, and grant-related deliverables.
• Support funder outreach, engagement, communication, and reporting in partnership with the Executive Director and program staff.
• Review grant materials for clarity, consistency, completeness, formatting requirements, word count, grammar, spelling, and alignment with funder instructions.
• Help organize grant budgets, budget narratives, required attachments, award letters, contracts, and reporting materials.
• Track grant spending and deliverable timelines in coordination with the Executive Director, program staff, bookkeeper, and CPA/controller.
• Support compliance with grant requirements by maintaining accurate documentation and helping staff prepare for reports, site visits, audits, and funder check-ins.
• Oversee a team of grant writers

• Work with the Executive Director to create, maintain, and refine systems for planning, tracking, grant compliance, staff coordination, and organizational accountability.
• Oversee and maintain Lighthouse Foundation’s CRM, , and related work management systems to improve data tracking and cross-department coordination.
• Proactively identify opportunities to streamline administrative processes and improve organizational efficiency.
• Support staff in using organizational systems consistently and effectively.
• Provide operations support for Lighthouse Foundation events, including registration systems, logistics tracking, vendor coordination, and…