Director of Finance

Position Information

Department:
Business Ofice / Administration
FLSA Status:
Exempt, Full-Time

Reports To:

President
Efective Date: 10/01/2026

The Director of Finance at Northern Seminary provides strategic as well as working leadership across the institution's finance functions. This role is responsible for ensuring the financial health, regulatory compliance, and operational efectiveness of the Seminary. The Director of Finance partners closely with the President and senior leadership team to advance the Seminary's mission through sound stewardship of resources, people, and institutional processes. As a member of the leadership team, this individual embodies the core values of Northern Seminary and contributes to a culture of integrity, collaboration, and servant leadership.

• Provide overall leadership and strategic direction for all financial operations of the Seminary, including accounting, budgeting, financial reporting, and forecasting.
• Supervise financial reporting, billing, collections, student accounts, AP/AR, payroll, and budget preparation.
• Ensure full compliance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and nonprofit accounting standards, including fund accounting requirements.
• Oversee preparation and presentation of monthly, quarterly, and annual financial reports to the President,Finance Committee, and Board of Trustees.
• Lead the annual budget development process in collaboration with department leaders; monitor financial performance against budget and advise leadership on variances and trends.
• Provide multi-year financial forecasting and scenario planning to support strategic decision-making.
• Advise the President on financial implications of enrollment trends, tuition pricing, and program decisions.
• Manage daily cash flow to ensure suficient liquidity for Seminary operations and invest surplus funds appropriately. Tracking unrestricted and restricted resources available.
• Serve as the primary liaison with independent external auditors; oversee preparation of all audit work papers,updated policies, procedures, and ensure timely completion of the annual audit.
• Maintain the Seminary's internal control framework, including segregation of duties and safeguarding of assets.
• Maintain Title IV compliance and manage the federal loan and Northern Student Loan programs, includingpreparation and submission of loan requests, deferment forms, and compliance reporting.
• Serve as liaison with endowment managers to maintain accurate records of restricted and unrestricted funds;collaborate with leadership on endowment strategy and distributions.
• Oversee annuity reporting and provide support to the letter of credit process.
• Collaborate with department leaders to review and assess financial viability of all grant submissions.
• Advise the President, Board, and senior leadership on cash flow, investment priorities, and financial objectives.
• Provide financial analysis and data to support the President's planning processes.
• Analyze market trends and opportunities for financial viability and organizational growth.

• Directly supervises the accounting and operational staff.
• Recruits, hires, and evaluates direct reports; coordinates performance review processes.

• Expert knowledge of nonprofit accounting, fund accounting, and GAAP financial reporting.
• Experience managing a multi-million dollar budget.
• Strong understanding of regulatory compliance in a higher education context.
• Proficiency in accounting software (Quick Books), student information systems (Populi), HRIS platforms(Paylocity), and Microsoft Ofice Suite.
• Ability to develop, implement, and assess internal controls and institutional policies.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and strategic thinking skills.
• Strong written and oral communication; ability to present complex financial data to non-financial audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple high-priority projects simultaneously.
• High level of integrity, discretion, and ability to handle confidential information.
• Ability to build collaborative, trust-based relationships across all levels of the institution.

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a closely related field required;
  Master'sdegree (MBA, MPA, or similar) preferred. CPA designation strongly preferred.
• Minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in finance and accounting, with at…