Director of Accounting, The Foundation for City College
March 2023 | New York, NY
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The Foundation for City College, dedicated to the support of The City College of New York, seeks candidates for a new position, Director of Accounting. Reporting directly to the Chief Financial Officer of the Foundation for City College, the Director of Accounting will assist in managing all Foundation assets ($365 million), oversee a team of accountants and other financial professionals, and work closely with the Foundation’s audit, investment, and budget committees.
About City College of New York
Since 1847, The City College of New York (CCNY), located in New York City, has offered a world-class and affordable education in the heart of the most diverse city in the world.
CCNY offers undergraduate programs in architecture, engineering, education, the liberal arts, and sciences, preparing its students for the future and producing outstanding leaders in every field. Various graduate programs are also available to students including 50 master’s programs and doctoral programs in engineering, the laboratory sciences, and psychology. More than 16,000 students pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees in eight professional schools and divisions.
The power to transform what students learn in the classroom, and apply it to communities both locally and globally, is what makes CCNY such a unique institution of higher education. Ranking #1 on the overall mobility index by The Chronicle of Higher Education out of 369 selective public colleges in the U.S., graduates from CCNY are more likely to move up two or more income quintiles, and the Center for World University Rankings places CCNY in the top 1.2% of universities worldwide in terms of academic excellence.
CCNY’s accomplished alumni have gone on to become Supreme Court Justices, Secretaries of State, leaders of industry, world-renowned researchers and award-winning actors and musicians. As a public institution with public purpose and a 175-year history, CCNY produces citizens who make an impact on the cultural, social, and economic vitality of New York, the nation, and the world.
Formation of the Foundation for City College
The Foundation for City College was formed in 2019 through the combining of the 21st Century Foundation and the City College Fund with the goal to form a unified fundraising organization for CCNY, improving the management of accounting, stewardship and disposition of philanthropy within the two separate foundations, and become a higher performing fundraising organization.
As part of the merger planning and in-depth review, significant improvements to historic practices were made. Accomplishments include improved internal controls; corrected accounting records, practices, and bookkeeping; the creation of an accounting procedures manual; the implementation of Financial Edge and migration of all accounts and financial management from legacy system (MIP); resolved audit findings; and newly created reports and aids to budget planning.
The merger positions the new Foundation to seize the College’s philanthropic opportunity, leveraging the College’s strong record of accomplishments.
About the Foundation for City College
The mission of the Foundation for City College is to provide access to educational and research excellence, particularly to students who might not otherwise attend a senior college. Private gifts have the power to advance higher education, which transforms lives and communities, and the Foundation strives to enrich the City College experience for students, faculty, and staff. The Foundation staff work in collaboration with the President of The City College of New York to raise significant financial support from private sources, and to steward the Foundation’s assets while serving as advocates for the College.
The Foundation supports a variety of programs at City College, including named professorships, advanced research operations, innovative programs leading to increased student success and campus-wide wellness opportunities, workforce development initiatives, and special programs and lectures that bring some of the nation’s top intellectuals to the campus.
The vision of the Foundation for City College is to be the steward of The City College of New York through the Foundation’s position as advocates for the College’s endowment and to serve as a leader in accountability, stewardship, and overall commitment to excellence.
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Key Responsibilities
The Director of Accounting position is responsible for supporting the achievement of the Foundation’s mission and goals by working in close partnership with the Chief Financial Officer and the Executive Director of the Foundation to protect, manage and steward funds for the benefit of the College.
Accounting
- Issue timely and complete financial statements.
- Coordinate the annual audit.
- Plan and oversee all accounting tasks in support of Foundation operations, including accounts payable, accounts receivable, treasury, cash management, and general ledger.
- Calculate variances from the budget and report significant issues to management.
- Produce annual budget and forecasts.
- Calculate variances from the budget and report significant issues to management.
- Review internal controls over accounting and fundraising operations.
- Perform other tasks and analyses as needed or directed.
Compliance
- Plan and perform all accounting tasks associated with maintaining accurate books and records.
- Coordinate the provision of information to external auditorsfor the annual audit.
- Comply with local, state, and federal government reporting requirements and tax filings.
Strategic Leadership and Staff Management
- Employ effective practices for retaining, attracting, and developing talent in line with College guidelines and contractual agreements.
- Participate in the College’s performance management and career development processes.
- Cultivate a diversity of backgrounds and perspectives in the organization.
- Establish, monitor, and meet or exceed targets for operational excellence.
- Collaborate with the Chief Financial Officer to identify and implement opportunities to achieve continuous improvement of processes
- Manage a team of high-performance administrative and financial professionals.
Key Qualifications
- 5+ years of progressively responsible experience with a preference given to expertise in nonprofit management and licensed Certified Public Accountants.
- Demonstrated fiscal responsibility and comprehensive knowledge of accounting, financial reporting, and analysis.
- Extensive experience with all accounting and finance tasks including accounts payable, accounts receivable, treasury, cash management, and general ledger.
- Detail oriented with solid experience in tactical operations, analytics, and budget development.
- Well-developed managerial, decision-making, planning, organizational, problem-resolution and leadership skills.
- Proven ability to manage people on a day-to-day basis and inspire a high level of commitment and performance.
- Ability to adapt oral and written communication style to address the needs of individuals at all levels throughout The City College of New York.
- Solid understanding of internal control concepts and the implementation of internal control systems in a complex business environment.
- Financial Edge and Raiser’s Edge experience a plus.
The City College of New York is committed to a policy of equal employment and equal access in its educational programs and activities. Diversity, inclusion, and an environment free from discrimination are central to our mission.
It is the policy of City College to recruit, employ, retain, promote, and provide benefits to employees (including paid and unpaid interns) and to admit and provide services for students without regard to race, color, creed, national origin, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, age, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth and related conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, marital status, partnership status, disability, genetic information, alienage, citizenship, military or veteran status, status as a victim of domestic violence/stalking/sex offenses, unemployment status, or any other legally prohibited basis in accordance with federal, state and city laws.
It is also City College policy to provide reasonable accommodations when appropriate to individuals with disabilities, individuals observing religious practices, employees who have pregnancy or childbirth-related medical conditions, or employees who are victims of domestic violence/stalking/sex offenses.
This Policy also prohibits retaliation for reporting or opposing discrimination or cooperating with an investigation of a discrimination complaint.
Please email your cover letter and resume in confidence to:
citycollegeaccountingdirector@developmentguild.com
Suzanne Weber
Chief Executive Officer
Development Guild DDI