Director, Financial Reporting & Analysis

Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation: Where Giving Grows

Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation (“the Foundation”) believes strong communities are built through knowledge and empowerment. With roots in Saint Paul since 1940 and partners across the state, the Foundation represents Minnesota’s largest community foundation and the partner of choice for thousands of donors, nonprofits and community organizations that are working to address some of the biggest problems facing Minnesota communities. In 2023, the Foundation and its partners F. R. Bigelow Foundation and Mardag Foundation granted over $100MM to nonprofits who are working to meet the diverse community needs and making lasting impact across the East Metro and Minnesota. The Foundation is resolutely focused on its strategic goals to inspire generosity, advocate for equity and invest in community-led solutions to make Minnesota better for all who call it home. The Foundation employs approximately 70 staff and the assets under management total $1.8B.

The Foundation’s collaborative, innovative and equity-driven culture empowers staff to grow through individual development opportunities, team retreats and cross-departmental partnerships. The culture continues to evolve by attracting and retaining new talent with valuable experiences and insight. The Foundation’s values include:

We Listen

We Innovate and Learn

Community is our Compass

We Commit to Equity

We Nurture Philanthropy

Position Summary

The Director, Financial Reporting and Analysis (FR&A) reports to the Chief Financial Officer of the Foundation. In this new role, the Director, FR&A serves as an integral member of the Finance and Operations Leadership Team and is responsible for supporting the Foundation and its client foundations, the F.R. Bigelow Foundation and the Mardag Foundation, with financial analysis, budgeting, planning and innovation, as well as financial reporting, training and communicating the work of the Foundations both internally and externally. The Director, FR&A will promote the culture of collaboration between the Finance and Operations Department and other departments at the Foundation by demonstrating the Finance and Operations Department’s core values of stewardship in service to stakeholders, proactive business partnership through critical analysis and process solutions, and providing clear, concise and compelling information to provide insights into financial and operating information and to inform strategic decisions.

Reports to:

Chief Financial Officer

Direct Reports:

Finance Operations Lead

Other key relationships:  

Associate Vice President of Finance/Controller

Director of Information Technology

Director of Operations

Director of Investments

Finance & Accounting Lead

Investments Senior Analyst

Investments AnalystTeam

Position Location:           

 St. Paul, Minnesota; all employees are expected to live within a commutable driving distance to the office. The hybrid working model provides flexibility for staff to work from the location that fits them best. In-office days for ELT members include quarterly all-staff meetings and other collaborative business planning, ELT, board, committee and ad hoc meetings.

Compensation:                

$166,000 annual full-time exempt (no variable component).

Excellent benefits including generous retirement contributions, professional development, PTO/holidays and more.

Periodic travel to attend conferences and participate in organizational off-site meetings.

Key Responsibilities

Financial Analysis, Planning, and Innovation

• Lead development of all organizational and client budgets, overseeing forecasts and reporting of actual results against Board approved targets.
• Provide timely and insightful information to executives, board members and department heads, accurately measuring operating results, enabling them to evaluate progress and make decisions effectively and efficiently.
• Develop, monitor and socialize financial metrics that inform the Foundation’s performance against its budgets and strategic plan.
• Perform scenario analyses to inform strategic priorities and decision making across the Foundation.
• Participate in the Foundation’s Collaborative Business Planning, informing this process about financial opportunities, risks or constraints.

Financial Reporting

• Generate timely, accurate and engaging financial reports utilized to evaluate and monitor the Foundation's performance against industry benchmarks and internal measures of success.
• Identify and update key dashboard measures, compiling information in an accurate, informative and timely manner.
• Develop and facilitate reporting for audit and tax reporting purposes.
• Oversee available to grant calculations and analysis for all permanent funds.
• Maintain key metrics for the Foundation, completing external surveys in accordance with requested due dates.

Financial Storytelling and Training

• Empower other departments with financial information and context to inform their work and optimize their resources and outcomes.
• Lead the development and rollout of data visualization tools across the Foundation, in close partnership with the IT department.
• Ensure accuracy and relevance of dashboards and data visualizations used by Foundation staff.
• Help Foundation staff, board members, and other constituents understand the Foundation’s finances and assist with the contextualization of the Foundation’s business model.
• Make financial information accessible and transparent to all Foundation staff.
• Partner with marketing and communications and other departments on opportunities for external financial storytelling, as appropriate.

Team Leadership and Employee Development

• Exercise a leadership style which promotes team effectiveness and creates individual growth opportunities.
• Ensure individual goals and development plans are thoughtfully and jointly established and monitored, and performance is carefully and thoroughly evaluated in all cases.
• Ensure employees are aware of department and organizational objectives and priorities and they remain challenged and dedicated to high performance and personal and professional growth.
• Demonstrate the ability to effectively and proactively interact, communicate and collaborate on multidisciplinary teams and with people from cultural backgrounds other than your own.
• Coach, mentor, and support direct reports and others to foster personal and professional growth, enthusiasm, pursuit of excellence and team unity.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The Foundation is seeking a financial leader who believes in the power of philanthropy to transform communities and is compelled by the mission and purpose of the Foundation. The ideal candidate will be energized by the opportunity to lead several key financial processes and develop innovative and engaging approaches to reporting financial information for both internal and external purposes. They will be an effective leader of people, with the ability to develop others, generate enthusiasm for new reporting methods, tools and deliverables, and work collaboratively with colleagues across the Foundation.

Skills, Experience and Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in finance or accounting
• Successful experience in a finance role, including five or more years of financial planning, reporting and/or analysis
• Five or more years of experience in a supervisory role, including success and interest in providing development and mentorship to staff
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience with financial dashboards and evaluation of financial performance against strategic goals
• Demonstrated knowledge, skill, interest and ability in current office technology and related computer programs, including expert-level experience with Excel and one or more data visualization tools such as PowerBI
• Strong project management skills
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• The ability to prioritize work, meet deadlines and effectively lead assigned personnel under minimal supervision
• Advanced verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to clearly communicate complex matters to all levels of the organization, including executives and board members
• Demonstrated ability to effectively and proactively interact, communicate, and collaborate across functional areas within and outside of finance
• Demonstrated ability to work on multidisciplinary teams and with people from cultural backgrounds other than your own

Workstyle

• Humble and empathetic with high emotional intelligence
• Excellent communicator, presents ideas effectively both verbally and in writing
• Self-starter with effective management, organizational and time management skills.
• Ability to work with some degree of ambiguity as role is integrated into the Foundation’s business operations
• Demonstration of the Foundation’s core organizational values in performing all duties. A strong work ethic, clear demonstration of honesty and integrity, and the highest ethical standards are assumed

The Foundation’s DEI Commitment

The Foundation consistently works to make the community a stronger, more equitable place. To fulfill the mission, the Foundation understands that employing a diverse team of knowledgeable, passionate individuals who reflect our community is vital. To that end, the Foundation’s staff consistently works to ensure that recruiting activities and hiring plans align with their commitment to equitable hiring practices.

To Apply

The Foundation has partnered with Doran Leadership Partners to lead this search. Please send your resume and cover letter to kelly.dettmann@doranleadership.com. Review of applications will begin immediately.