Director of Finance - Alera Group

Alera Group, is seeking a Director of Finance to join our team! Looking for candidates who reside in Pennsylvania. 

Are you looking to be part of a company where you have exciting opportunities to learn, grow and make a positive impact?

If that is what you’re looking for, this is your chance to be part of an amazing organization!

Join a team where each employee is empowered to listen generously, speak straight, collaborate, and build each other up through mutual accountability and shared success.  

The Director of Finance is a key part of the finance team responsible for the timely and accurate reporting of the financial performance of seven offices located in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania providing Employee Benefits and Property and Casualty Brokerage Services.  The position will direct and oversee all financial activities of these offices including direct responsibility for accounting, sales commission management and reporting, financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, and strategic planning.   This position includes weekly interactions with local offices, regional, and the Alera Shared Services accounting teams.  Success in the position is defined as leveraging procedures and communications with internal teams to generate and provide timely financial information so offices and regional teams can make informed business decisions to achieve financial targets as well as making the close and reporting processes more efficient and accurate. 

The position reports to the Mid-Atlantic Regional Financial Lead with a dotted line reporting relationship to the local offce management teams and Regional Management team with operational oversight. The Director of Finance will be supported through a team of direct and/or indirect reports servicing the Pennsylvania offices.

Financial Initiatives

• Lead, develop, and manage the local office accounting and finance teams.
• Oversee and manage the key accounting cycle functions, including month-end close, annual budgeting, monthly financial result analysis, monthly forecasts, payroll processing, including analytical review of the monthly operating results to ensure accurate accounting records are maintained for offices as well as acquired business units.
• Oversee the compliance functions including producer compensation audits, commission auditing, preferred vendor and partner usage, and process/ policy adherence.
• Ensure appropriate financial systems, policies, procedures, and internal controls are in place and make improvements as needed to ensure efficient and accurate processing and reporting.
• Lead the standardization and optimization of office CRM and commission processing systems to enhance and manage financial and operating performance ensuring accurate processing of producer compensation as well as ongoing utilization by local office staff maintaining data integrity, accuracy, and population of key data fields essential for reporting (e.g. Client Compensation Reporting, Block Reporting, State Apportionment Reporting, Carrier, and Industry Segment Concentration Reporting).
• Implement and manage expense controls measures such as hiring approvals, preferred vendor usage, expense reporting, outsourcing opportunities, etc.
• Prepare, maintain, and submit annual office budgets and quarterly reforecasts, including ongoing maintenance of key assumptions in forecasting software including revenues, vendor expenses and personnel expenses.
• Facilitate employee compensation management including adjustments, analysis of variable compensation plans and other compensation incentives working with office leadership teams and Human Resources business partners.
• Support Sales and Growth Leaders in driving growth through measurement and reporting of producer effectiveness analysis, sales metrics, and sales/ pipeline reporting and analysis, including ensuring the timely reporting by offices in company systems used to track new sales and performance.
• Support the Regional Management Team with the onboarding and integration of new office acquisitions. 
• Drive and manage financial aspects of regional and national initiatives such as Project One arrangements (e.g., leveraging national partnerships, etc.) and support compliance with national Project One arrangements.
• Assist with the preparation of annual accounting statements and related support for office acquisitions used by Alera Shared Services accounting teams to comply with contractual earnout payout requirements.
• Compile, prepare and analyze a wide range of financial, operating and accounting data and generate a variety of financial reports in a timely manner

Education

Candidates will be required to have a bachelor’s degree or equivalent in business or related disciplines such as finance, accounting, or operations. A CPA or MBA or equivalent is preferred.  Proficient in MS Office Suite, with strong Excel skills. 

Functional Experience

Alera Group is looking for a strong business and operationally oriented professional with experience in insurance or financial services industry with a carrier, broker, or consulting firm.  Successful candidates will have likely progressed through a variety of finance roles.

Industry Experience

Strong knowledge of insurance and financial services regulatory requirements is preferred.  Experience in the insurance, financial services, and/or professional services industries is preferred.  Familiarity with agency management systems (AMS) or commission systems used in the insurance or financial services industry a plus.

Scope

Candidates will bring a strong background in finance management.  U.S.  Domestic travel of 25% will be expected.

Position Core Competencies

• Business Acumen: Strong knowledge of performance metrics and drivers, an understanding of regional economic and political factors, and proven ability to drive a business strategy into a national business environment.
• Dealing with Ambiguity: Can shift gears comfortably, is comfortable filling a leadership void when required, can delegate, and move on, and can comfortably handle risk and uncertainty.
• Drive for Results: Can be counted on to push and communicate goals, is consistently focusing the team on objectives and performance, is bottom-line oriented, and is service oriented to support the corporate and field leadership. Time management and project management skills to multi-task and achieve results in a fast paced environment.
• Ethics and Values: Has a reputation of unquestioned values and business ethics.
• Team Builder: Identifies, hires, and develops the best talent from inside and outside the company. Is known as a team builder and mentor that attracts diverse talent.
• Organizational Agility and Savvy: Relates well to all levels of an organization, builds strong relationships, uses diplomacy and tact, understands and practices collaboration. Has a comfortable and appropriate sense of self.
• Strategic Agility: Sees ahead clearly, anticipates consequences and trends, has broad knowledge and perspective, is future-oriented, can articulate possibilities and likelihoods, and creates competitive strategies and plans.
• Leadership: Lead an effective and efficient team within budgetary constraints with a “hands-on” approach and “leading from the front” style.
• Communication:Communicate advice and counsel effectively in both written and oral forms to all levels of management, colleagues, and external stakeholders.

Other Requirements

Candidates should also possess the following personal attributes:

• Demonstrated experience successfully building, leading, and managing teams.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, ability to communicate and manage well at all levels of the organization and with colleagues in other offices is essential.
• High level of integrity and dependability with a strong sense of urgency and results-orientation.
• Strong problem solving and creative skills and the ability to exercise sound judgment and make decisions based on accurate and timely analyses.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Excellent analytical and abstract reasoning skills, plus excellent organization skills.

COMPENSATION

The successful candidate will earn a base salary along with an attractive annual performance bonus opportunity.