Director of Program Finance and Operations - New Energy Nexus

ABOUT NEW ENERGY NEXUS

New Energy Nexus (NEX) is an international not-for-profit organization that supports clean energy entrepreneurs with funds, accelerators and networks. We started in California and have expanded operations into China, India, Southeast Asia, East and West Africa, and Australia. Our mission is to support diverse entrepreneurs to drive innovation and build equity in the global clean energy economy. Our goal is to support 100,000 startups to succeed by 2030 – a decisive decade to surface and support as many climate solutions as possible. Through our global network, we directly boost hundreds of entrepreneurs annually while uplifting thousands more. Since 2004, New Energy Nexus (up until recently known as California Clean Energy Fund) has leveraged $1.5 billion in investment, supported over 900 clean energy startups, and launched industry-leading centers for solution collaboration.

ABOUT THE ROLE & OPPORTUNITY

New Energy Nexus California (NEX CA) is seeking a candidate who will be responsible for financial planning and analysis as well as grants management and compliance for the NEX CA chapterThe successful candidate will have a "roll-up-the-sleeves" attitude, who is inherently hands-on and ready to take the next step forward in their career, and help us plan and strategize for growth in order to scale NEX CA.

The Director of Program Finance and Operations will support New Energy Nexus California as we prepare for continued growth and expansion. The person in this role should bring a high level of grit and curiosity and will work in collaboration with Finance & Operations (FiOps) and CA leadership teams, to ensure that NEX CA is operating efficiently, effectively and within budget. You will be tasked with providing strategic direction on budgeting, forecasting and financial planning. If you have a passion for clean energy, entrepreneurship, enjoy process design, operational excellence and enabling organizations and people to succeed, this position may be for you! 

A TYPICAL DAY

The Director of Program Finance and Operations at New Energy Nexus California plays a critical role in ensuring financial sustainability, transparency, and adherence to legal and ethical standards, making their daily responsibilities essential to the organization's success. A typical day for the Director of Program Finance and Operations involves managing the organization's financial resources efficiently. They will often handle a wide range of responsibilities, including maintaining financial records, processing transactions, preparing budgets, and ensuring compliance with relevant regulations. Additionally, they will be responsible for grant management, people management, and donor relations. The Director of Program Finance and Operations will work closely with their team and handle many of these tasks independently, requiring adaptability and a hands-on approach to financial management and compliance.

WORKING AT NEW ENERGY NEXUS

Working at New Energy Nexus California is an opportunity to make a positive impact in the clean energy industry and be part of a supportive and forward-thinking community. It will offer an innovative and collaborative work environment, fostering networking opportunities and providing diverse roles that allow for personal and professional growth.

This job is located in Berkeley, CA. New Energy Nexus California offers a flexible work environment with this position being based in Oakland/Bay Area, CA and with an expectation to work out of our physical office minimum 2 designated days a week. Unfortunately, relocation assistance is not available for this role.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES 

Program Finance

• Lead financial planning and analysis to support strategic and operational decision making at the NEX CA Chapter level
• Prepare, maintain and monitor NEX CA resource allocation plans, program budgets, and ongoing forecasts, analyze deficiencies and report variances to CA leadership.
• Work with the rest of NEX CA leadership (eg. the Head of Programs and the Director of People and Business Ops) to oversee resource allocation, staff and workforce annual planning process. 
• Provide technical expertise on restricted and unrestricted grant budget management and reporting. 
• Final review and approval of invoicing packages to ensure quality and compliance in line with funder terms and conditions
• Project budgeting expert on the team, providing guidance, training, tools, and templates to the CA team for Accounting-related processes including, but not limited to, independent contractor budgetary development and contract execution.

Grants Management and Contracts Compliance 

• Develop, implement, and monitor controls and procedures to manage operational expenses.
• Analyze complex fact patterns and distill them into simple and understandable concepts for internal and external stakeholder groups
• Ensure compliance for complex governmental contracts and regulations and design smart (resource-efficient/effective) workflows and controls that are additional to or separate from standard organizational processes.
• Lead grants management team for the development of contracts and agreements for sub-awardees, contractors, and vendors.
• Responsible for compliance with all contracted terms and embedded regulations, and preparation of reports, audit trail documentation and end-to-end management of program audits (by funders, government agencies etc).
• Act as a liaison between New Energy Nexus’ FiOps team and CA staff.

Team Leadership

• Develops, updates, and manages levels of approvals and delegations of authority within NEX CA and in relation to platform
• Leads on projects that involve cross-team collaboration across the chapter
• Under the direction of the MD and in partnership with the team leads, review and streamline NEX CA chapter operations, systems, processes, and workflows
• Manage the development and revision of policies, procedures, and manuals related to cross-cutting team functions for CA chapter, ensuring alignment with global NEX policies
• Oversee, lead, and manage program finance and grants management and compliance teams, fostering a collaborative and motivated team environment.
• In collaboration with NEX Platform and CA Programs Team develop, update, and streamline grants management processes and workflows.
• Build program finance team, train, and provide mentorship, guidance, and professional development opportunities to team members.
• Foster a culture of accountability, transparency, and ethical financial practices.
• Conduct 1:1 and team check-ins and oversee performance reviews for the team

Requirements

REQUIRED SKILLS FOR THE ROLE

• Strong dedication to New Energy Nexus's mission, showcasing a profound understanding and alignment with organizational goals
• 7-10+ years of experience in leading program finance, grants management and compliance in nonprofit settings with diversified funding sources across public, private, and corporate funders.
• Demonstrated experience in process mapping, developing and implementing policies and procedures, and streamlining workflows at an organizational level, including a minimum of 7 years of experience in a Senior Leadership role
• 5+ years leading a grants management team responsible for government funding, complex agreement packages, and managing compliance with flow down terms with clean audits
• Demonstrated leadership ability in navigating the complexities of working at the chapter, branch or affiliate level of a larger national or global parent organization
• Proven track record of successfully managed programs from inception (budget development and contract negotiation) to close-out and/or renewal
• Experience overseeing sub-awardee contracting and invoicing
• Familiarity with cost allocation methodologies
• Have a positive attitude, strong communication skills, and an affinity for numbers.
• High level of attention to detail, with the ability to analyze and solve problems quickly and creatively with attention to detail
• Analyze complex fact patterns and distill them into simple and understandable concepts for internal and external stakeholder groups
• Remain flexible in a constantly changing environment and work independently with strong planning and prioritization skills, able to succeed in a regularly expanding environment
• Ability to navigate ambiguity and find solutions for concurrent conflicting challenges
• Significant track record of progressively responsible experience in budgeting and forecasting
• Working knowledge of GAAP accounting principles and procedures
• Working knowledge of Federal Cost Principles (2 CFR 200) and Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR).
• Prior experience with Single Audits and/or other program audits is a plus
• Expert in Excel and with prior experience creating financial statements
• Excellent written and verbal skills to create internal and external communication pieces ranging from detailed audit trails to executive summaries
• Ability to think through data structures and data integrations of mainstream SaaS solutions with manual interfaces
• Strong interpersonal skills, tolerance, flexibility, cooperativeness, and humor
• Bachelor's Degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration or related discipline

WE HOPE YOU BRING ONE OR MORE OF THESE BONUS SKILLS

• Advanced degree in Business Administration or a related discipline
• Professional experience as an upper-level Accountant, experience working at a medium to large-sized not-for-profit organization a plus
• Experience working in IT and cybersecurity
• Drafting budgets for proposal development
• Experience in reporting on match share requirements on grants
• Experience in a global business environment

Benefits

BENEFITS AND COMPENSATION

Competitive compensation of $130 - $155K annually plus generous benefits including, medical, dental, vision, unlimited PTO, paid holidays and 401(K)

TO APPLY, TIMELINE, AND PROCESS

• Submit your resume, cover letter and responses to our application questions. 
• Application deadline: Priority deadline is May 27, 2024 and applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until filled. 
• Interview process: Qualified applicants will participate in a series of interviews via Zoom. There will be 2-3 rounds of interviews.
• Accommodation: If you require accommodations during the interview process, please contact us with your request.

New Energy Nexus is an equal employment opportunity employer and does not discriminate against applicants or employees because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, citizenship status, disability status, genetic information, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression of an otherwise qualified individual, or membership in any other class protected by applicable law. New Energy Nexus hires and promotes individuals on the basis of their qualifications for the job to be filled. We strongly encourage diverse applicants to apply.