Finance Manager - 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 is seeking a candidate who will bring a solid background in Generally Accepted Accounting Principles and financial forecasting. The Finance Manager will be responsible for all daily general program finance duties, including a broad range of transactional, reconciliation, and other accounting activities. The successful candidate will report into the Director of Program Finance and Operations, who will also oversee the grants management and compliance team.

A TYPICAL DAY

A day in the life of the Finance Manager could include compiling invoices for the California Energy Commission funded programs, reviewing budget to actuals, developing budget tracking templates with the Director of Program Finance and Operations, and scheduling training for different team members on how to use the templates. There will also be opportunities to attend program events, visit technology development, testing or demonstration sites of awardees and clean energy entrepreneurs.

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 

Budgeting, Reporting and Financial Analysis

• Under the direction of the Director of Program Finance and Operations, monitor status of program budget spending and work with Program Leads to ensure appropriate spend rate for awardees and contractors

• Provide financial analysis and modeling to support strategic and operational decision-making, this includes analyzing and reporting on operational metrics to identify trends and opportunities for improvement.
• Build integrated budgeting and reporting workflows that satisfy multiple reporting objectives (e.g. Budgets to Actual for the team as a whole, for a program etc.) from a given data architecture and source data set.
• Prepare and publish timely monthly financial reports for CA Chapter 
• Track and manage assets for NEX CA chapter
• Work with Programs and Grants teams on program budget renewals and amendments
• Work with external auditors and provide needed documentation and support for program audits
• Maintain and update filing systems related to program finance and operations, ensuring that documentation is well organized and easily accessible to relevant stakeholders across the various cloud-based filing systems (Dropbox, Google Drive, and SmartSimple)
• Manage financial reporting and budget reconciliations with funders and establish a regular cadence for internal NEX CA chapter budget analysis, supporting Director of Program Finance and Operations with NEX FiOps reconciliations
• Compile timely and accurate program invoices for CEC and other programs (eg. direct and indirect costs, travel, and other cost categories) in compliance with contractual terms and conditions
• Additional financial planning and accounting responsibilities as needed.

Grants Administration and Compliance 

• Under the direction of the Director of Program Finance and Operations, develop dashboards that synthesize grants finance and operational data into easy to view and coherent formats for reports and presentations.
• Conduct periodic internal audits of CA chapter financial, operational and grants data to ensure clear audit trail documentation showing compliance to internal policies and procedures that align with funder terms and conditions, reporting findings and suggesting recommendations for improvement. 

• In collaboration with CA Programs and Grants Teams develop, update, and streamline grants management and compliance processes and workflows.

Team Leadership

• May manage a finance team of 1-2 staff
• Develop, revise and update NEX CA chapter procurement and asset management standards and procedures in alignment with global NEX IT and asset management policies.
• Conduct training and develop accompanying resources to build capacity for understanding and compliance with finance and administrative policies and procedures for NEX CA team members.
• Support with developing and rolling out other financial and administrative policies, processes, and procedures to professionalize NEX CA operations
• Foster a culture of accountability, transparency, and ethical financial practices.

Requirements

REQUIRED SKILLS FOR THE ROLE

• Strong dedication to New Energy Nexus's mission, showcasing an understanding and alignment with organizational goals
• 5+ years of experience in financial accounting, program auditing, and/or grants finance positions
• 2+ years experience working with government funding involving complex agreement packages, and flow down terms with clean audits
• Professional experience as an Accountant, experience working at a medium to large-sized not-for-profit organization a plus
• Working experience with federal cost principles and allocation methodologies, specifically 2 CFR 200
• Working knowledge of US GAAP accounting principles and procedures
• Demonstrated experience in translating quantitative and financial data into graphs and other visual diagrams for presentation to groups of relevant internal and external stakeholders 
• Prior experience with either conducting financial/programmatic audits or undergoing Single Audits and/or other program audits
• Expert in Excel and with prior experience creating financial statements
• Experience in developing or updating and revising policies and procedures
• Has 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
• 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
• Strong interpersonal skills, tolerance, flexibility, cooperativeness, and humor
• Bachelor's Degree in Accounting, Finance, or related discipline, relevant graduate degree a plus
• Interest in new technologies and the energy transition

Benefits

BENEFITS AND COMPENSATION

Competitive compensation of $105-120K 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 June 17, 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.