Location: Latin America, preferably Mexico, Central America, or Colombia
Type of Position: Full-time remote
Agora Partnerships is a nonprofit organization guided by its vision of a world where business is genuinely driven by social equity and environmental sustainability. We aim to put Latin America on an equitable growth trajectory by increasing the productivity and sustainability of small businesses and entrepreneurs, thereby raising living standards and creating shared and sustained prosperity.
Agora’s mission is to create inclusive prosperity in Latin America by 1) Accelerating the growth of purpose-driven entrepreneurs, 2) Promoting social innovation in traditional small and growing businesses, and 3) Cultivating entrepreneurial ecosystems grounded in collaborative action and impact.
Position Description
Agora seeks an experienced professional with financial, accounting, compliance, and general business skills to join the organization at an important phase of growth. The Director of Finance & Compliance will oversee all financial and compliance aspects of the organization, including developing and managing the organization’s financial strategy and planning. They will be charged with managing the financial performance of the organization while assessing and preventing risks.
The principal responsibilities of this role are:
1. Finance & Accounting (~70% of time):
Objective: control, optimize, and maximize the organization’s financial assets
- Plan, implement, and manage financial strategy, policies, and procedures; including investment, revenue-maximizing, and risk-mitigation considerations
- Oversee the finance IT system
- Set and monitor KPIs for financial performance
- Develop and review budget, milestones, and payment terms of contracts and funding proposals
- Develop financial forecasts to support the CEO in identifying fundraising goals, prioritizing underfunded cost centers, anticipating requirements and variances; minimizing impact of variances
- Plan and review compensation strategies, including exchange rate and inflation considerations
- Adhere to financial laws and nonprofit finance fiscal policy and guidelines
- Ensure proper controls and documentation processes are in place for all financial transactions
- Monitor the financial performance of the organization and its contracts/projects
- Liaise with external accounting firm
- Work with the accountant of CLab, a for-profit Benefit Company acquired by Agora, to ensure all accounting books are in order, proper financial controls are in place, and appropriate financial projections are developed for the entity
- Support the Finance and Administration Manager to:
- process monthly payments and maintain Agora’s financials (accounts payable and receivable) up to date and adequately categorized on QuickBooks
- manage and oversee Agora’s general budget and cash flow o ensure compliance with internal, legal, and donor-specific financial policies and procedures
- develop and manage financial reporting systems for internal staff, Board of Directors, and clients/donors
- ensure accurate and optimized classification of expenses, including staff salaries, to specific donor contracts
- classify revenue according to Generally Accepted Auditing Standards (GAAS) for nonprofit organizations
- prepare and lead the annual audit with an external audit firm and an external accounting firm
- manage funder monies, including sending invoices, following up on payments, and confirming payments
- evaluate each department’s financial needs, establish department budgets, and work with directors and managers to manage budgets
- manage Agora’s loan portfolio (Kiva and Delta), including preparing monthly reports and annual portfolio analysis, following up with entrepreneurs for payments, and liaising with partners
- manage financial aspects of Agora’s EcoChallenge award program
2. Governance & Compliance (~30% of time)
Objective: identify and manage regulatory risk, comply with external regulatory and legal requirements, and manage internal policies and bylaws.
- Responsible for review of all contracts before CEO signature, and interaction with external legal team as needed
- Schedule and prepare quarterly Board meetings, including contributing to Quarterly Reports and minutes, as well as monthly Finance Committee meetings (in collaboration with the Board’s Finance Committee Chair)
- Ensure Agora’s compliance with US requirements for 501(c)(3) organizations, including 990 filings, SAM registration, Secretary of State registrations, certification of Good Standing
- Ensure Agora’s compliance with Mexican Asociación Civil (AC) in collaboration with local lawyers and accountants
- Ensure Agora’s compliance with Colombian Entidad Sin Animo de Lucro (ESAL) in collaboration with local lawyers and accountants
- Work with CLab team to ensure compliance with Colombian and Peruvian for profit entities
- Ensure human resources compliance, including contracts signed with staff members, external consultants and service providers comply with US and other country of operation legislation; maintain documentation relative to those contracts
- Protect assets by keeping abreast of proposed and new legislation, regulation, or laws in each country where Agora has entities (US, Mexico, Colombia, Peru) that affect financial reporting and/or compliance, including cybersecurity; implement processes for compliance
- Review, strengthen, enforce, and manage internal Agora policies and codes of conduct, including bylaws and corporate governance structures
- Design improvements for internal control structures
- Oversee staff training for new processes implemented for compliance and/or finance matters
- Collaborate with the tech team on cybersecurity matters
- Provide quarterly compliance reports to the executive team and Board of Directors
The Director of Finance & Compliance will supervise at least one team member (Finance & Administration Manager).
Qualifications
We seek outstanding candidates with the following skills:
- At least 7 years of work experience in areas such as business or nonprofit management (experience working with 501(c)3 organizations is a plus)
- Master’s Degree in business, finance, entrepreneurship, or related field
- Strong financial acumen, i.e. demonstrated knowledge about nonprofit accounting (revenue recognition) and financial statement analysis, complex budget management, and audit processes
- Interest in professional development and expanding job knowledge by participating in trainings, reading publications, and participating in professional organizations
- Familiarity with accounting software QuickBooks
- Adaptability and flexibility
- Financial planning and strategic thinking
- Critical thinking and problem-solving abilities
- Organization and project management skills
- Excellent communication and documentation skills
- Ability to embrace complexity
- Data analytics skills
- Ability to develop standards for legal compliance
- Fluency in English and Spanish
Agora Partnerships is a small nonprofit with an entrepreneurial spirit. We are seeking passionate individuals who aren’t afraid to roll up their sleeves to get the work done. We value collaboration, creative thinking, flexibility, and proactivity. Though there is no single “ideal” professional profile for this position, we do seek the following qualifications in a candidate:
- Being aware that there are several ways to do anything, and always be open to try new things;
- Strong interpersonal skills and intercultural competency;
- Comfort with ambiguity, adaptability, and ability to work in a small, dynamic organization;
- Not afraid to be wrong and fail, learning from failures;
- Strong work ethic;
- Ability to self-manage and execute on multiple projects at once;
- Attention to detail;
- Time management skills; and,
- Sense of humor.
Timeline: This is a full-time remote opportunity with a potential start date in February 2024.
Compensation and Benefits
- Competitive salary (in USD) for the region, commensurate with location and experience
- This is a remote position with no office provided
- This position is under a contractor agreement; we use the employer of record Deel
- Paid vacations, three weeks in the first year, four in the second year, and five in the third year onwards
- Partial coverage of the purchase of technological equipment
- Flexible work schedules
- Coverage of training expenses related to position responsibilities
How to aply?
To apply for this position, please complete the application form which you can find at THIS LINK. Through this form, you will be able to attach your updated CV, answer key questions for this position (please make sure you answer all required questions), and indicate your salary expectation for this position.
If you have any questions or comments, you can contact us at: jobs@agora2030.org
Agora Partnerships is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all candidates and prohibits discrimination of any kind. All applications will be considered and evaluated equally without regard to age, gender, disability, sexual orientation, race, color, ethnicity, religion, veteran status, or beliefs.
APPLICATION DEADLINE: January 31, 2024. Please apply as early as possible, as applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.
