Director of Financial Management & Internal Controls

The Sanford Housing Authority (SHA) is hiring!  If you are looking to join our team of dynamic professionals who thrive on promoting healthy, safe, sustainable, and affordable housing and community-centric programs, we want to hear from you. We have an immediate need for a Director of Financial Management & Internal Controls. 

As a strategic leader who drives financial integrity and operational agility across the organization, the Director of Financial Management & Internal Controls is responsible for strengthening SHA's financial management, internal controls, and financial accountability through management oversight, hands-on performance, and assessment of core financial functions.  The annual salary for this on-site position is $81,500. As a full-time exempt role, the Director of Financial Management & Internal Controls is eligible to participate in SHA's benefits program.  

The posting will be open until filled.  

POSITION SUMMARY

The Director of Financial Management & Internal Controls provides senior-level financial expertise in financial operations, accounting, budgeting, and financial analysis and reporting, while applying advanced internal controls principles and practices to effect the accuracy, reliability, compliance, and effectiveness of the organization's financial operations. This role drives sustainable corrective action and process improvement to strengthen the Authority's overall financial accountability and operational effectiveness.

Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), the Director of Financial Management & Internal Controls serves as a strategic subject-matter expert in financial management and internal controls, providing strategic financial analysis, guidance, and recommendations to inform executive decision-making and strengthen organizational accountability. This position provides functional leadership and oversight of finance activities as assigned by the CEO and is positioned to assume broader financial leadership responsibilities to support financial continuity as organizational needs evolve. Through the intersectionality of financial operations with other Authority functions, the Director also evaluates and addresses cross-functional processes, activities, and decisions and their impact on the Authority's financial reliability, regulatory compliance, organizational risk, operational performance, and accountability for the use of public resources.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND DUTIES

At a minimum, the Director of Financial Management & Internal Controls will be responsible for successfully carrying out the following essential functions and duties in a professional and timely manner:

Financial Management & Operations

• Performs, manages, and oversees core financial functions of the Authority, providing hands-on financial management and operational leadership in accordance with responsibilities assigned by the CEO.
• Leads and actively participates in the development, administration, and monitoring of the Authority's operating and program budgets, including budget-to-actual analysis, variance analysis, financial forecasting, and identification of emerging financial concerns.
• Provides management oversight of cash-management activities, including cash-flow monitoring and the management of bank accounts, reserves, restricted funds, and other financial resources to support operational requirements and appropriate availability and use of funds.
• Manages the financial administration of grants, restricted funds, program-specific funding, and other financial resources, including appropriate allocation, expenditure, documentation, reconciliation, and tracking.
• Conducts financial analysis and develops forecasts, projections, and other financial information to evaluate financial performance, identify trends and emerging concerns, and support informed financial and operational decision-making.
• Evaluates the financial implications of operational decisions and practices, including their effect on expenditures, revenue and funding, budget performance, asset accountability, regulatory compliance, service delivery, and the Authority's overall financial position.
• Coordinates and directs assigned finance activities; establishes, prioritizes, monitors deliverables; and ensures timely execution of financial responsibilities within the scope delegated by the CEO.
• Executes expanded financial management responsibilities as needed to address operational demands, maintain continuity of financial functions, and strengthen the Authority's financial capacity.
• · Analyzes budget-to-actual performance, financial trends, projections, funding utilization, cash flow, and other financial and operational data to identify significant variances, emerging risks, unusual activity, inefficient resource utilization, and conditions requiring further analysis or executive attention.
• Examines how programmatic and operational activities translate into financial transactions, obligations, revenue and funding utilization, expenditures, reporting, and financial outcomes, identifying disconnects between operational activity and the Authority's financial records or financial position.
• Collaborates with the Chief Finance Officer (CFO) on matters involving financial reporting, accounting operations, budgeting, cash management, financial controls, audit readiness, grants and funding administration, and other areas requiring coordinated financial management, analysis, or action, while maintaining appropriate objectivity in fulfilling the Director's internal controls and risk management responsibilities.

Accounting Operations & Financial Reporting

• Manages core accounting activities necessary to maintain complete, accurate, timely, and properly supported financial records in accordance with applicable accounting standards, regulatory requirements, and Authority policies and procedures.
• Performs general ledger accounting activities, including journal entries, account analysis, account reconciliations, adjusting entries, and maintenance of supporting financial records and documentation.
• Executes monthly, quarterly, and year-end closing activities, ensuring accounts are reconciled, financial activity is appropriately recorded, and identified discrepancies or outstanding items are timely resolved.
• Prepares, analyzes, and validates financial statements, management reports, supporting schedules, and other financial information to ensure accuracy, completeness, consistency, and reliability.
• Processes accounting activities associated with accounts payable, accounts receivable, cash receipts, fixed assets, reserves, restricted funds, grants, and other financial transactions and accounts.
• Ensures financial transactions are appropriately recorded, classified, allocated, and supported, including proper treatment of expenditures and revenues associated with federal, restricted, grant-funded, and program-specific resources.
• · Maintains financial schedules, reconciliations, records, and supporting documentation necessary for external audits, regulatory reviews, required financial reporting, and other financial examinations.
• Performs accounting activities, including financial reporting, general ledger activity, account reconciliations, period-end close processes, cash management, accounts payable and receivable, payroll, fixed assets, reserves, grants, restricted funds, and related financial records and transactions.
• Resolves accounting discrepancies, unreconciled balances, reporting inconsistencies, and other financial-record issues, including researching underlying causes and implementing appropriate corrections.
• Assesses the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, and reliability of financial information originating from or dependent upon programmatic and operational activities, including the underlying data, documentation, approvals, system activity, and cross-functional inputs supporting financial transactions and reporting.

Internal Controls & Risk Management

• Evaluates the design, adequacy, and effectiveness of internal controls governing financial operations and financially interconnected processes to determine whether controls appropriately safeguard assets, support reliable operations and reporting, promote regulatory compliance, and mitigate organizational risk.
• Conducts risk-based reviews of financial and operational activities to identify control gaps, vulnerabilities, conflicting or incompatible responsibilities, inadequate safeguards, and other conditions that may expose the Authority to financial loss, errors, fraud, waste, misuse of funds, noncompliance, or operational disruption.
• Assesses whether established controls are consistently implemented and operating as intended through transaction testing, documentation review, observation, data analysis, reconciliation, and other appropriate review methods.
• Evaluates segregation of duties, authorization and approval structures, access and accountability controls, documentation requirements, reconciliation practices, and other safeguards affecting the receipt, expenditure, custody, recording, and reporting of Authority resources.
• Assesses financial and operational risks arising from cross-functional processes and dependencies, including points at which transactions, information, approvals, or responsibilities transfer between departments or systems.
• Identifies emerging, recurring, and systemic risks and evaluates their potential financial, regulatory, operational, and organizational impact, including the likelihood and significance of identified exposure.
• Recommends risk mitigation strategies and enhancements to internal controls based on identified deficiencies, changing organizational needs, regulatory requirements, and recognized control practices.
• Evaluates proposed or implemented changes to significant processes, systems, or controls to identify potential financial and operational risks and determine whether appropriate safeguards have been incorporated.
• Monitors significant control deficiencies and risk exposures to determine whether appropriate mitigation measures have been implemented and whether residual risk remains within acceptable parameters.
• Provides the CEO with objective assessments of significant control weaknesses and financial risk exposures, including their potential consequences and recommended priorities for remediation.

Regulatory & Financial Compliance

• Evaluates compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, contractual requirements, funding conditions, and Authority policies and procedures governing financial operations, accounting, financial reporting, funding administration, and related financial activities.
• Assesses compliance with the US Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) financial, accounting, reporting, funding, and related regulatory requirements applicable to federally funded housing programs and Authority operations.
• Applies a risk-based lens to evaluate how regulatory, programmatic, and operational activities affect the Authority's financial integrity, use of public resources, funding eligibility, reporting obligations, and overall compliance posture.
• Reviews financial policies, procedures, practices, and controls to determine whether they are consistent with applicable regulatory requirements, funding conditions, recognized financial and accounting standards, and Authority requirements.
• Evaluates compliance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), governmental accounting requirements, federal grant and funding requirements, and other standards governing the receipt, expenditure, recording, reporting, and safeguarding of public resources.
• Monitors changes in applicable regulatory, financial, and compliance requirements and assesses their potential effect on Authority processes, controls, reporting obligations, and organizational practices.
• Evaluates the Authority's implementation of new or revised financial and regulatory requirements to determine whether corresponding policies, procedures, controls, systems, documentation, and business practices have been appropriately established or modified.
• Identifies patterns, recurring exceptions, and systemic financial integrity weaknesses and assesses their underlying causes, potential consequences, and the relationship to broader control or process deficiencies.
• Coordinates with applicable departments to obtain and validate information necessary to conduct compliance reviews and assess cross-functional requirements, dependencies, and areas of shared accountability.
• Communicates significant financial compliance concerns and areas of exposure to the CEO and recommends appropriate measures to strengthen compliance, accountability, and organizational risk mitigation.

Business Process Assessment & Continuous Improvement

• Conducts comprehensive, end-to-end assessments of business processes affecting or intersecting with financial operations to evaluate effectiveness, efficiency, consistency, control integrity, and alignment with established requirements and organizational objectives.
• Applies a strong financial and risk-based lens to evaluate how workflows, operational decisions, departmental activities, and cross-functional dependencies affect financial outcomes, regulatory compliance, organizational risk, and operational performance.
• Maps and analyzes business processes, workflows, decision points, approvals, system interactions, and departmental handoffs to identify inefficiencies, control gaps, duplication, unnecessary complexity, breakdowns in accountability, single points of failure, vulnerabilities affecting process continuity or resilience, and opportunities for improvement.
• Performs root-cause analysis to determine the underlying factors contributing to recurring errors, process failures, financial discrepancies, compliance concerns, delays, or other operational deficiencies.
• Evaluates whether established policies, standard operating procedures, workflows, and actual business practices are appropriately aligned and identifies circumstances where documented requirements and operational practices are inconsistent.
• Assesses the financial and operational implications of process deficiencies, including potential loss or misuse of resources, missed or delayed revenue and funding opportunities, processing errors, rework, compliance exposure, and other organizational risks.
• Develops practical, risk-informed recommendations to strengthen business continuity, improve controls, reduce errors and inefficiencies, clarify accountability, and enhance the accuracy, timeliness, reliability, and sustainability of organizational activities.
• Collaborates with functional leaders and applicable staff to evaluate proposed process improvements, identify cross-functional impacts, and support the development of sustainable solutions that address identified deficiencies, strengthen process continuity, and avoid unintended downstream risks.
• Implements approved process improvements and evaluates whether revised workflows, procedures, controls, or other measures achieve their intended outcomes.
• Evaluates how information systems support operational and financial processes, including whether system-generated information, workflows, and outcomes are reliable, consistent with established requirements, and sufficient to support effective business operations and internal controls.
• Promotes continuous improvement by identifying opportunities to standardize effective practices, strengthen cross-functional coordination, and improve the overall efficiency, reliability, continuity, and accountability of Authority operations.
• Assesses the reliability and effectiveness of financial and operational systems, interfaces, workflows, and cross-functional processes that generate, transmit, authorize, record, reconcile, or report financial and programmatic information.

Organizational Effectiveness & Accountability

• Provides the CEO with objective, evidence-based findings and recommendations regarding significant financial, operational, compliance, control, and organizational matters identified through financial management activities, analyses, reviews, and assessments.
• Evaluates the organizational significance of identified deficiencies, considering their underlying causes, scope, recurrence, financial implications, operational impact, regulatory exposure, and potential effect on organizational performance.
• Develops clear, actionable recommendations that address root causes, strengthen accountability, mitigate identified risks, and support sustainable improvements in organizational systems, processes, and practices.
• Works with functional leaders to establish appropriate corrective action plans, responsibilities, priorities, and implementation expectations in response to identified findings and recommendations.
• Monitors the implementation and effectiveness of corrective actions and process improvements, including follow-up review and validation to determine whether identified deficiencies have been appropriately resolved and intended outcomes achieved.
• Identifies recurring or systemic issues that extend across functions or processes and recommends cross-functional or organizational solutions when broader organizational intervention, standardization, or coordination is warranted.
• Analyzes patterns and trends across review findings, operational performance, control deficiencies, and compliance concerns to identify emerging risks and opportunities for organizational improvement.
• Provides the CEO with information and analysis to support informed decision-making, prioritization of organizational risks and resources, and evaluation of significant financial, operational, or organizational concerns.
• Promotes organizational accountability by reinforcing clear expectations for ownership, documentation, follow-through, and measurable resolution of identified deficiencies.
• Assesses whether implemented improvements are sustainable over time and recommends additional action when corrective measures do not sufficiently address the underlying issue or mitigate identified risk.

This list is not all-inclusive, as other duties may be assigned as needed.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education: Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a closely related field with substantial coursework in finance or accounting.

Experience: Minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible professional experience in financial management and accounting, internal audit, quality assurance, including demonstrated hands-on experience performing and managing core accounting and financial functions such as financial reporting, general ledger accounting, account reconciliations, period-end closing, budgeting, financial analysis, cash management, internal controls, and audit support. Experience must include progressively responsible financial leadership and demonstrated responsibility for analyzing complex financial and operational matters, identifying financial and control deficiencies and organizational risk, and developing and implementing appropriate corrective actions and process improvements.

     *Equivalent combinations of education, training, and experience may be considered or substituted in place of the education and experience criteria stated above.

Qualifications, Knowledge, & Skills: To be optimally successful in this role, the ideal candidate will have the following qualifications:

Knowledge and Technical Qualifications:

• Thorough knowledge of GAAP, governmental accounting principles and practices, financial reporting, financial statement preparation, and fund accounting applicable to public-sector and federally funded organizations.
• Knowledge of the HUD program, financial management, accounting, reporting, compliance, and funding requirements applicable to public and affordable housing operations, including financial audit preparation and coordination, regulatory financial reviews, HUD-mandated financial reporting, Financial Data Schedule (FDS), and other applicable financial submissions.
• Demonstrated hands-on proficiency in general ledger accounting, account reconciliations, journal entries, financial statement preparation, period-end closing, accounts payable, accounts receivable, fixed assets, and other core accounting functions.
• Extensive application of budgeting principles and practices in budget development and administration, budget-to-actual analysis, financial forecasting, variance analysis, financial projections, and cash-flow management.
• Advanced knowledge of internal accounting controls, financial risk management, control design and assessment, audit readiness and support, financial recordkeeping, and practices designed to safeguard organizational assets and maintain the accuracy and reliability of financial information.
• Solid understanding of financial analysis techniques and the ability to interpret financial statements, operating results, financial trends, funding utilization, cash flow, and other financial and operational data to identify significant variances, emerging risks, and matters requiring executive attention or corrective action.
• Knowledge of federal grant and funding requirements, including appropriate financial administration, allocation, documentation, expenditure, reconciliation, reporting, and tracking of restricted and program-specific funds.
• Hands-on experience in administering cash-management principles and practices to execute cash-flow monitoring, bank-account management, reserves, restricted funds, and liquidity requirements.
• Ability to interpret and apply accounting standards, financial policies and procedures, regulatory requirements, funding requirements, and other technical financial guidance relevant to the Authority's operations.
• Proficiency in accounting and financial management systems and other business information systems used to process, maintain, analyze, reconcile, and report financial information, including the ability to evaluate system controls, data reliability, interfaces and financial workflows.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and proficiency in other Microsoft Office applications, with the ability to develop and maintain complex spreadsheets, financial schedules, reconciliations, analyses, and reports.
• Solid senior-level financial leadership experience to establish priorities, coordinate financial activities, and drive work to completion without reliance on formal supervisory authority.

Other Necessary Skills and Abilities:

• Exceptional analytical, critical-thinking, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to evaluate complex financial, accounting, operational, control, and compliance matters, identify underlying causes, and develop practical solutions.
• Ability to exercise sound, independent judgment, professional skepticism, objectivity, and discretion when conducting reviews, evaluating findings, and addressing sensitive or complex matters.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities, meet established deadlines, and maintain accuracy in a deadline-driven environment.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to clearly communicate complex financial information, analyses, findings, risks, and recommendations to executive leadership and other stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively across organizational functions, provide functional leadership and financial guidance, build effective working relationships, and constructively challenge established practices when warranted.
• Ability to manage multiple financial responsibilities, analyses, reviews, corrective actions, and competing priorities while maintaining accuracy, thoroughness, and appropriate documentation.
• High degree of integrity, confidentiality, professionalism, and accountability in handling sensitive financial, operational, staff, and organizational information.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision, assume responsibility for complex financial matters, exercise appropriate initiative, and appropriately escalate significant risks or concerns to the CEO.

Certifications and/or Licenses: 

• Ability to obtain and maintain job-related certifications or training as required by the Authority or applicable regulatory requirements.
• Valid driver's license and ability to remain insurable under the Authority's vehicle-insurance requirements.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license, Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) certification, or a comparable professional credential relevant to the position's responsibilities.
• Experience working in a governmental, public-sector, affordable housing, nonprofit organization, or other federally funded environment.
• Experience with HUD financial management, accounting, reporting, funding, and compliance requirements applicable to public housing authorities.
• Experience with governmental and fund accounting, federal grants, restricted funding, and program-specific financial reporting.
• Experience with SACC or a comparable housing-management or financial-management system.
• Experience preparing for, coordinating, and supporting external financial audits, governmental audits, regulatory reviews, or monitoring activities.
• Experience with governmental, public-sector, affordable housing, nonprofit, or other federally funded environments is strongly preferred.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

Ability to stand and walk for extended periods of time. Ability to patrol indoor and outdoor areas in various weather conditions. Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer. Must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Visual and auditory acuity and oral expression to perform essential job functions, including observing activity within the housing communities; reading reports, correspondence, and electronic communications; preparing written documentation; communicating effectively with residents, staff, law enforcement personnel, and emergency responders in person, by telephone, or in virtual meetings; and recognizing audible warnings or emergency situations.

BENEFITS

SHA offers a competitive benefits package including the following options: health care (medical, vision, & dental); retirement plan; life/Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) insurance; short- and long-term disability coverage; education reimbursement; and paid time off.

WORK ENVIRONMENT & ORGANIZATION OVERVIEW

The Director of Financial Management & Internal Controls role will work in an on-site, climate-controlled professional office setting. 

SHA is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE). The organization's mission is to provide quality and affordable housing to all persons while empowering families, creating a sense of community, and building partnerships.