Role OverviewThe Financial Analyst will report directly to the COO and own both the organization’s financial analysis and its day-to-day accounting. Roughly half of the role involves financial analysis — building and maintaining the operating budget and scenarios, running monthly budget-to-actual variance analysis, forecasting cash flow, and providing leadership with clear guidance on cost and expense risks and opportunities. The remaining half is hands-on accounting — daily bookkeeping in QuickBooks, journal entries, monthly reconciliations, the close, and financial statement preparation.This split is approximate and flexes with the calendar — heavier on accounting at month-end and audit time, heavier on analysis during budgeting and board cycles.This is a senior individual contributor role for someone who is genuinely strong in analysis and equally comfortable keeping accurate books. You will be a close thought partner to leadership, helping a mission-driven organization plan wisely and steward every dollar.About Scholars of FinanceScholars of Finance is a rapidly growing organization on a mission to inspire character and integrity in the finance leaders of tomorrow. We seek to solve the world’s largest problems by investing in undergraduate students through leadership development, mentorship, and the active support of purpose-driven finance executives and investors.Our members go on to join top firms, funds, and a lifelong support community that empowers them to spend their careers serving the greater good using one of the most powerful levers in the world: finance. Since hiring our first staff in 2019, we’ve raised millions of dollars, partnered with hundreds of finance leaders, and impacted thousands of students across top universities—and we’re just getting started.We are a close-knit, high-performing, mission-driven team with an ambitious vision: a future where all finance leaders steward the world’s capital to serve the greater good.What You’ll DoFinancial Analysis & Planning (FP&A) ~50%Build, maintain, and update the annual operating budget and multiple budget scenarios (base / upside / downside) for an ~$2.5M (and growing) organizationProduce monthly budget-to-actual variance analysis; identify the drivers behind cost and expense movements and explain them clearlySurface cost and expense risks and opportunities to leadership, with recommended actionsMaintain rolling forecasts and cash-flow projections so leadership always has a forward-looking view of runway and spendPrepare grant and program budgets and the related financial reportingModel the financial impact of new programs, hires, and initiatives; partner with budget owners to keep spending on planDeliver clear reporting and dashboards to leadership and the boardAccounting & Bookkeeping ~50%Perform daily bookkeeping in QuickBooks — general ledger, accounts payable, and accounts receivableRecord journal entries, including accruals, prepayments, deferrals, and amortizationComplete monthly bank and credit-card reconciliationsRun a timely, accurate monthly close and prepare financial statementsApply GAAP and non-profit fund-accounting standards (restricted vs. unrestricted)Support the annual audit and Form 990 with schedules and documentationMaintain internal controls and document accounting processesTransformation You’ll DriveGive leadership a clear, trustworthy, forward-looking view to help grow a budget from $2.5M to $10M over the next several yearsBuild cleaner, more scalable financial processes as the organization growsTurn accurate books into timely analysis that informs real decisionsSurface cost and expense risks and opportunities before they become surprisesWhat You’ll NeedFinancial AnalysisDemonstrated FP&A capability — building budgets, multi-scenario models, and monthly variance analysisAbility to translate financial data into clear, actionable insight for non-financial leadersAdvanced Google Sheets (pivot tables, lookups, budget models)Accounting & BookkeepingDemonstrated, hands-on daily bookkeeping, journal entries, and monthly reconciliations in QuickBooksStrong command of core accounting principles — accruals, prepayments, deferrals, and the matching principleExperience executing a monthly reconciliation and preparing financial statementsMindset & ExecutionExceptional attention to detail and accurate, audit-ready workStrong ownership and follow-throughDiscretion with sensitive financial informationClear, concise written and verbal communicationFoundational Qualifications3–5 years of combined experience across financial analysis (FP&A) and accounting/bookkeepingDemonstrated daily bookkeeping, journal entries, and monthly reconciliationsFluency in QuickBooks and advanced spreadsheet skillsExperience building budgets and running variance analysisExperience working remotely and across time zonesFull professional fluency in EnglishBA/BS in Accounting — or equivalent experienceMentality for SuccessDeep alignment with Scholars of Finance’s mission and valuesPride in accuracy, analytical rigor, and follow-throughWillingness to contribute beyond your job description when the mission requires itHumility to both analyze and keep the books — no task is “beneath you”Courage to surface issues and suggest improvements, even when uncomfortableNice-to-HavesCPA, CMA, or progress toward certificationNon-profit / fund accounting experience, including grant tracking and restricted-fund reportingExperience using the Claude system to gain efficiencyExperience supporting an external audit and preparing Form 990 schedulesBackground working with nonprofits, startups, or mission-driven organizationsFamiliarity with finance, investing, or professional services environments
