Finance Operations Project Manager

The Finance Operations Project Manager leads cross-functional initiatives and workstreams across the operations portfolio to promote efficient resource utilization, streamline processes, and ensure organizational compliance with grant requirements, audit standards, and internal financial policies and process.  Under the direction of the Chief Financial Officer (CFO), the Finance Operations Project Manager will lead work across the operations portfolio, including Finance, IT, and Facilities, driving projects from planning through implementation, creating systems and structures that support operational efficiency and successful outcomes.

This position will also work closely with the Chief Operating Officer (COO) and other Administrative Chiefs including the Chief Information Officer (CIO), Chief Facilities and Administrative Officer (CFAO) on projects related to asset and inventory management, procurement and forecasting, grant and audit requirements, among other projects.

This role supports the efficiency and effectiveness of financial operations across the Legal Aid Society (LAS), supporting data-driven decision-making, change management, and bridging the gap between desired outcomes and current operational realities.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

Cross-Functional Project Management

• Plan, execute, and manage projects spanning Finance, IT, and Facilities including, but not limited to compliance, inventory, procurement, and asset management across LAS
• Untangle complex systems and process to identify opportunities to streamline or improve operations, diagnosing existing pain points and developing and delivering actionable solutions
• Build and maintain project plans, timelines, and status reports for stakeholders and leadership ensuring projects remain on-track and escalating roadblocks and key dependencies
• Manage competing priorities and resource constraints across teams

Asset and Inventory Management

• Lead projects tracking the full lifecycle of fixed assets and IT/Facilities equipment from acquisition to disposal/depreciation
• Ensure each phase of the asset lifecycle follows grant and organizational policy, and creating systems and processes to project future needs and inform replacement schedules
• Coordinate periodic asset audits/reconciliations with IT and Facilities teams, with a focus on grant and audit compliance
• Ensure inventory, procurement, and asset records meet funder and regulatory documentation standards
• Oversee projects to standardize and improve inventory tracking processes across departments, including grant-funded equipment and supplies, developing or revising routine reports to track key metrics related to asset management
• Partner with IT and Facilities to implement or optimize inventory systems, barcoding/tagging, and periodic physical counts
• Ensure inventory records reconcile with financial and grant reporting requirements and serve as a primary point for audit requests related to equipment and devices
• Work with Finance and department stakeholders to close gaps between procurement practices and audit/grant requirements

Process and Documentation

• Develop and maintain SOPs, process maps, and documentation for audit readiness and to support daily operations
• Identify process gaps or risks and recommend improvements
• Build reporting/dashboards to give leadership visibility into project status and compliance posture
• Track corrective action plans stemming from audit findings and confirm remediation is completed on schedule

Finance Operations

• Support finance system implementations, upgrades, and integrations (e.g., ERP, procurement platforms, expense management tools) from a project management standpoint
• Manage change management activities for new finance processes or tools, including training coordination and stakeholder communication
• Work closely with the CFO and Finance Directors to identify and drive process improvement opportunities within finance operations

Professional Development and Other Duties as Assigned

• Participate in continuous professional development
• Continuously learn about forms of bias in the workplace and demonstrate affirmative behaviors that support an inclusive work environment
• Other duties as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS

Required qualifications:

• A bachelor’s degree and 4+ years of work experience or an equivalent of 8+ years of post-secondary education and work experience
• 2+ years working at a non-profit or in the public sector in an operations related role
• Demonstrated experience coordinating projects or system implementations across multiple departments/stakeholder groups
• Proficiency using Microsoft 365 Suite and advanced Excel skills
• Experience developing training materials and delivering trainings
• Proven track record of providing excellent customer service

Preferred qualifications: 

• Experience using NetSuite or a similar accounting system is strongly preferred
• Experience using spend management systems; prior experience with Ramp is strongly preferred
• Experience training others on new technology platforms and implementing large-scale litigation technology projects is strongly preferred
• Experience supporting external audits or grant monitoring visits is preferred

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

Position Based Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to translate between financial, technical, and operational stakeholders
• Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively in a team
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively with internal and external stakeholders
• Responding quickly and calmly in high-stress situations
• Ability to balance and prioritize a challenging workload
• Excellent ability to provide training and support assistance
• Cross-functional stakeholder management
• Attention to detail and documentation rigor
• Process improvement and systems thinking

Organizational Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Commitment to Legal Aid Society’s mission to secure equal justice before the law for all New Yorkers 
• Interpersonal and communication skills that enable healthy and productive working relationships
• Ability to perform duties with the highest regard for confidentiality, integrity, and respect
• Commitment to Legal Aid Society’s mission and values

Physical, environment, travel, and other duties required: 

• Mostly sedentary, significant time using a computer and monitor; communicating and meeting using video
• Requires occasional or frequent physical movement to perform essential job functions which may include, bending, reaching, pulling, pushing, standing or walking for long periods of time, accessing small spaces 
• May or will require travel within NYC, across the five-borough region 

SALARY AND BENEFITS

The salary range represents a good faith estimate of the range we expect to pay for this role. The actual salary offered may vary depending on many factors, including but not limited to job-related knowledge, skills, and experience, as well as collectively bargained salary steps for unionized roles.

Salary Range: $112,000 - $118,000

The Legal Aid Society offers a generous benefits package including health insurance, paid vacation, disability, and life insurance, and more. Click here to read more about benefits.

Higher Education and Loan Forgiveness

The Legal Aid Society is a qualified employer for the purposes of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness. This position allows an employee to take advantage of PSLF and other State and Federal loan forgiveness programs. Additionally, employees who are New York residents may be eligible for assistance from New York state to assist with loan repayments, depending on years of practice. To learn more, click the links below. 

studentaid.gov

hesc.ny.gov/loan-forgiveness-programs

WORK AUTHORIZATION

All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States for any employer without sponsorship for a work visa or permit. We are currently unable to sponsor employment visas or permits. (However, for citizens of Canada and Mexico, LAS will provide a letter documenting employment status that is needed to obtain a TN visa.)

HOW TO APPLY

All applications must be completed online via the career portal. We do not accept emailed applications. Submit the following documents as a combined PDF:

• Cover Letter
• Resume 

For technical difficulties or questions regarding this posting, please email TalentAcquisition@legal-aid.org.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

As an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer, The Legal Aid Society prohibits discriminatory employment actions against and treatment of its employees and applicants for employment based on actual or perceived race or color, size (including bone structure, body size, height, shape, and weight), religion or creed, alienage or citizenship status, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity (one’s internal deeply-held sense of one’s gender which may be the same or different from one’s sex assigned at birth); gender expression (the representation of gender as expressed through, for example, one’s name, choice of pronouns, clothing, haircut, behavior, voice, or body characteristics; gender expression may not conform to traditional gender-based stereotypes assigned to specific gender identities), disability, marital status, relationship and family structure (including domestic partnerships, polyamorous families and individuals, chosen family, platonic co-parents, and multigenerational families), genetic information or predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, domestic violence victim status, arrest or pre-employment conviction record, credit history, unemployment status, caregiver status, salary history, or any other characteristic protected by law. 

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

The Legal Aid Society is committed to a work culture of zealous advocacy, respect, diversity and inclusion, client-oriented defense, access to justice and excellent representation. We are dedicated to building a strong professional relationship with each of our clients (people), to understanding their diverse circumstances, and to meeting their needs. Our ability to achieve these goals depends on the efforts of all of us and our ability to build strong relationships with our colleagues. Every member of our community is expected to continuously learn about the dynamic, evolving, and emerging field of knowledge of identity, bias, and systemic forms of oppression and participate in productive efforts to dismantling bias in all forms.