Director of Finance and Controller

Job Title: Director of Finance and Controller

Location: Denver

Classification: Exempt

Reports To: Executive Director

Salary Range: $125,000 – $141,00 (plus $4,200 yearly stipend). Salary
commensurate with experience.

Application Deadline: Rolling, with interviews anticipated to begin in mid-February 2024

and a start date of approximately May 1, 2024.

Organization Overview:
Colorado Legal Services (CLS) is Colorado’s statewide nonprofit legal aid program, with thirteen
offices providing civil legal assistance to low-income Coloradans throughout the state. CLS
provides free legal assistance in a broad variety of legal areas, including family law, public
benefits, eviction defense, consumer protection, services to survivors of serious crime and
human trafficking, and many others.

CLS has strengthened lives, assisted families, and supported communities–one person at a time
for over 90 years. We are committed to providing high-quality, free legal advice and
representation to eligible individuals throughout Colorado. We have a long history of successful
impact and advocacy. CLS strives to bring about substantive, transformational change in the
lives of those we serve.

Position Summary:
As a member of the CLS senior leadership team, the Director of Finance and Controller plays a
vital role in developing and implementing Colorado Legal Services’ financial strategy to carry
out our mission and high-impact, statewide advocacy. The Director of Finance and Controller
manages and oversees the accounting team, which focuses on Colorado Legal Services’
finances, financial reporting, budgeting, fiscal policies, and fiscal compliance. This role requires
the ability to thrive and be responsive and reliable in a collaborative and deadline-oriented
workplace. In addition to financial management expertise, this position requires excellent
communication and teamwork with senior leadership and accounting staff, along with staff who
have grants and contract management responsibilities within local offices and units.

This position will oversee a period of systems change in our accounting and finance team,
working to establish new and efficient methods for approvals, payments, reporting,
organizational and grant budgeting, and all aspects of our financial work. The Director of
Finance and Controller will be a partner to the Executive Director in financial goal setting and

strategy as we steward our resources to grow our high-impact legal work throughout Colorado.

Essential Duties:

Financial and operational strategy and management

• Support the Executive Director in fulfilling CLS’s mission and vision and help ensure

• Apprise and assist the CLS board and specifically the CLS Board Finance and Audit

• Oversee budgeting, budget implementation, tracking, and reconciliation to monitor

• Present financial metrics both internally and externally.

• Oversee all accounts, ledgers, and reporting systems, ensuring compliance with

• Maintain robust internal control safeguards and oversee financial, compliance, and

• Manage cash flow and forecasting. Optimize banking relationships and initiate

• Provide reports regularly, and as directed or requested, to keep the board and

• Provides leadership and support on other responsibilities as assigned.

• Ensuring the accounting and finance teams deliver excellent customer service to CLS

• Collaborating with other senior leadership and CLS staff on the timely and rigorous

• Supporting, providing financial guidance to, and collaborating with all CLS program

• Providing effective day-to-day supervision of unit staff.

• Identifying, addressing, and/or creating staff growth opportunities.

January 2024

• Overseeing the training and professional development of unit staff, in partnership

• Addressing staff performance deficiencies through a coaching and growth mindset,

Compliance and accountability
The Director of Finance and Controller, in coordination with other senior leadership, is
responsible for supporting CLS staff in a manner that implements and furthers the following.
This position must become a trusted and reliable expert on each of these:

• Administrative and accounting procedures, including timekeeping and grant

• CLS Accounting Manual.

• CLS personnel policies.

• CLS Collective Bargaining Agreement

• CLS Program Policies.

• CLS Casehandler standards.

• Legal Services Corporation statute and regulations.

• Other CLS policies and procedures.
  

• Seasoned fiscal leader with deep and broad finance experience in accounting and

• Possess vision and agility, including the ability to think strategically, foresee trends, and

• Demonstrated commitment to the wellbeing and growth of staff, including a successful

• Reliability and responsiveness in a fast-paced, ever-changing environment.

• Understanding of and experience with non-profit entities, non-profit audits, and

• Demonstrated understanding of cost accounting, allocation methods, and best practices

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to engage in

• An ability to communicate complex and nuanced financial information to lay

• Ability to set clear priorities, delegate, and ask for help from peers.

• Keen analytic, organization, and problem-solving skills, and professional judgment that

January 2024

support and enable sound decision-making.

• Excellent human resource skills.

• Demonstrated commitment to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion.

• Demonstrated commitment to equal justice.
  

Preferred Qualifications:

• CPA, MBA, or similar qualification.

• Change management experience including experience partnering with operations

• Seven (7) plus years’ experience in all areas of finance/accounting including A/P, A/R,

• Experience with unionized environments and/or law firms.
  

Compensation and Benefits:
We offer a generous plan that includes 100% employer paid premiums for employee health,
dental, vision, life, and long-term disability insurance as well as partial employer paid premiums
for spouses/dependents, based on a sliding scale. We also offer Dependent Care and Medical
Flexible spending accounts, a 403(b) retirement account, and an Employee Assistance Program
(EAP). Additionally, CLS offers a $350.00 monthly stipend (to be used as you choose), generous
paid time-off and 12.5 paid holidays per year. CLS values its employees’ commitment to
working hard for the population it serves and recognizes the importance of work/life balance;
therefore, we offer flexible work schedules and hybrid work arrangements as appropriate. We
promote and foster a diverse, inclusive, equitable, and psychologically safe work environment,
striving to be a “Best Place to Work” in Colorado.

How to Apply:
Please email a copy of your cover letter and resume as a single, combined PDF to
hiring@colegalserv.org. Please include “Director of Finance and Controller” in the subject line.

Note: Please mention how you heard about the job announcement in your email.

Please no solicitations from recruitment firms.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging:
CLS embraces diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging as an Equal Opportunity Employer. We
are committed to building and retaining a workforce that respects and empowers each
individual and represents a variety of diverse cultures, perspectives, skills, and experiences. We
encourage all qualified candidates to apply for this position.

January 2024