Vice President of Finance

Goodwill Industries of Northern Illinois and Wisconsin Stateline Area, Inc. (GINI) is seeking a new Vice President of Finance to oversee its $29 million dollar donated goods retail operation and its $9 million dollar grant portfolio.  GINI covers an 18-county area in Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin. Rockford, IL serves as its headquarters. It is one of 150 Goodwill agencies under the auspices of Goodwill Industries International (GII).  GINI operates twelve retail stores; a post-retail, recycling, and logistics operation; and an e-commerce program.  Retail revenues along with numerous grants assist the organization in meeting its mission goals which include programs in the areas of workforce development, supported work programs, education, and re-entry. GINI served 23,750 participants in 2024.

 

The Vice President of Finance reports directly to the President of the organization. This position oversees two Directors – one that supports the retail operations and one that supports the mission/grant operations. With oversight from the President, the Vice President of Finance interacts on a regular basis with a Board Committee dedicated to financial oversight of the organization. 

                                                                       

The Vice President of Finance is responsible for designing, implementing, and maintaining all aspects of the organization’s accounting and financial reporting systems in accordance with generally accepted accounting procedures and in a manner that efficiently promotes effective operations.  They are responsible for financial policy, asset control, financial risk management, and information technology.  The position oversees strategic financial planning, budgeting, operations performance measurement and is responsible for all purchases.

 

Responsibilities include:

 

Financial & Business Acumen

• Designs and implements appropriate accounting systems.
• Sets financial policy that balances opportunity and risk to guide the organization towards its goals.
• Develops financial plans that support strong operations decision making and to track and measure performance.
• Establishes and reports on guiding metrics for the organization.
• Develops and oversees internal and external reporting.
• Coordinates the preparation of financial statements, supporting financial reports, reconciliations, special analyses, and performance metric reports.

Leadership

• Serves on the President’s leadership team setting direction and tone for the organization.
• Works collaboratively with other leadership team members to fulfill Goodwill’s strategic plan.
• Provides analytical support to retail and mission operations.
• Provides direct management and leadership to Director level staff. Serves as support and a role model for all finance staff.

Compliance & Legal

• Ensures compliance with all applicable accounting, governmental, and grant standards.
• Oversees organizational risk management.
• Serves as the Plan Administrator for Goodwill’s employee deferral retirement plan.
• Provides guidance for accounting and internal controls.
• Maintains current knowledge of organizational policies and procedures, federal and state policies and directives, and current accounting standards.
• Oversees audit and annual 990 preparations and filings.
• Oversees governmental, grant, and association reporting.

Technology Management & Oversight

• Oversees development and execution of information technology plans for the organization.

The basic job qualifications include:

• Bachelors in Accounting or Finance is required
• Master degree in business, accounting, or finance is preferred
• CPA or CMA is preferred
• Five or more years of previous accounting experience, preferred experience with not-for-profit or retail accounting
• Solid knowledge of GAAP rules and good accounting practices
• Ability to think critically and create long term vision, plans, and goals
• Ability to set objectives and goals; break down work into process steps; measure performance against goals; evaluate results
• Ability to effectively prioritize multiple issues/tasks
• Sense of urgency in addressing business necessities
• Ability to appropriately maintain confidentiality and professionalism
• Demonstrates high ethical practices with exceptional decision-making abilities
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Previous experience with Sage accounting software and Workday Adaptive Planning reporting a plus
• Proficient use of Microsoft Excel and accounting software
• Functional use of Microsoft applications such as Word, PowerPoint and Outlook 

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, talk and hear.  The employee frequently is required to use hands to handle, feel or reach. The employee is occasionally required to stand and walk. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds.

 

The work is conducted in the Home Office in Rockford, IL with minimal travel to all GINI locations with flexibility for remote work per organization’s policy. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

 

Goodwill offers competitive pay and benefits along with our positive working culture and flexible work environment. The pay range for this position is $125,000 - $155,000 per year. Key benefits are listed below –

 

• Health & Wellness: Medical, dental, vision insurance, basic and voluntary life insurance as well as short-term disability and employee assistance program.
• Financial Security: Competitive salary with a board approved annual bonus plan, an employer sponsored 457(b) plan, and a retirement plan (401K) with employer discretionary match.
• Work-Life Balance: Paid time off and scheduled breaks.
• Professional Growth: Training programs, tuition reimbursement, and career advancement opportunities.
• Perks & Extras: Employee discounts, and a supportive, inclusive workplace.

We look forward to receiving your resume and letter of interest regarding this position. We commit to providing each applicant a hiring experience that allows you to bring your authentic self to the table. If you need an alternative method to apply this for position, please contact Goodwill's Human Resources Department at gweckerly@goodwillni.org.