Financial Planning & Analysis Specialist

Child Development Institute

$85K — $88K *
Education, Government & Non-Profit
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 5-7 years of experience in financial planning and analysis, preferably in nonprofit or multi-funder environments.
  • Strong understanding of government, foundation, and restricted funding processes and reporting requirements.
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Excel with experience in QuickBooks or similar accounting platforms; exposure to SAP Concur is a plus.
  • Ability to interpret complex financial data and implement effective reporting frameworks.
  • Excellent communication skills for presenting financial information to both finance and non-finance colleagues.
  • University degree in accounting, finance, or a related field; CPA designation or progress toward it preferred.

Responsibilities

  • Lead annual budgeting and forecasting in collaboration with senior finance leadership.
  • Analyze financial performance against budgets, identifying variances and trends.
  • Prepare funder reports ensuring compliance with timelines and contractual requirements.
  • Refine reporting frameworks to bolster strategic planning and operational effectiveness.
  • Evaluate financial planning processes to identify opportunities for automation and efficiency.

Benefits

  • Impactful role that contributes to organizational sustainability and funder stewardship.
  • Opportunity to influence financial decision-making and planning throughout the organization.
  • Exposure to complex funding models and the chance to build skills for future advancement.
  • Flexible working hours in a supportive and collaborative environment.
  • Access to ongoing professional development opportunities and certifications.
Full Job Description
Who we need

Reporting to the Director of Finance, we are hiring a Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) Specialist to lead budgeting, forecasting, funder reporting, and financial analysis across the organization. In this role, you will translate complex financial and funding data into clear insights that support informed decision-making. Working across government, private, and restricted funding streams, you will ensure financial data is structured and captured effectively to support accurate reporting and reduce manual reconciliation work. You will collaborate with program leaders and senior leadership to assess financial performance, support funding applications, and identify risks and opportunities that inform planning and resource allocation.

This existing vacancy is a full-time, hybrid position working on-site at our Euclid location with three days on-site and two days off-site per week.

What's in it for you

Impact. You will be a valued member of a finance team that plays a critical role in supporting organizational sustainability and the stewardship of government, foundation, and restricted funding. Your work will ensure financial resources are aligned with program priorities, funder requirements, and long-term organizational goals.

Influence. As a key partner to the Finance Manager and Director of Finance, you will contribute to financial planning and decision-making across the organization. You will collaborate with program leaders to strengthen budgeting, improve reporting structures, and provide insights that guide performance and funding alignment.

Exposure to complex and meaningful work. You will gain visibility across the full finance function within a collaborative, close-knit team. The role offers hands-on experience navigating multi-source funding models, including detailed funder reporting and compliance requirements, while building the experience needed to step into a Finance Manager role over time.

As our new Financial Planning & Analysis Specialist, you will:
  • Lead budgeting and forecasting. You will support the annual budgeting process in collaboration with the Senior Finance Manager and Director of Finance. You will develop organizational and program-level budgets, monitor performance against plans, and prepare quarterly forecasts and additional projections to support planning and business continuity. You will also support the development of budgets for new funding proposals and initiatives throughout the year.
  • Deliver financial analysis. You will analyze monthly and quarterly financial performance against annual and donor budgets, identifying variances, key drivers, and emerging trends. You will provide actionable insights and support leadership in developing mitigation strategies and informed decision-making.
  • Support funder and management reporting. You will prepare and maintain funder reports, ensuring alignment with contractual requirements and timelines. Working closely with program teams, you will produce accurate program-level reporting that highlights performance, risks, and opportunities. You will also contribute to executive and board-level financial reporting while ensuring compliance with varying government and restricted funding requirements.
  • Strengthen reporting frameworks. You will collaborate with senior leadership to refine reporting structures that support strategic planning, operational effectiveness, and organizational growth. You will also contribute to financial analysis and special projects as needed.
  • Drive process improvement. You will evaluate financial planning processes, tools, and workflows to identify opportunities for efficiency and automation. You will help ensure financial data is structured effectively within QuickBooks so reporting requirements are met at the source, reducing manual intervention and improving accuracy across funder reporting.

What you bring
  • The nonprofit and funding experience. You bring experience working in a nonprofit, public sector, or multi-funder environment. You understand how government, foundation, and restricted funding operates and how reporting requirements vary by funder. You are comfortable navigating complex reporting structures where individual funders require detailed program-level reporting that must align with broader financial statements and organizational budgets.
  • The financial planning and analysis expertise. You have hands-on experience supporting budgeting, forecasting, and financial analysis. You can evaluate financial performance against plans, identify variances and trends, and provide clear insights that support planning, funding applications, and operational decision-making.
  • The technical skills. You have advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and experience working with financial systems such as QuickBooks or similar accounting platforms. Exposure to SAP Concur is an asset. You are comfortable working with financial data, building models, and extracting insights from multiple data sources.
  • The analytical and systems thinking. You are able to interpret complex financial data and translate funder requirements into effective reporting structures. You understand that accurate reporting begins with how financial data is captured and structured, and you proactively identify ways to improve processes to reduce manual work and increase reporting accuracy.
  • The communication and collaboration skills. You can present financial insights clearly to both finance and non-finance stakeholders. You build collaborative relationships with program leaders and contribute to informed decision-making through thoughtful analysis and clear communication.
  • The ownership and adaptability. You are organized, responsive, and able to manage competing priorities in a dynamic environment. You take ownership of your work, exercise sound judgment, and remain flexible during peak periods such as audit cycles, budgeting, and funder reporting deadlines.
  • The education. You hold a university degree in accounting, finance, or a related field. A CPA designation or progress toward a CPA is considered an asset.

Other requirements

All applicants are advised that offers of employment are contingent upon the successful completion of a Vulnerable Sector Check and references.

Compensation: At Child Development Institute (CDI), we believe that compensation should be transparent, fair, and supportive of your experience and growth. For this role, the annualized salary is $85,000-$88,000. Salary is determined by the complexity of the position and internal equity, ensuring a fair and competitive salary within our sector.

We believe in transparency and open conversations about compensation. If you have any questions about our approach, we are happy to discuss them throughout the hiring process.

Join us.

Fostering positive transformations in mental health for over a century, CDI is a world-class leader trusted in helping children, youth and families through a wide range of evidence-informed services to build lasting change.

At CDI, we prioritize the mental well-being and work-life balance of our teams. We acknowledge the reality of the emotionally demanding work each of us puts in every day. To that end, we strive to create a collaborative, diverse, inclusive, and equitable space where creativity flourish by offering:

Flexible hours in a planned program environment.

A focus on cross-disciplinary collaboration and knowledge sharing.

Ongoing paid professional development opportunities and certifications.

If you want to be part of our vision to make a measurable lifelong impact on the mental health and well-being of children, youth and their families, join us.

Apply now

If you're excited about this role but your experience aligns differently with every requirement, we encourage you to apply. While specific qualifications are strictly required, others can be based on various experiences, backgrounds, and knowledge. We can't promise an interview, but we will consider your whole application.

What you can expect from our interview process:
  • A virtual interview with a Talent Advisor will discuss your interest in the role. The conversation will be recorded using BrightHire, an AI-powered video interview tool. More details will be shared when you are invited to interview.
  • A second-round in person panel interview with the Director of Finance, the Finance Manager, and an HR representative to explore your technical expertise, analytical approach, and experience working within a multi-funder environment. As part of this interview, you will complete a brief Excel-based assessment designed to evaluate your ability to analyze data, structure outputs, and demonstrate real-time problem-solving skills.

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