Director, Finance - Columbus Crew & Columbus NWSL

Description

The Columbus Crew and the Columbus NWSL franchise are in search of a Director, Finance, who is responsible for the oversight of financial planning, forecasting, budgeting, and risk management for both the Columbus Crew and the Columbus NWSL Club (collectively, "the Clubs"). This position works closely with key management across both clubs to provide financial analysis in the form of departmental budgets, financial modeling relative to key existing and/or new business initiatives, contract analysis, business development, and process review and engineering.

The Director, Finance serves as one of the primary liaisons for external auditors, tax advisors, MLS and NWSL financial representatives. The Director oversees the preparation, analysis, and presentation of the Club's financial information for internal and external reporting purposes.

This position reports directly to the Vice President of Finance and serves as the direct supervisor of the Senior Accountant and Accounts Payable Coordinator.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

Financial Planning & Reporting:

• Develop the annual financial budget for both Clubs, organized by department, and lead periodic re-forecasting exercises throughout the year.
• Continually monitor overall financial results of the Clubs; benchmark results on a monthly basis versus budgeted amounts to establish revised forecasts and discuss arising issues with appropriate management.
• Work closely with department managers across both clubs to assist in determining financial feasibility of proposed business initiatives.
• Publish monthly financial reports by department and analyze budget versus actual variances.
• Serve as the primary review function for financial statements, MLS Team Financial Report (TFR) submission, and NWSL equivalent financial submissions.
• Prepare Flash Reports for each MLS and NWSL matchday, as well as for all other stadium and organizational events.

Treasury, Debt & Risk Management:

• Assist in the management of the working capital line of credit, ensuring that covenants are met, borrowings are reasonable and appropriate, and League debt ceiling thresholds are considered in the budgeting process.
• Assist with the compilation of quarterly debt covenants and other bank reporting requirements.
• Assist with the risk management plan of the Clubs, including broker communication, renewal of various insurance policies, and claims management.

Tax, Audit & Compliance:

• Assist in the review and filing of state and local tax returns, as prepared by external tax advisors.
• Assist with the annual external financial statement audit engagement for both Clubs.
• Review new business contracts for accuracy, company relevance, and possible League compliance issues for both clubs.

Partner & Operations Management:

• Work with organizational partners (facility merchandising, concessionaire, and service vendors) to improve administrative processes, revenues, and the fan experience across both clubs.
• Assist the Senior Accountant in establishing and enforcing accounting policies, procedures, and performance goals for department members, ensuring GAAP compliance across both Clubs.
• Oversee the invoicing and accounts receivable function for both clubs, which includes generating invoices in accordance with contract provisions, monitoring collection status, and processing cash receipts.
• Oversee the accounts payable function for both clubs, ensuring compliance with vendor payment timelines
• Oversee accounting policies, practices, and tracking of all balance sheet and P&L general ledger accounts for both Clubs.

Required Experience & Skills

• Ideal candidate will possess 7–10 years of experience in accounting and/or finance; 3–5 years of public accounting experience strongly preferred.
• Proven management, leadership, and analytical skills are a must. Excellent communication skills are required, as this person will interact with all levels of internal personnel, external auditors, outside partners, MLS and NWSL League personnel, and various Finance associates.
• Experience managing financial reporting across multiple entities or business units strongly preferred; prior sports industry or entertainment experience is a plus.
• Strong working knowledge of GAAP, financial modeling, budgeting, and internal controls.
• CPA required.