Finance Executive Director

The Samish Indian Nation is looking for a Finance Executive Director to lead its accounting team and help keep the Nation's finances accurate, compliant, and well run. Reporting to the Chief Financial Officer, you'll work closely with accounting staff and colleagues across the Nation to drive the month-end close, general ledger functions, account reconciliations, capital assets accounting, and interfund payables and receivables.

What you'll do

Lead and develop a team

1. Supervise the accounting staff, delegate work thoughtfully, and give direct reports the mentoring and support they need to grow their careers within the Nation.
2. Set clear expectations, encourage open communication, and foster a team-oriented environment
3. Provide training on tribe-wide financial systems.
4. Work with Human Resources and the CFO on hiring, personnel matters, and keeping job descriptions current.

Keep the books in order

1. Own the month-end close and look for ways to make it more efficient.
2. Analyze the general ledger, reconcile cash and general ledger accounts to subsidiary ledgers (or reviewing and approving the work of others), and prepare and approve the journal vouchers those reconciliations require.
3. Maintain capital asset records, build systems to make sure interfund payables are recorded properly and their balances cleared, and help prepare for the annual financial statement and single audits.
4. Keep the Nation in compliance with local, state, and federal reporting requirements and tax filings, grounded in sound accounting principles and strong internal controls.

Help shape the Nation's direction

1. As part of the Senior Officer Team, offer guidance to Tribal government.
2. Work with the Executive Director Team to make the most of available funding so every department and activity approved by the Samish Tribal Council stays on solid footing.
3. Contribute to broader work such as policy changes, strategic planning, business process improvements, workplace culture, emergency management, community outreach, and security controls.

Advise the Chief Executive Team

1. Carry out policies approved by the Tribal Council and recommend changes when appropriate.
2. Advise on financial systems, policies, and procedures, deliver monthly, quarterly, and annual reports, and help update the Nation's Strategic Plan and Work Action Plans.
3. Provide recommendations on funding, new initiatives, and process improvements, and assess how the accounting department is organized so it can support the Nation's growth.

Represent the Nation externally

1. Monitor state and federal policy and regulatory changes, review tribal policies for compliance, and recommend revisions when needed.
2. Support Samcor staff with accounting,
3. Advise leadership on how the Tribe should respond to local, state, and federal issues, and attend relevant meetings, conferences, and negotiations.
4. Build and maintain positive relationships with community members and with local, state, regional, and federal partners.
5. A bachelor's degree in accounting or finance
6. Five or more years of accounting or related experience; a background in not-for-profit, local government, or tribal government is strongly preferred
7. High proficiency with Microsoft Office, and either knowledge of fund accounting software or the ability to learn it quickly
8. Experience with accurate data entry, reconciliation, and file management

What you bring

• A bachelor's degree in accounting or finance
• Five or more years of accounting or related experience; a background in not-for-profit, local government, or tribal government is strongly preferred
• High proficiency with Microsoft Office, and either knowledge of fund accounting software or the ability to learn it quickly
• Experience with accurate data entry, reconciliation, and file management

Why Samish

The Samish Indian Nation offers a rewarding, professional workplace and a very competitive compensation package. We believe that when you bring together people who share a high service ethic, give them roles, and set an objective, they stop being a team and become a force. Our people are the reason you'll choose to join us.

Our benefits include paid medical, dental, and vision coverage; short-term disability, long-term disability, and life insurance; a 401(k) with employer match; paid vacation and sick leave; a wellness program; and roughly 16 or more paid holidays each year.

This search is being conducted by Valliant Consulting Group. If you need a reasonable accommodation, please contact us at and we'll be happy to work with you.

Originally posted on Himalayas