Finance Associate

Salary Range: $60,000 - $70,000, dependent on experience. 
Location: Preference for NYC or Washington, DC.

About the Black Economic Alliance
The Black Economic Alliance (BEA) is a nonpartisan coalition of Black business leaders and aligned advocates committed to driving economic progress for the Black community through public policy, advocacy, and engagement with government, business, and philanthropic leaders. Founded by a Board of Directors and supported by an Advisory Board that includes leading executives from a range of industries including media, finance, pharmaceutical, nonprofit, and tech, BEA uses its collective power and business acumen to advance public policies and private sector practices that will expand the economic power of the Black community with a focus on improving work, wages, and wealth.

The Black Economic Alliance is composed of a flagship 501c4 social welfare organization, the 501c3 BEA Foundation, and two political action committees. All activities of the Foundation and the PAC stay completely segregated; the 501c4 engages with the Foundation and PAC.

Under its unified structure, BEA is increasingly bringing together leaders from across business, government, and philanthropy, amplifying the organization’s impact, and strengthening its ability to drive meaningful change for Black economic opportunity and prosperity.

Finance Associate
The Black Economic Alliance (BEA) is hiring a finance associate. The Finance Associate willl be a major contributor to BEA’s success in ensuring effective and streamlined business operations for finance, accounting, planning, grants management, information technology, and human resources, across all of BEA’s entities.  Reporting to the VP of Finance and Administration (VPFA), the Finance Associate’s primary responsibility will be coordination of financial administration, through keeping excellent records, leading systems to ensure strong and consistent communication, and executing the operations of select finance functions.  

BEA is seeking candidates who are exceptionally detail-oriented and organized, understand that sound financial management requires strong data and information tracking, enjoy collaborating with a team to achieve objectives, and thrive in a fast-paced environment. 

 Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Financial Operations

• Coordinates the Accounts Payable function with VPFA approval which includes administration of consultant contracts, setting up vendors, collecting W-9s, filing contracts, entering invoices with coding data, requesting wire transfers and assisting with cash flow tracking 
• Coordinates the Expense Management function, including coordinating credit cards, expense reimbursements, ensuring staff submit reports, receipts and coding
• Collaborates with outsourced accountant to ensure timely month close 
• Supports the audit process in collaboration with outsourced accountants
• Supports relationship management with various finance vendors and banks
• Supports outsourced accounting firm with documentation for 1099s preparation
• Collaborates with development and fundraising team to ensure revenue is reconciled regularly and information is provided for budgets for funding proposals  
• Supports updates to and implementation of fiscal policies, systems, procedures, tools, and controls, including a Fiscal Procedures Manual
• Participates in the annual budgeting process for all entities in collaboration with the VPFA and other staff
• Supports VPFA in managing compliance and deadlines for all entities with outside counsel, compliance firm, and accountants (e.g., FEC filings, tax and 990 filings, monitoring and tracking political/lobbying activity, cost-sharing, etc.) 

Other Support

• Provide day-of event support, including annual events in NYC, DC, and Martha’s Vineyard; as needed, support the coordination of event work plans and task deadlines
• As needed, provide Human Resources and operational support to VPFA and other members of the team
•  Additional projects and duties as determined by VPFA, CEO and organization as needed 

Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s degree
• Minimum 3 years of relevant work experience
• Demonstrated proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), Adobe, and Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets)
• Experience and/or comfort learning and operating finance systems including accounting (QuickBooks), accounts payable (Bill.com) and expense management (eg. Divvy, Expensify) 

Desired Competencies 

• Ability to present information concisely and effectively 
• Ability to work independently and a self-starter
• Excellent interpersonal skills and a team player
• Highly detail-oriented, and data and deadline driven
• Ability to multi-task with solid organizational and time-management skills 
• Ability to prioritize and navigate working with a variety of stakeholders
• Discretion and ability to maintain confidential employee and organizational information
• Able to thrive in a fast-paced, small-team environment, in a hands-on position
• Committed to BEA’s mission

Compensation 
The salary range for this position is $60,000 - $70,000 depending on experience. BEA offers a comprehensive benefits package. 

Benefits
Benefits include PTO, Holiday Pay, Medical, Dental, Vision, Flexible Spending Account, Group Life and AD&D Insurance, Short- and Long-Term Disability Insurance, and ability to participate in Retirement Plan.

Location
Position is hybrid with focus in New York City or Washington, D.C.

BEA Entities

• The BEA Foundation 501(c)(3) produces research, convenes leaders across sectors, and catalyzes investments and programs to advance Black work, wages, and wealth.
• BEA’s 501(c)(4) gets policy recommendations to advance Black work, wages, and wealth into the hands of decision makers, and identifies and recommends officials for key economic leadership positions across government. 
• The BEA PAC supports candidates at the federal and state level who champion a Black work, wages, and wealth agenda.

Programs & Initiatives 

• The Center for Black Entrepreneurship  The BEA Foundation, Spelman College, and Morehouse College have partnered to develop the Center for Black Entrepreneurship (CBE), the first-ever academic center of its kind to produce, train, and support a new class of Black entrepreneurial talent.  The CBE seeks to eliminate the access barrier between Black entrepreneurs, professional investors, and business builders by leveraging education, mentorship, access to capital, and opportunity. By building on an existing culture of strong entrepreneurship programs at both Spelman and Morehouse, the CBE will help expand the ecosystem, grow the pipeline of Black innovation, and bridge the divide between the business and tech communities and the next generation of Black entrepreneurs. Read more>>
• The BEA Entrepreneurs Fund  There continues to be gaps in funding for Black entrepreneurs from traditional funding sources. With this in mind, BEA launched the Entrepreneurs Fund to provide $50 million of capital to businesses founded and led by Black entrepreneurs. The launch of the Fund is anchored by Wells Fargo with a $20 million commitment to kick-start operations and investments. 
• BEA Solutions Summit  Brings together leading decision-makers and experts to build consensus on actions needed to close the racial wealth gap and create sustainable economic prosperity. The Summit’s action-oriented discussions and knowledge sharing informed BEA Foundation’s soon-to-be-released Architecture for Action –– a curated, data-driven framework designed to guide leading decision-makers in both the private and philanthropic sectors to assess potential economic equity interventions and investments through a lens specifically focused on long-term gains in economic outcomes for Black Americans. Read more>>

Research & Solutions

• Policy Agenda to Advance Black Work, Wages, and Wealth. The right policy choices can break down the barriers to Black prosperity. Leaders have the opportunity to meaningfully advance Black work, wages, and wealth — growing our entire economy by trillions of dollars in the process — by reshaping our economic policies, systems, and structures. The BEA Foundation engaged with leading policy experts and organizations, including the Urban Institute, Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, National Urban League, Brennan Center for Justice, Alliance for Entrepreneurial Equity at Third Way, and Bipartisan Policy Center, to develop a policy agenda that is as transformational as it is practical. This policy agenda focuses on five areas critical to advancing Black work, wages, and wealth: affordable housing, entrepreneurship, jobs and workforce development, tax reform, and voting rights. This agenda embodies BEA’s understanding — informed by research and practice — that improving Black work, wages, and wealth requires leaders across the public, private, and social sectors to all play critical roles in reshaping the markets, systems, and institutions that define our economy. Black Economic Alliance Foundation Policy Agenda to Advance Black Work, Wages, and Wealth 5 Above all, this agenda is a blueprint for growing Black economic opportunity and prosperity — and, in turn, the entire economy.
• Understanding Black Americans’ Perspectives on Black Work, Wages, Wealth. Over 80 percent of Black Americans believe that our economic system needs major changes or to be rebuilt completely for Black Americans to be treated fairly. It is often said that experience is the best teacher. Yet this data makes clear that the experiences and perspectives of Black Americans are too often overlooked in our economic policies and systems. The BEA Foundation collaborated with Deloitte & Touche LLP to assess Black Americans’ views on pathways to economic opportunity and success through a survey of more than 2,500 participants of all racial backgrounds, as well as online diary-style interviews with 35 Black participants. With this research, broken down into four key areas—affordable housing, entrepreneurship, jobs and the workforce, and voting rights—the BEA Foundation provides leaders from all sectors—private, philanthropic, and public alike—with first-person insights that can inform their efforts to advance Black economic prosperity and wealth-building.
• Corporate Racial Diversity: Toolkit for Executives in the Wake of the SCOTUS Affirmative Action Decision. Following the recent Supreme Court Affirmative Action decision, Corporate Diversity has faced added pressure from an organized group of conservative activists seeking to roll back racial progress across sectors. However, the business case for Corporate Racial Diversity Initiatives has never been clearer. The data demonstrates that racial inequity and discrimination inflict high costs on businesses. Additionally, racial diversity is increasingly important to unlocking business growth and remaining competitive in our rapidly changing economy. Businesses with higher levels of racial diversity experience increased market expansion, boosted profitability, and higher employee morale. The overwhelming majority of Americans understand this and agree that corporate America should reflect the racial diversity of the American population. During this moment, business leaders should take action to protect and strengthen their diversity initiatives, utilizing new guidance from leading legal experts to mitigate risk. The BEA Foundation hopes this tool helps corporate leaders achieve their business objectives.

Recent News

• LEADERS PRAISE BEA FOUNDATION POLICY AGENDA 
• PRESIDENT BIDEN OP-ED CITES BEA FOUNDATION HARRIS POLL (WASHINGTON POST)
• BEA CO-CHAIRS DISCUSS HARRIS POLL ON PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR RACIAL DIVERSITY IN CORPORATE AMERICA (CNBC'S SQUAWK BOX)
• BEA CEO CONVERSATION ON CREATING ECONOMIC PROSPERITY AND CLOSING THE RACIAL WEALTH GAP (FORBES)

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Black Economic Alliance is committed to further building and maintaining a staff that reflects the full range of communities we serve and is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. Black Economic Alliance encourages applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship or immigration status, disability, veteran status, record of arrest or conviction, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.