Director of Finance, MORTAR

Back To Listings

Position

Type

Full-time

Organization

MORTAR

Location

Cincinnati, Ohio

Date Submitted

2025-03-19

Job Summary

MORTAR is looking for solid financial leadership to help guide revenue generation and fiscally responsible spending choices to continue to fuel that growth. The person who fills this role will also provide leadership in instilling robust processes and “tone from the top” to drive a robust governance culture. The Finance Director also plays an invaluable role as the trusted counsel to the CEO in dealing with opportunities and decisions that span the entire organization.

Job Description

ORGANIZATIONAL BACKGROUND:

Founded in May of 2014, MORTAR exists to help entrepreneurs build businesses and transform their cities. MORTAR accomplishes this goal by offering a 15-week business training course designed to teach community entrepreneurs the nuances of starting or growing a business. Post-graduation, our alumni program offers additional months of ongoing support. MORTAR operates a network of BRICK Pop Up Shops that entrepreneurs can utilize for various periods to provide entrepreneurs with the opportunity to pressure-test their ideas in real time. Lastly, through the Iron Chest Fund, we’ve delivered nearly $1 million through grants, low-interest loans, and equity investments directly into the hands of MORTAR alumni who need start-up/growth capital. Learn more about MORTAR here.

MORTAR is an equal opportunity employer and is strongly committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment where a variety of backgrounds, cultures, orientations, and talents can flourish.

POSITION OVERVIEW:

This role encompasses the traditional financial responsibilities and additional responsibilities within the broader MORTAR operations. MORTAR is rapidly growing and expanding into other cities. The organization needs solid financial leadership to help guide revenue generation and fiscally responsible spending choices to continue to fuel that growth. The person who fills this role will also provide the leadership in instilling robust processes and “tone from the top” to drive a robust governance culture. The Finance Director also plays an invaluable role as the trusted counsel to the Executive Director in dealing with opportunities and decisions that span the entire organization. Finally, the Finance Director interfaces directly with the Board and its Finance Committee to keep them informed on the financial health of the organization as well as organizational governance work and policy development.

WHO WE’RE LOOKING FOR:

As we enter year ten, MORTAR is undergoing a significant time of transition, growth, and expansion. For this reason, we need to add to our high-performing team to meet growing demands. The ideal candidate for this position exemplifies the qualities that drive the MORTAR mission – entrepreneurship, business acumen to help lead the organization to productively expand nationally, understanding the need to increase business ownership while closing the racial wealth gap in marginalized communities, and agility to thrive in a highly dynamic work environment.

Our Finance Director candidate will fully immerse in MORTAR's operations and understand how they connect to the overall financial outlook and our ability to impact more entrepreneurs nationwide. This broader approach to the role increases appreciation of the core work, fosters credibility, and drives insight into decision-making, which is critical for strong financial results. We're seeking someone with a robust financial skill set, community connectivity, experience, and an interest in pursuing work that changes lives.

Finally, the role encompasses multiple avenues for interfacing and presenting outside the organization. Examples include connecting with foundations and corporations from a business development standpoint, organizations in other cities responsible for delivering the MORTAR curriculum, accounting firms & other third-party relationships, and our Board of Directors.

REPORTS TO: MORTAR CEO

STRATEGIC INITIATIVES:

Lead the ongoing development of the organization’s financial strategy and the multi-year glide paths that support the long-term goals
Lead organizational efforts for strong, sustained, and diversified revenue growth
Cocreate win-win financial models for expansion cities
Lead sound decision-making on spending choices that effectively drive mission achievement and organizational growth

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Lead financial practices to ensure the viability of accounting processes
Develop and strengthen the organization’s financial processes to ensure strong controls and governance culture
Create annual budgets and monthly financial forecasts that adhere and empower MORTAR's strategic plan
Develop necessary fiscal policies that guide MORTAR’s financials and align them with the Finance Committee and Board of Directors
Provide guidance to our bookkeeper and manage the relationships with our external auditors
Financial coaching to assist the organization & individual staff members in reaching personal financial goals and sustainability
Act as Financial Liasion for MORTAR Entrepreneurship Academy participants and alumni

REQUIRED ATTRIBUTES & SKILLS:

Integrity
Passionate about the mission of MORTAR
Emotional Intelligence & maturity
Adaptable and proactive results-focused financial leader
Flexibility; must be comfortable in a fast-paced StartUp environment with competing deadlines and frequent pivots
Exceptional planning and time management skills
Optimistic & constructive with a good sense of humor
Expert-level administrative, written, and verbal communication skills
Demonstrated proactive approaches to problem-solving with strong decision-making capability
Hard-working, highly resourceful team-player, with the ability to also be extremely effective independently
Adhere to the utmost ethical standards
Adaptable, versatile, forward-looking thinker who actively seeks opportunities and proposes solutions
intuitive, considerate, and kind

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE:

Five to seven years of professional experience in Non-profit Finance and Accounting
Demonstrated business acumen
Experience working with others (one-on-one & group financial coaching) and a background in personal/business development
Experience working outside of the organization – with partners, other companies, government or community organizations, foundations

SALARY & BENEFITS: