Finance Manager
Location: Remote, Global or in person (Berkeley, CA or London, UK)
Type: Full-time
Salary: $80,000 - $130,000 depending on experience and location
Application: Applications reviewed on a rolling basis.
About Iliad
Iliad is a nonprofit dedicated to advancing foundational AI alignment research. We run the Iliad Intensive, the Iliad Fellowship, and a range of conferences that bring together researchers working on the hardest problems in AI safety. We also incubate research organizations and an academic journal, and have an internal research team. We're a small and quickly growing team.
About the Role
As finance manager, you’ll manage our team’s financial record-keeping and budget monitoring as we transition from fiscal sponsorship to an independent legal entity. Your responsibilities will include:
Month-End & Day-to-Day Accounting: Maintain accurate books in Xero (bank reconciliations, transaction coding, month-end close) and ensure all financial data is recorded accurately.
Accounts Payable & Spend Management: Manage AP using Ramp and Mercury, including bill processing, payment runs, expense reviews, and reimbursements.
Reporting & Analytics: Prepare monthly/quarterly management accounts, board packs, and financial dashboards; analyze variances to support strategic decisions.
Budgeting & Grant Tracking: Lead annual budgeting and forecasting, tracking funder compliance and producing financial reports for restricted grant funds.
Audit & Compliance: Own external audit preparation across jurisdictions (US), maintain regulatory/tax compliance, and collaborate with external advisors.
Controls & Automation: Maintain internal financial controls, document standard procedures, and implement automations for routine bookkeeping tasks.
What We're Looking For
You are ideal for the role if:
You are excited to take a rapidly growing organization through professionalization of accounting, setting up processes such that scientists can do their good work while we take care of the rest.
You are proactive in pointing out problems and want to create systems that can work through the growth.
You prioritize impact over “how things were done before” and have an understanding of the needs of a rapidly growing org that cares about impact instead of profits. (Ideally)
You worry about AI risks but know how to use AI responsibly to make systems work better, or are interested to learn this skill.
Must have
Strong working knowledge of US non-profit financial compliance, including tax and regulatory requirements
A licence as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in the US. Equivalent certifications may be suitable, ideally focused on US regulations.
3+ years’ experience in public accounting or internal accounting in a role with a wide variety of responsibilities. As a Finance Manager we expect you to bring a depth of finance experience to the role and ideally appropriate financial qualifications.
Experience managing restricted and unrestricted grant budgets, producing funder reports, and maintaining accurate grant schedules
Comfort owning the finance function end-to-end — this is a sole finance role, and you will be the primary point of accountability for financial operations and reporting
Strong attention to detail and clear written communication
An operations mindset: You’re good at identifying issues, prioritizing, generating solutions, and efficiently implementing new ideas.
Great to Have
Proficiency in Xero or a comparable accounting platform, such as QuickBooks or Sage, including hands-on bookkeeping, financial reporting, reconciliations and fund accounting.
Familiarity with financial compliance obligations such as Form 990, state registrations, CT600, 1099s, W-9/W-8 collection
Experience with Ramp or a similar AP/expense platform (Concur, Airbase, Airwallex)
Prior experience leading or closely supporting an external audit
Experience improving finance workflows, implementing new tools, or building controls from scratch
Hands-on payroll experience in the US
Benefits
Our benefits include:
Time Off: 25 days paid vacation annually
Flexible Working Hours: We're a distributed organization with employees in a variety of locations and offer flexible working hours
Team Retreats: We have occasional in-person team retreats