Director of Finance

The Director of Finance is a member of the Senior Management Team, reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, and directly supervises the Coordinator, Finance and the Coordinator, Accounting. The role leads the financial strategy, operations and controls of the Ontario Basketball Association (OBA), and oversees payroll and benefits, risk management, facilities and statutory compliance.

• Mission: To develop athletes, coaches, officials and administrators
• Vision: To be the global thought leader in grassroots development

The Director provides financial leadership and strategic counsel to the CEO, the Board of Directors and the leadership team. This role ensures OBA operates efficiently, sustainably and in line with its mission to grow and develop basketball across Ontario, within a not-for-profit environment. The Director attends recurring Board and committee meetings with the CEO.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Financial Leadership

• Partner with the CEO, Board of Directors and Senior Management Team to set goals and develop OBA’s multi-year strategic and financial plans.
• Lead long-term financial planning and cost management in line with organizational strategy.
• Assess organizational performance against annual budgets and long-term plans, and recommend corrective action.
• Provide financial and operational analysis, reporting and recommendations to the CEO and leadership team.
• Create and maintain benchmarking indicators for financial planning and spending; analyze trends to guide strategy.
• Develop revenue strategies from new sources to sustain existing and new programs, including the OBA Financial Assistance Program.
• Serve on leadership, planning and policy committees, and on basketball or sport-related committees as required.

Team Leadership

• Directly supervise the Coordinator, Finance, the Coordinator, Accounting and the Senior Coordinator, Membership Services.
• Set clear priorities, workflows and accountabilities for each role, including month-end and year-end close responsibilities.
• Review and approve the coordinators’ work, including reconciliations, journal entries, payables, receivables and payroll inputs.
• Conduct regular check-ins and annual performance reviews, and support each coordinator’s training and professional development.
• Maintain segregation of duties between the two roles and documented procedures for cross-coverage during absences.
• Participate in hiring, onboarding and any performance management for the finance team.

Budgeting, Forecasting & Cash Management

• Lead the annual budgeting process, with budgets detailed enough to support planning and performance comparisons.
• Monitor budgets throughout the year and report variances to the CEO and department leads.
• Manage cash flow and forecasting, and set and maintain minimum cash thresholds.
• Manage banking relationships and strategies to strengthen the cash position.

Accounting, Reporting & Controls

• Oversee full-cycle accounting: general ledger, accounts payable and receivable, government remittances, payroll, journal entries, and capital assets and expenditures.
• Prepare timely, accurate financial statements and reports in accordance with Canadian Accounting Standards for Not-for-Profit Organizations (ASNPO).
• Establish and maintain strong internal controls to protect assets and ensure data integrity.
• Develop and maintain finance, accounting, billing and audit policies and procedures.
• Oversee donor tax receipting in compliance with Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) requirements and keep gift receipting policies current.
• Prepare financial reporting for grant applications, funder reports and government funding programs.

Audit

• Lead the annual external audit from planning to completion and serve as the primary contact for external auditors.
• Prepare year-end working papers, schedules, reconciliations and supporting documentation by agreed deadlines.
• Review draft audited financial statements and notes for accuracy and ASNPO compliance before Board approval.
• Respond to auditor findings and the management letter and implement and track recommended control improvements.
• Present audit results to the Finance and Audit Committee and the Board alongside the auditors.
• Coordinate funder, grant and government program audits or compliance reviews as required.
• Conduct periodic internal reviews of controls, expense claims and financial processes between annual audits.

Governance, Compliance & Risk

• Support the Board’s Finance, Audit and Investment Committees with reporting, analysis and recommendations.
• Help set committee objectives and agendas and engage external advisors such as auditors and consultants.
• Ensure compliance with federal and provincial legislation, funding agreements and accrediting bodies.
• Oversee the annual renewal of membership and trademark agreements and monitor compliance.
• Lead OBA’s risk management and business continuity programs with the Senior Management Team, including insurance coverage.
• Manage emergency procedures with the CEO and Board.

Facilities, Contracts & Systems

• Negotiate insurance and advise the CEO and Board on leases, utilities and other agreements.
• Serve as the internal contact for the third-party IT provider and administer finance and business platforms.
• Evaluate and improve financial information systems to give leadership timely, reliable data.

Qualifications

• Degree in accounting, finance, business management or sports management, or equivalent experience.
• Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) designation preferred.
• Minimum five years of progressive experience in full-cycle financial management, budgeting, reporting and auditing.
• Experience with Canadian Accounting Standards for Not-for-Profit Organizations (ASNPO); experience in sport or not-for-profit organizations is an asset.
• Experience with grant and government funding reporting and CRA donation receipting is an asset.
• Knowledge of board governance and experience working with a board of directors and its committees is an asset.
• Proven ability to set clear direction and turn strategy into focused goals, accountabilities and action plans.
• Strong written and verbal communication and presentation skills, with the ability to explain financial information clearly to non-finance audiences.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Proficiency with accounting software (Sage), databases, spreadsheets and word processing programs.

Degree in accounting, finance, business management or sports management, or equivalent experience.