Ave Maria Press offers a mission-driven, collaborative onsite environment in Notre Dame, Indiana, with a balanced workday and comprehensive benefits. In this leadership role, you will direct accounting and financial operations, safeguard financial integrity, and provide strategic oversight across multi-channel publishing activities.
Benefits
- 403(b)
- Dental insurance
- Disability insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Flexible spending account
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Parental leave
- Referral program
- Retirement plan
- Vision insurance
Why join Ave Maria Press
Joining Ave Maria Press means contributing to a faith-driven mission within a supportive, collaborative team. Expect a workplace that values stewardship, professional development, and a culture anchored in integrity and service, all supported by a comprehensive benefits package.
Responsibilities
- Direct and manage all accounting operations, including general ledger, accounts payable and receivable, payroll coordination, royalty payments, and the month-end and year-end close processes.
- Ensure timely and accurate financial reporting in line with GAAP and nonprofit standards, with oversight of audits and Form 990 filings.
- Maintain robust internal controls, financial policies, and regulatory compliance across the organization.
- Direct sales tax compliance and strategy, monitor nexus, manage collection and remittance, and implement efficient systems.
- Act as a strategic financial partner to executive leadership, delivering insights to support planning and decision-making.
- Lead development of the annual budget and ongoing forecasts, including scenario planning aligned with publishing schedules and operational priorities.
- Track financial performance and deliver clear reporting, variance analysis, and KPI dashboards for leadership and the board.
- Oversee cash flow, liquidity, and working capital management, including banking relationships and evaluating financial tools and partners.
- Manage accounting for publishing operations, including inventory, cost of goods sold, print production, and product returns.
- Ensure accurate accounting for multi-channel revenue streams such as direct-to-consumer ecommerce, Amazon, and other platforms and distribution partners.
- Own the royalty accounting function at the departmental level, ensuring precise calculation, accrual, reporting, and payments with strong controls.
- Align sales data, inventory, and financial reporting to provide visibility into title-level performance, margins, and profitability.
- Lead the annual physical inventory process, coordinating cross-functional teams and external partners to ensure accurate counts and timely reconciliation.
- Oversee the administration and optimization of ERP and accounting systems to support financial reporting, inventory management, and order-to-cash processes.
- Drive enhancements to financial systems, workflows, and reporting capabilities, leveraging automation and AI where appropriate.
- Collaborate with IT and senior leadership to ensure systems meet operational needs and support growth.
- Serve as the financial partner to leaders across sales, editorial, production, marketing, and distribution, ensuring alignment between finances and operations.
- Provide financial guidance on new initiatives, product launches, and strategic decisions.
- Lead, mentor, and develop the accounting team, fostering accountability, continuous improvement, and stewardship.
- Guide the team through modernization and change initiatives, including system implementations and process improvements.
- Establish clear processes, roles, and expectations to support operational efficiency and transparency.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field; MBA preferred.
- 8+ years of progressive accounting experience with leadership responsibilities and oversight of full-cycle accounting operations.
- Experience in a product-based or publishing-focused environment is strongly preferred, with familiarity in inventory accounting, COGS, and returns.
- Proven track record managing multi-channel revenue, including direct-to-consumer ecommerce, third-party platforms (eg, Amazon), and wholesale/distribution models.
- Understanding of sales tax compliance across multiple jurisdictions, nexus considerations, and experience with sales tax automation solutions.
- Experience overseeing or collaborating on royalty accounting or similar contract-based revenue sharing models is a plus.
- Demonstrated ability to lead financial systems optimization, integrations, or implementations with a focus on reporting accuracy and efficiency.
- Strong knowledge of GAAP and nonprofit accounting standards, including audits and 990 reporting.
- Experience with cash flow management, forecasting, and banking relationships.
- Proven leadership and people-management skills with a track record of developing teams.
- Analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills with the ability to translate financial data for non-financial stakeholders.
Position details
This is a full-time salaried role based onsite in Notre Dame, Indiana. Expect a 37.5 hour workweek, typically 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday. Some travel is required, including occasional weekends.
Location
Notre Dame, Indiana (onsite)
How to apply
To apply, submit your resume and a cover letter to Lisa Hanback at lhanback@nd.edu.
Work authorization
You must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Ave Maria Press does not sponsor employment visas at this time.
