ADM - Associate Director, Finance

Overview Alera Group is looking for a Manager, Accounting & Financial Operations to join our team. This is a fully remote position for candidates outside of CT. If you are local to CT, this would be a hybrid position requiring commuting to our North Haven, CT office a few days per week. About the Company: Alera Group was founded in 2017 and has grown to become the 14th largest broker of US business. We are passionate about our clients’ success in the areas of Employee Benefits, Property and Casualty Insurance, Retirement Plan Services, and Wealth Services. With a network of offices nationwide, our commitment to collaboration allows us to offer national resources combined with local service. Role Summary We’re looking for a highly capable Manager, Accounting & Financial Operations to lead the financial operations of our Benefits Administration Technology Center of Excellence (COE) while remaining deeply hands-on in daily execution. This role owns the end-to-end financial operations of the department, including client billing and accounts receivable, cash management, banking, accounts payable, and financial reporting. This is a hands-on position responsible for executing core accounting functions while leading a small team and ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and accountability across all financial workflows. You will be expected to scale critical finance operations, be a key steward of our operating and trust accounts, and maintain rock-solid financial controls and reporting. Responsibilities What You’ll Own Billing, Revenue, & Cash Flow Oversee and actively support client billing and invoicing processes, ensuring accuracy and timeliness Manage AR, collections visibility, and cash application Identify and resolve billing discrepancies and process gaps Improve billing workflows to support scale and reduce leakage General Ledger Oversight & Month-End Close Own the monthly close process, ensuring accurate and timely submission of materials to national finance team Maintain integrity of the general ledger and ensure clean financials with clear supporting documentation Conduct account reconciliations, submit intercompany transactions, book adjusting journal entries, and review GL detail AP & Banking Oversee AP processes, approvals, and payment execution Monitor cash movement, account balances, and exceptions Ensure operational discipline across all transaction flows Team Leadership Maintain internal controls and oversight of financial operations Manage and develop a small team (2–4 associates) Set clear expectations, review output, and ensure accountability Step in and execute when needed - this is not a purely supervisory role Budgeting & Financial Planning and Reporting Support budgeting and forecasting processes Partner on financial reporting and variance analysis Provide financial intelligence through preparing and submitting monthly financial commentary, providing insight into revenue, cash flow, and operational performance Lead the annual budgeting process, collaborating with COE leadership to align financial planning with organizational goals Is this role for you? This role IS: Hands-on and execution-oriented Responsible for getting the work done, not just reviewing it Highly operational, requiring the ability to navigate complex environments A critical owner of financial accuracy and process discipline This role IS NOT: A large-team leadership position A purely strategic or FP&A role A position removed from day-to-day accounting operations What Success Looks Like Clean, accurate financials delivered on time - every month Billing goes out correctly and on schedule Cash is visible, applied, and reconciled without surprises Processes improve over time (not just maintained) Your team is accountable, supported, and effective Qualifications What We’re Looking For 5–8+ years of accounting/financial operations experience Demonstrated ability to manage and develop junior staff Experience with client billing and AR in a SaaS or services environment Strong understanding of AP/AR fundamentals, P&L management, and budgeting Hands-on experience with ACH processing, multi-account cash management, and reconciliations Strong ownership of month-end close and GL in prior roles Clear communicator who can coordinate effectively with operations, leadership, clients, and vendors Strong critical thinking, problem solving, and decision-making skills, with the ability to thrive in a complex environment High attention to detail with a bias toward action and accountability Comfortable operating in a hands-on, fast-moving environment Strongly Preferred: Experience in benefits administration, insurance, SaaS, or a similar services model Experience managing multi-entity environments Track record of improving processes (not just maintaining them) Additional Information Base salary is up to $95,000/year, depending on experience Alera Group offers comprehensive benefits to our colleagues, including medical, dental, life and disability insurance, 401k, generous paid time off and much more. We're an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status, or any other protected class. Alera Group is committed to protecting your privacy. Please review our Privacy Policy to understand what personal information we may collect and use as part of your application process. #LI-KC1 #LI-Remote