Senior Director of Finance

Position Title: Senior Director of Finance

Position Location: Candidates are welcome to apply from across the U.S. Those that are near a Popular Democracy office in DC or Brooklyn may be asked to work from a Popular Democracy office one or two days/week if necessary. Applicants outside of those areas may be required to travel to a Popular Democracy office occasionally.

Popular Democracy is seeking a Senior Director of Finance to join our Infrastructure Department and lead the Finance Team. This is a full-time, exempt position.

About Popular Democracy:

Popular Democracy works to promote equity, opportunity, and a dynamic democracy in partnership with innovative base-building organizations, organizing networks and alliances, and progressive unions across the country. We work with 50 affiliates in 34 states and DC to build the strength and capacity of democratic organizations that envision and advance a pro-worker, pro-immigrant, racial and economic justice agenda. We are a rapidly-expanding, changing organization that partners with organizations across the country to build political power and win tangible victories that improve the lives of low-wage workers, immigrants, and communities of color.

About the Position:

We are seeking a Senior Director of Finance to oversee all financial management, including accounting duties, for all Popular Democracy entities, and to advise and steward the organization on areas of financial health and sustainability. This position will  collaborate with the COO and others to develop processes and protocols for all finance-related transactions. The Senior Director of Finance will be responsible for reviewing and analyzing all aspects of internal and external financial reporting and the full scope of budgets and internal system reports. This position will lead in maintaining a culture of compliance, ethics, and integrity, while maintaining strong internal controls and complying with GAAP and other professional standards. 

It is expected that the Senior Director of Finance will travel and attend in-person meetings and events, including staff and team retreats, when necessary.

We estimate that candidates will have about 15 years of relevant experience, but our review of candidates for this role will focus on whether they can fill the needs of the position, not years of experience. 

The Senior Director of Finance will report to the Chief Operating Officer and supervise members of the Finance Team. 

Primary Responsibilities:

The Senior Director of Finance will:

• Lead and oversee the full range of accounting and financial management duties for all Popular Democracy entities.
• Provide accurate and timely financial reporting for all Popular Democracy entities. 
• Assist with design and lead on implementation of organizational budget development process.
• Provide updated budgets, financial statements, cash flow projections, and other reports to management, treasurers, boards of directors, and other parties.
• Advise management and Boards of Directors on fiscal health of PD organizations.
• Lead and oversee the process to prepare materials for annual audits, tax returns, and other required state and federal filings for all Popular Democracy entities. 
• Lead management of TRNA schedules and other audit schedules.
• Supervise account analysis, allocations to programs and grants, and grant releases.
• Oversee finance team in resolving any finance-related issues.
• Implement, monitor and maintain procedures and controls to ensure the integrity of financial reporting and sound financial practices across all finance-related activities and systems. 
• Design and oversee smooth integration and functioning between all finance systems (SAP Concur, Sage Intacct, Workday Adaptive Planning, as well as other supporting systems such as Paylocity, SalesForce, and others).
• Maintain knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), Statutory Accounting Principles, and keep abreast of changes that are inherent in accounting regulations for reporting and compliance with rules and regulations.
• Collaborate with Senior Leadership to inform organizational policy, drive programmatic work, meet annual goals, and achieve our strategic vision.
• Coordinate across departments to ensure organizational goals and messaging are incorporated throughout the organization.
• Supervise direct reports and the broader Finance team.
• Work with Senior Leadership to ensure effective fundraising and financial management of departments. This includes helping manage the fundraising plan to meet the team’s annual budget and contributing to other organizational fundraising efforts.

The Ideal Candidate Will Have:

• Significant experience in progressive financial leadership, preferably in a non-profit or social justice organization;
• At least 8 years of demonstrated experience in managing organizational budgets of at least $10M, including grant-funded activities;
• Strong knowledge of GAAP and nonprofit accounting standards;
• Advanced Excel skills and experience in building and managing financial software systems such as Concur, Workday Adaptive Insights, and SAGE Intacct;
• Experience working closely with senior management and Boards, and ideally in a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic work environment;
• Proven ability to uphold high standards of performance for themselves and their team with a strategic and problem-solving vision while upholding the highest standards of financial and regulatory compliance;
• A solid sense of judgment with the ability to navigate complex financial and organizational decisions with integrity and discretion;
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the capacity to adapt to changing priorities;
• The ability to translate complex financial information to diverse audiences in an accessible manner;
• Degrees in accounting, business, or nonprofit management a plus;
• A demonstrated commitment to social, racial, and economic justice and a deep understanding of challenges facing low-wage workers, immigrant communities, communities of color, disabled people, LGBTQ+ folks, and people at the intersections of the above communities.

Hiring Process:

Candidates should expect to participate in two rounds of group interviews and a job simulation exercise. Final candidates will be asked to provide references.  

Salary and Benefits:

Popular Democracy is a unionized workplace. This is a supervisory position, not included in our bargaining unit. Salary will be determined according to a salary scale which takes into account years of experience, job category, and other factors, but is expected to be $140,000 - $155,000.

We have a generous benefits package, including health insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, 15 vacation days your first year, 12 sick days per year, additional PTO, including holidays, and contributions to individuals’ 401K plans. 

Popular Democracy is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and actively recruits people of color, womxn, individuals with disabilities, and members of the LGBTIQAA+ community.