Our Mission

New Leaders develops the education workforce by strengthening pipelines that drive positive change and deliver better outcomes for every student.

Position Summary

The Senior Executive Director, Finance will be based out of a home office located anywhere within the contiguous United States (Pacific, Mountain, Central, and Eastern time zones) or United States territories that fall within the Atlantic time zone. The Senior Executive Director, Finance serves as the second-in-command to the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and with the support and oversight of the CFO is responsible for the long-term strategy and operational results of all financial functions, including budgeting, financial planning, analysis, reporting, and accounting.

The Senior Executive Director, Finance will support the CFO in ensuring that the organization’s financial functions reflect a greater level of sophistication and capacity for program and product expansion and revenue diversification. The Senior Executive Director, Finance, will support financial sustainability by providing insightful reporting and analysis of both historical and projected financial information to inform decision-making.

Acting as a key thought partner to the CFO and senior leadership, the Senior Executive Director, Finance continuously builds financial capacity and enhances operational efficiency across the Finance team. This role provides team leadership across financial systems and analysis while also providing oversight of the organization's accounting and audit functions. The Senior Executive Director, Finance, is critical in ensuring the finance team enables data driven decision making across the organization and ensures that New Leaders meets its financial integrity and audit-readiness goals. The Senior Executive Director, Finance reports to the Chief Financial Officer.

Specific Responsibilities

Strategic Financial Leadership

• Support the CFO in cash flow planning and forecasting to support organizational liquidity and financial stability.
• Direct treasury operations; support and oversight for investment and banking relationships.
• Support the CFO in providing regular updates to the Board of Directors and Board Finance Committee.
• Partner with the CFO in developing key financial performance metrics for the organization and monitoring and reporting progress against those metrics.
• Partner with the CFO on shaping and executing the organization's multi-year financial strategy and financial systems roadmap.
• Identify and lead initiatives in pursuit of the organization's strategic goal of financial sustainability.
• Evaluate the financial and systems implications of new programs, partnerships, or funding opportunities (e.g., government contracts, major gifts, new IHE partnerships).

Financial Systems & Technology

• Serve as the primary system owner and administrator for New Leaders' Enterprise Resource Planning (“ERP”) system, including configuration, workflow design, and ongoing optimization.
• Manage the integrated ecosystem of financial data and systems, ensuring data integrity, accurate integrations, and consistent reporting across platforms.
• Drive automation and technology-driven improvements to streamline financial processes and enhance accuracy across cash management, accounts receivable, accounts payable, month-end close, and financial reporting.
• Provide system training, troubleshooting support, and documentation to the Finance team and cross-functional platform users.

Accounting & Audit Oversight

• Provide oversight of the annual external audit process and Form 990 preparation led by the Senior Director of Accounting; support the CFO in interactions with the Board Audit Committee as needed.
• Ensure internal controls are robust, and compliance with regulations is maintained across all financial activities; lead enforcement of finance policies, procedures, and internal controls in partnership with the Senior Director, Accounting.
• Ensure timely and accurate financial reports are provided to the CFO, CEO, and senior management in alignment with GAAP standards.
• Resolve escalated internal controls or accounting issues in partnership with the CFO and Senior Director of Accounting.

Financial Planning & Analysis

• Lead the annual budgeting process and quarterly forecasting, incorporating input from cross-functional teams, focusing on transparency, efficiency, and scalability.
• Develop financial models to evaluate program sustainability, funding scenarios, and cost-effectiveness of initiatives.
• Produce monthly reports that track key performance indicators; analyze financial performance against budgets, grants, and restricted funds, providing actionable recommendations to leadership.
• Develop an annual budget calendar that incorporates key action dates from organizational leaders.
• Prepare reports and lead management of the organization's cash position and cash flow forecasting.
• Partner with program and department leaders to develop programmatic budgets that reflect actual costs, future investments, and operating expenses, and to develop philanthropic proposal budgets that reflect proper cost allocations and donor-specific guidelines.
• Serve as a key business partner to program and department heads, providing financial analysis and modeling to evaluate new initiatives, strategic opportunities, and cost-saving measures.
• Prepare clear, compelling reports for the CFO for use with the Board of Directors, key funders, and other senior leaders.
• Maintain the Finance Team's budgeting resources, ensuring processes, policies, and key dates remain current, concise, and accessible.

Collaborative Performance & Team Leadership

• Support a collaborative team culture that operates effectively within the organization's values and culture.
• Establish annual priorities and objectives of the Finance team, in partnership with the CFO.
• Model behaviors of a high-performing, results-driven team member.
• Directly manage and coach finance team members toward high performance and operational effectiveness.
• Serve as a key liaison between finance and other departments to ensure alignment with business goals and effective communication of financial data.

Qualifications and Competencies

Educational Background

Bachelor’s degree required; degree in accounting, finance, or a related field strongly preferred.

Professional Experience

A minimum of 10-12 years of relevant professional experience required. A minimum of 5-7 years of non-profit accounting experience required. Proven experience as a financial leader or senior finance manager with at least 3 years in a similar role.

Mission Alignment

Passionate belief in academic excellence for every student, aligned with New Leaders' mission. Demonstrated experience managing an integrated financial systems and data ecosystem; NetSuite experience strongly preferred. Strong background in process improvement and demonstrated ability to rework and optimize financial operations. Expertise in financial reporting, P&L preparation, and financial forecasting. Extensive knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, with an emphasis on Not-for-Profit Revenue Recognition. Strong understanding of internal controls, compliance, and risk management. Demonstrated success in coaching and leading finance teams toward high performance and operational effectiveness. Proficient in ERP systems, financial modeling, and technology solutions for finance. An understanding of internal control procedures including experience in maintaining and documenting accounting procedures. Strong interpersonal skills, ability to communicate and manage well at all levels of the organization and with staff at remote locations. Strong collaboration skills with the ability to work with multiple partners and peers across the organization to achieve project and operational results. Effective problem-solving skills and the ability to exercise sound judgment and decision making. High level of integrity and dependability with a strong sense of urgency and results-orientation. Travel may be required on occasion aligned to New Leaders’ Travel and In-Person Activities policy.

Role-Specific Qualifications

Ability to drive decisions that positively impact organizational performance, sustainability, and stakeholder trust. Demonstrated ability shaping cross-functional and enterprise financial stewardship; ability to identify and influence long-term trade-offs across teams. Nice-to-Have CPA certification preferred. Knowledge of federal grant requirements and experience with management of federal grants strongly preferred.

Physical Requirements

The employee's routine activities involve sitting, talking, hearing, and using hands for tasks like typing, filing, and handling objects. Visual acuity is necessary for keyboard use, data analysis, transcribing, computer terminal viewing, and extensive reading. The role may involve ordinary ambulatory skills for visits to other locations or the ability to perform activities like standing, walking, lifting, carrying, and moving light-weight items. Proficiency in hand-eye coordination, along with dexterity in arms, hands, and fingers for tasks like grasping, operating standard office equipment, and learning technical information, is essential.

What We Offer

Salary Range: $121,000-145,000. Salaries vary based on geographical location. After applying, candidates who move forward in the hiring process are provided with a salary for their geographical location. Employees may be eligible for merit awards, bonuses, and/or commissions depending on their role, organizational guidelines, and individual performance. Employees regularly scheduled to work 20 or more hours per week are eligible to participate in the New Leaders Health Benefits and Wellness Program. Medical plan options, dental care, and vision 401K plan for eligible employees. Generous paid-time-off (PTO) benefits.

Application Deadline

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the position is filled. New Leaders is an equal opportunity employer. New Leaders evaluates applicants for employment on the basis of qualifications, merit and work-related criteria and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national or ethnic origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, mental or physical disability, handicap, pregnancy, childbirth, medical condition, marital or familial status, family responsibilities, veteran status, personal appearance, political affiliation, matriculation, or any other characteristic protected by law in administration and operation of its Programs and activities, including admission or access thereto, or treatment or employment therein. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment regardless of such status and will not be discriminated against based on such status.