Director, Finance and Operations

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in District of Columbia.

📋 Description

• Develop and maintain robust financial systems and reporting: Oversee grant tracking, manage reporting schedules, and ensure spend-down requirements for both existing and new grants; take ownership of year-end audits, Form 990 filings, budgeting, and financial reporting at the board level.

• Conduct analyses to inform strategic organizational choices: Create financial models, scenario planning, and organizational forecasts to aid in strategic decision-making within a rapidly growing environment.

• Lead the organizational spinout and establishment: Manage the financial, legal, and compliance aspects necessary to launch the AI Access Initiative as an independent 501(c)(3), including entity formation, payroll setup, benefits administration, and staff transitions.

• Design, acquire, and supervise an efficient, high-performing finance and compliance framework: Oversee outsourced service providers (such as accounting, auditing, legal, payroll, insurance, and HR) while maintaining robust institutional controls without excessive bureaucracy.

• Facilitate our growth: Create financial systems that can accommodate swift international expansion and increasingly intricate funding frameworks.

• Promote effective resource allocation: Collaborate with leadership to foster a culture of data-driven budget allocation and organizational decision-making.

• Develop and manage compliance infrastructure: Take charge of essential compliance and institutional risk frameworks, including charitable registration, insurance, governance, and regulatory submissions.

• Assist with governance and board activities: Set up a schedule for board meetings, maintain meeting minutes, handle conflict-of-interest disclosures, and provide fiduciary orientation for new board members.

• Oversee legal matters and contracting: Act as the primary internal liaison for all legal issues; review and negotiate contracts with vendors, grant agreements, MOUs, and partnership deals, ensuring that IP protections are secured for open-source assets.

⛳️ Requirements

• A minimum of 8 years of experience in finance, strategic operations, consulting, nonprofit leadership, startup operations, or related fields, with substantial experience in managing organizational finance and budgeting.

• Proven experience in sourcing and overseeing outside legal counsel, accounting firms, auditors, insurance agents, and payroll service providers — adept at maximizing the value from external partnerships.

• Ability to operate at both strategic and operational levels: capable of setting policies while managing the details necessary to ensure thorough execution.

• Excellent written communication abilities; skilled at clarifying complex financial and legal concepts for board members, program staff, and funders.

• CPA, JD, or equivalent professional qualification is highly preferred; nonprofit-specific training or certification (such as CGAP, CNAP) is a plus.

• Strong preference for experience in nonprofit finance, compliance, and 501(c)(3) environments: familiarity with Form 990, single audits, charitable solicitation registration, IRS rebuttable presumption, and state-level tax exemptions.

🏝️ Benefits

• International health care

• HSA/FSA options

• Life insurance

• Disability coverage

• Retirement plans with a matching component

• Generous and flexible leave options

• Other employee perks on a reimbursement basis