Senior Director, Finance

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in United States.

📋 Description

• Take ownership of the monthly closing process from start to finish: oversee the external bookkeeping firm's closing activities, review and sanction all outputs before they are submitted to leadership, create variance commentary with adequate explanations for board-level scrutiny, and secure CEO approval on the final monthly package.

• Compile monthly and quarterly financial reporting packages for the Finance Committee and the entire board.

• Manage financial tracking at the grant level, including award receipt, net asset classification, expense drawdown against grant budgets, and timely release from restrictions in accordance with donor intent.

• Ensure that financial statements comply with GAAP and are audit-ready at all times, not just during year-end.

• Prepare and review the annual Form 990 in collaboration with the accounting firm; reconcile 990 figures with audited financials prior to filing, and ensure that Part VII compensation disclosures, Schedule B, and functional expense allocations are examined and approved by the CEO before submission.

• Oversee the annual audit process: manage the relationship with auditors, prepare all PBC schedules, address open items, present findings to the Finance Committee, and coordinate the execution of the management representation letter with the CEO.

• Facilitate the resolution of all prior-year audit findings with documented remediation evidence.

• Uphold the internal controls environment; ensure the Accounting Manual is reviewed and updated annually after each audit cycle.

• Verify that all disbursements have documented approvals as per policy; hold staff accountable to these standards.

• Maintain tracking of restricted funds at the project level: intake, classification, monthly balance review, and timely release from restrictions.

• Act as the primary point of accountability for the outsourced bookkeeping and accounting firm; review all deliverables before they reach leadership or the Finance Committee, manage the chart of accounts structure in QuickBooks Online, and guide the firm on appropriate coding, class tracking, and account mapping.

• Lead the transition from the current accounting firm to a new provider (Q2–Q4 FY27), which includes vendor selection, onboarding, and knowledge transfer.

• Hold the firm accountable to service level agreements and quality standards; document any performance issues and escalate to the CEO when necessary.

• Collaborate with the Deputy CEO on the annual budgeting process; maintain the master budget workbook and consolidation across operating and fiscal sponsorship entities, develop and manage a rolling 12-month cash flow forecast updated monthly and presented to the Finance Committee.

• Oversee fiscal sponsorship financial reporting as a separate environment from operating financials, ensuring fund isolation across sponsored projects, tracking pass-through revenue and disbursements at the project level, calculating and reconciling administrative fees, and producing financial reports for individual sponsored projects that meet their programmatic and compliance requirements.

• Design and maintain a controls environment adequate to prevent and detect material misstatements, unauthorized disbursements, and grant misclassification; document the controls framework and assess it against findings in each audit cycle.

• Implement and document a grants accrual process for all incoming awards, requiring CEO approval at month-end.

• Oversee Bill.com and associated disbursement workflows; ensure that approval trails are complete and properly retained.

• Identify and implement finance technology and AI-driven workflow enhancements consistent with UpStart’s efficiency-focused operating strategy.

⛳️ Requirements

• 7+ years of progressively responsible experience in finance or accounting, including at least 3 years in a senior role with direct audit and closing ownership.

• Extensive knowledge of ASC 958: you are skilled in net asset classification, donor restrictions, release from restrictions, and functional expense allocation.

• Practical audit experience: you have led or co-led an annual audit, managed auditor relationships, identified and addressed audit findings, and prepared PBC schedules.

• Vendor management expertise: you have proven the ability to manage external accounting or bookkeeping vendors to meet quality and timeline expectations.

• Experience in multi-fund accounting: you are adept in multi-entity or multi-fund accounting settings.

• Familiarity with fiscal sponsorship frameworks: you comprehend fund isolation, pass-through revenue treatment, administrative fee mechanics, and the necessity for maintaining clear separation between sponsored project activities and the sponsor’s own financials.

• Proficient in QuickBooks Online (QBO): you can navigate the chart of accounts, generate and interpret standard reports, and identify coding errors in a bookkeeper-maintained environment.

• Commitment to leading with a focus on community and inclusion.

• Ability to adapt and remain agile in response to both organizational and technological changes.

• Passionate about UpStart’s mission and the initiatives of UpStart’s network.

• Dedicated to upholding UpStart’s values and Guiding Principles Regarding Client and Program Partnerships.

🏝️ Benefits

• A comprehensive benefits package, which includes 100% employer-covered medical, dental, and vision insurance.

• Life, short-term, and long-term disability insurance.

• 16 weeks of paid parental leave without a waiting period.

• 100% employer-funded Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) for medical-related travel, up to $1,950 annually.

• Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and Commuter Benefits accounts.

• Employer-sponsored 401K with employer matching.

• Flexible discretionary paid time off.

• An annual $1,500 stipend for professional development.

• A one-time $300 office setup stipend and a provided Mac.

• A monthly $50 cell phone stipend.

• An early 3:00 PM close on Fridays.

• Days off for all work-prohibitive Jewish holidays, in addition to secular US holidays.

• A one-month (30 days) paid sabbatical for every five years of employment.

• Occasional travel for meetings, conferences, and other business-related activities.

• A fantastic workplace culture! Check out our culture deck here.