Senior Director Finance- Foundation Defense of Democracies

Position Summary

The Senior Director of Finance directly oversees the day-to-day financial operations of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD), partnering with the Chief Financial Officer (CFO), executive leadership, and the Board of Directors to safeguard organizational assets, ensure regulatory compliance, and deliver accurate, timely financial information that supports mission-driven decision-making. Reporting to the CFO, this role leads the accounting function, manages a team of finance professionals, and serves as a strategic operational leader within the Finance and Administration team.

• Oversee the preparation, review, and timely issuance of monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP and FASB standards applicable to nonprofit organizations.
• Analyze monthly financial results, identify variances, cost-savings opportunities, and fluctuations that impact year-end projections, and surface insights to the CFO and program leaders.
• Prepare and review monthly cash account reconciliations and serve as back-up reviewer and approver on journal entries.
• Assess transactions for proper accounting treatment, including revenue recognition under ASC 606, contribution revenue assessment, and lease accounting under ASC 842.

• Lead and oversee the annual financial statement audit, serving as the primary liaison to external auditors and ensuring timely, clean delivery of audit deliverables.
• Lead the preparation and review of the annual IRS Form 990 and related state filings in coordination with external tax advisors.
• Design, implement, evaluate, and strengthen internal controls and accounting policies to safeguard organizational assets and ensure compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and donor requirements.
• Implement and lead the annual risk management and compliance review in partnership with the CFO and administrative leadership.

• Partner with program staff to develop grant budgets, monitor grant spending, and produce accurate, timely financial reports for programmatic leaders and external donors.
• Manage the flow of contract review across the organization, ensuring financial terms are appropriately analyzed and documented.

• Manage and optimize the accounting system (Financial Edge) and other platforms that impact organizational finances, including evaluating opportunities for automation and process improvement.
• Oversee accounts payable, accounts receivable, and payroll functions, ensuring accuracy, segregation of duties, and adherence to internal controls.
• Oversee administration of organizational retirement plans in partnership with HR and third-party administrators.

• Supervise, develop, and evaluate a team of finance professionals, including the Assistant Controller, Senior Staff Accountant, and part-time Accounts Payable Specialist; assess departmental staffing needs and recommend structural changes as appropriate.
• Strategically support the CFO, executive leadership, and the Board of Directors on financial matters, including ad hoc analysis, scenario modeling, and presentation of financial information.
• Partner with members of the administrative team on issues related to personnel management, facilities, and legal compliance.
• Foster a culture of accountability, accuracy, continuous improvement, and ethical financial stewardship within the finance team.

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a closely related field.
• Active Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license in good standing.
• Minimum of ten (10) years of progressively responsible accounting and finance experience in nonprofit organizations, with demonstrated leadership of a finance team.
• Public accounting experience, ideally with exposure to nonprofit audit engagements.
• Demonstrated expertise in nonprofit GAAP, including ASC 606 (revenue recognition), contribution revenue accounting, and ASC 842 (lease accounting).
• Demonstrated experience leading external audits and…