Head of Finance

Recoding America Fund•Washington, DC

6d•$150,000 - $200,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Launched in October 2025, the Recoding America Fund (RAF) is a new , bipartisan $120-million philanthropic initiative to strengthen America by building the federal and state governments we need to compete globally and serve citizens effectively. RAF aims to restore the core capabilities of government and move to a new operating model—the right people, doing the right work, with purpose-fit systems and test-and-learn frameworks—so it can reliably deliver on its goals. The Fund seeks to help accelerate the growth and development of an ideologically diverse field of state capacity organizations, connect them to each other, fill in the gaps, and help them set ambitious common goals to drive transformational change across all levels of government. in this time of unprecedented disruption. RAF is hiring its first Head of Finance to be the organization’s core financial leader and a key partner to the COO. This role will build RAF’s finance function from the ground up and will replace our current fractional CFO, as our growing organization now needs a full-time, in-house leader. As Head of Finance, you will own day-to-day financial management, compliance, and reporting across RAF’s hybrid 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) structure, while also serving as a strategic partner who ensures the team has the tools, data, and support they need to use RAF’s resources effectively and maximize impact. Working within a fast-moving, startup environment, you will leverage modern tools and automation to deliver timely, high-quality financial insights that guide executive decisions, oversee external bookkeeping and audit partners, and design scalable and tech-forward financial processes that grow with the organization. Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, this role is foundational to RAF's operational excellence and will evolve as the organization scales.

Requirements

Bring at least 10 years of finance experience in donor-funded 501(c)(3) nonprofits, with exposure to or experience in 501(c)(4) environments strongly preferred.
See finance as a strategic lever for impact and bring a builder’s mindset to creating and scaling systems, insights, and solutions.
Have a strong command of nonprofit financial management, operations, and compliance, inclusive of IRS regulations, restricted funds, and hybrid 501(c)(3)/(c)(4) structures (or the ability to quickly master them).
Thrive in fast-paced, high-growth, or startup environments and have experience building or rebuilding financial processes from the ground up.
Are tech-forward and process-minded, leveraging automation and AI-powered tools to work smarter and generate better insight.
Translate numbers into narratives, turning financial data into clear, actionable guidance for executive, board, and donor decision-making.
Have experience managing external partners (e.g., bookkeepers, auditors) with accountability and quality control.
Balance precision and attention-to-detail with perspective, with the ability to zoom out and prioritize what matters most.
Bring a solutions-oriented, proactive mindset, offering recommendations and taking ownership of outcomes.
Are collaborative, low-ego, able to work across differences, and energized to join a team that is committed to strengthening government capacity to deliver lasting, systemic change.

Responsibilities

Serve as a trusted strategic advisor to RAF leadership, translating financial data into insights that drive executive-level decision making.
Produce clear, decision-ready financial reports, dashboards, and analyses for the CEO, COO, Board, and donors.
Develop scenario-based budgets, forecasts, and financial models to support strategic planning, growth, and resource allocation.
Create real-time dashboards and reporting tools that provide leadership with visibility into organizational financial health.
Establish and own day-to-day financial operations across RAF’s 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4), including cash flow, budgeting, and financial planning.
Manage external bookkeeping vendors to ensure accurate, timely transaction recording.
Implement and maintain tech-enabled financial systems and tools (e.g., QuickBooks, Expensify).
Process and track payments, grants, contracts, and vendor invoices; maintain documentation for audit and compliance.
Lead the annual budgeting process, partnering with program and functional leads to set targets and align resources to strategy.
Monitor spending against budget and proactively surface variances, risks, and trends.
Design and implement governance frameworks, including spend controls, approval workflows, and board reporting.
Manage service-sharing agreements and cost allocations between entities in line with IRS guidance.
Maintain internal financial controls, financial policies, and documentation standards.
Track and manage lobbying and political expenditures to ensure 501(c)(4) compliance.
Coordinate annual audits and serve as primary liaison to external auditors.
Design and oversee financial processes for programmatic grants and contracts, from due diligence through closeout, in partnership with program staff and the COO.
Track grant and contract spending to ensure alignment with budgets, funder terms, and legal requirements.
Serve as primary finance contact for grantees and contractors; provide guidance on reporting and compliance.
Apply a customer-centered (CX) approach by incorporating feedback from staff, grantees, and contractors.
Identify and implement process improvements, including automation and AI, to increase efficiency and insight.
Build scalable, lightweight processes that balance speed, accuracy, and compliance.
Contribute to organizational learning by integrating feedback and proposing system improvements.