Lead, Finance & Administration

Promise Venture Studio

About The Position

The Lead, Finance and Administration ensures that Promise’s financial operations are accurate, reliable, and well-coordinated - enabling teams to stay focused on mission delivery. This role translates organizational needs into practical finance and administration systems that balance compliance, management, accountability, efficiency, and day-to-day realities. This is an operationally-focused individual contributor role reporting to the Chief Operating Officer (COO). It operates with a high degree of independence and owns financial coordination across teams, while staying aligned with the priorities and guardrails set by the COO. The role does not set organizational financial strategy, but is accountable for strong systems, predictable processes, and clear coordination that build trust and support organizational sustainability. Promise Venture Studio is a sponsored project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (RPA). Promise’s accounting and finance systems are currently shaped by RPA’s infrastructure, requirements, and timelines. A core part of this role is making finance work well within RPA’s systems, while building internal practices and and tools that would support a potential future spinout. Candidates should be comfortable in a fiscally-sponsored environment and motivated to build systems that scale in the current model and a possible independent structure.

Requirements

6+ years of experience in finance, accounting, or operations, with demonstrated ownership of core financial and administrative systems
Experience managing finance and administrative operations in a complex, mission-driven organization
Comfort operating within externally-defined finance infrastructure and requirements, and making systems work well within those constraints
Track record of reliable delivery, sound judgement, and discernment
Strong project management skills, including planning, prioritization, and follow-through across multiple projects and timelines
Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively across teams
Clear and thoughtful communicator who can translate complex financial information for different audiences
Demonstrated commitment to equity, clarity, and care in how systems are designed and applied
Ability to stay grounded and constructive when navigating ambiguity, tradeoffs, and competing demands
Comfort improving and refining finance systems that are durable now and would translate well if Promise becomes independent in the future

Responsibilities

Own day-to-day financial operations — accounts payable/receivable, payroll coordination, and month-end and year-end close — with accuracy, consistency, and follow-through
Track budgets against actuals, surface variances with clear context and recommendations, and maintain cash flow visibility
Prepare financial and operational inputs that support leadership planning and decision-making, calibrating detail to the audience
Design, maintain, and improve finance and administration processes so they are clear, usable, and accessible to non-finance teammates
Serve as Promise's primary finance operator within RPA's infrastructure, aligning Promise's needs with RPA processes, timelines, and requirements
Maintain compliance through organized systems, appropriate controls, and clear documentation
Build internal finance practices and tools that work well today and position Promise for potential future independence
Partner with the Development team to strengthen short- and medium-term revenue forecasting, keeping projections current and actionable
Lead revenue/expense scenario planning — mapping grant probabilities and timing to budget, staffing, and operating implications
Ensure funder and funding source reporting is seamless and timely, with clean tracking and smooth coordination across Development and RPA
Identify financial and operational risks within current systems and propose practical solutions within established guardrails
Coordinate finance and administrative work across teams, resolving dependencies through early problem-solving and collaboration
Maintain up-to-date documentation so systems are transparent, durable, and easy to navigate