Vice President, Finance

SEO (Sponsors for Educational Opportunity)•New York, NY

1d•$230,000 - $260,000•Hybrid

About The Position

SEO is seeking a Vice President, Finance to lead and evolve the organization’s financial strategy and operations. As SEO’s senior-most finance leader, this role reports to the Chief Operating Officer/General Counsel and leads a team of nine across Accounting and FP&A. Under a new President & CEO, SEO is preparing for continued growth, with an emphasis on multi-year planning, clear metrics, and systems that support accountable decision-making at scale. The VP will clarify financial ownership, help program leaders use financial data and insights to maximize resources, and develop more predictable, scalable financial management and reporting tools. The role calls for a finance leader who can build organizational capabilities, combine technical credibility with curiosity and strong communication, exercise sound judgment, and drive adoption of tools and practical policies across a complex organization. The VP will set financial priorities with executive and board leadership; lead budgeting, forecasting, multi-year planning, scenario analysis, and resource allocation; and strengthen FP&A as a forward-looking decision-support function. The role also oversees accounting, compliance, audit readiness, cash and treasury management, internal controls, financial processes, systems, and reporting. The VP will lead and develop the Accounting and FP&A teams and partner with program, development, operations, IT, and other functional leaders to improve planning and execution. The position is full-time and regular, based in New York, NY, with a hybrid arrangement requiring three days per week in SEO’s office at 55 Exchange Place. The listed compensation range is $230,000–$260,000.

Requirements

Progressive senior financial leadership experience in a complex nonprofit or mission-led organization.
Broad command of accounting, audit, controls, budgeting, forecasting, cash and treasury management, financial reporting, and compliance, with depth in FP&A and decision support.
Demonstrated ability to move finance beyond reporting and stewardship into forward-looking planning, scenario analysis, resource allocation, and business partnership.
Experience partnering with distinct program or business leaders in a decentralized or multi-line organization.
Track record of leading and developing Accounting and FP&A talent, delegating effectively, and setting clear performance expectations.
Excellent communication and translation skills, including explaining rationale, trade-offs, and financial concepts to executives, program leaders, development professionals, and board members.
High emotional intelligence, curiosity, patience, accountability, sound judgment, and confidence in making decisions and constructively challenging others.
Ability to bring stakeholders along when implementing stronger controls, processes, and tools.

Nice To Haves

Strong understanding of nonprofit accounting and multiple revenue or funding models.
Experience improving finance systems, data, and cross-functional workflows.
Experience integrating or improving ERP, CRM/revenue, budgeting, or reporting tools.

Responsibilities

Serve as SEO’s senior financial subject-matter expert and establish decision authority and ownership for financial policies, revenue treatment, accounting, reporting, compliance, and planning.
Set the enterprise financial agenda with the President & CEO, COO/GC, executive leadership, and Board of Directors, prioritizing the highest-value Finance initiatives.
Lead annual budgeting, multi-year planning, forecasting, scenario analysis, and resource-allocation discussions.
Communicate financial decisions and their rationale to program, development, executive, and board audiences.
Strengthen FP&A as a forward-looking decision-support capability using forecasts, trends, scenarios, program budgets, and cost analysis.
Build predictable partnership rhythms with program, development, and functional leaders, engaging early enough to shape decisions.
Understand the distinct revenue models and operating realities of SEO’s programs while promoting consistency in core financial practices.
Improve management and board reporting by connecting financial results to risks, choices, sustainability, and organizational priorities.
Ensure reliable books, timely close, audit readiness, cash and treasury management, compliance, and appropriate internal controls.
Clarify ownership and workflows for revenue tracking, gift coding and allocation, reconciliation, expense management, and other financial processes.
Balance stronger control and accountability with practical implementation and stakeholder engagement.
Oversee finance systems and data, including workflows involving Salesforce, Intacct, accounts payable, budgeting and forecasting, revenue tracking, and reporting.
Assess fragmented tools, spreadsheets, handoffs, and manual work; establish clearer sources of truth and simplify processes where possible.
Lead financial technology implementation and adoption through process clarity, stakeholder engagement, training, and follow-through.
Reduce avoidable workload and recurring urgent demands, particularly around board cycles, forecasting, budget changes, and reconciliation.
Lead, develop, and align the Accounting and FP&A teams, establishing accountability, delegating effectively, and building bench strength.
Create a Finance team culture that is rigorous, responsive, curious, and integrated into the organization.
Partner with operations, development, IT, program leadership, and other functions to improve planning, ownership, and execution.
Build a team model and operating cadence that reduces dependence on the VP as a bottleneck while maintaining appropriate escalation and judgment.