Vice President of Finance & Operations

EMERGE Scholars • Houston, TX

8d • $160,000 - $175,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Vice President of Finance & Operations is an executive leadership team member, one of four Vice Presidents reporting to the CEO. The role leads EMERGE’s financial and operational foundation, including financial strategy and management, risk and compliance, technology and infrastructure, employment administration, and shared services. At a pivotal stage for the organization, this leader will build the financial architecture for its three-year strategic plan and diversified revenue model, including multi-year modeling, delivery-tier unit economics, and scenario planning. The role also establishes an infrastructure roadmap covering technology, contracts, policies, and administrative systems that can scale with the organization.

The Vice President leads the Director of Finance, Director of Event Operations, and Director of Administration and Operations, as well as outsourced partners. The position reports to the Chief Executive Officer and is based in Houston, Texas, on a hybrid basis. It is a full-time, exempt role.

Requirements

• At least 8 years of progressive experience, including some senior leadership across finance and operations.
• Experience owning an organizational budget or P&L and presenting financials to a finance committee or board without a CFO present.
• Fluency in nonprofit accounting, restricted funds, audits, and cash management.
• A track record of building durable operational infrastructure, including controls, policies, contracts, technology, and administrative systems.
• Sound judgment regarding risk, compliance, and vendor relationships.
• Experience leading and developing senior staff while remaining hands-on in a small, resource-constrained team.
• Skill translating financial and operational information for non-financial audiences, including program staff, the CEO, and the board.
• Ability to maintain standards and say no while preserving strong working relationships with program and development leaders.
• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Deep commitment to EMERGE’s mission and the scholars it serves.

Nice To Haves

• CPA, MBA, or equivalent finance credential strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Build and own EMERGE’s multi-year cash flow model and establish scenario planning as an annual practice.
• Establish unit economics by delivery tier and a working cost model to assess service levels, scholar growth, and expansion into new markets.
• Own the annual budget process and maintain financial guardrails, including program-to-overhead allocation, cash reserves, forecast accuracy, and spend-release gates tied to secured revenue.
• Develop financial models, pricing, and cost-to-serve analyses for the three-year strategic plan and earned-revenue strategy in partnership with the CEO and Managing Director of Data & Impact.
• Lead the Director of Finance and outsourced accounting, audit, and tax partners to deliver timely monthly closes, clean audits, and consistently followed, documented internal controls.
• Adopt and roll out spending and financial policies, including approval thresholds and delegated authority, and train budget managers.
• Staff the Finance Committee and lead financial reporting and recommendations to the board, including variance explanations.
• Oversee financial interfaces, including monthly reconciliation with Development, grant financial reporting, earned-revenue billing and receivables, and district contract invoicing.
• Own organizational risk management, including the risk register, insurance program, and compliance calendar; ensure regulatory and filing obligations are met and elevate material risks to the CEO and board.
• Set standards for contract management, including inventory, ownership, renewal dates, templates, and consistent execution across departments.
• Manage outside counsel and legal matters related to finance, audits, and funder agreements.
• Conduct an operational assessment during the first 90 days and establish an infrastructure roadmap covering technology vendors, document management, and standardized onboarding and offboarding.
• Set standards for the technology stack, including named system owners, support paths, and maintenance rhythms.
• Own IT vendor relationships and contract terms.
• Set policy and strategy for employment administration, with execution handled by the Director of Administration.
• Set documented standards for onboarding and offboarding operations in partnership with the VP of Impact and People.
• Own the facilities budget and key vendor relationships.
• Lead Event Operations as a shared service, set standards for intensity levels and lead times, and make portfolio-level tradeoffs among requests.
• Lead and develop the finance, events, and operations team, including two directors and outsourced partners.
• Set clear expectations, foster documentation and follow-through, and sequence work so the organization understands what will be built first and what will wait.
• Partner with program and development staff to identify workable solutions within established rules and clearly communicate when rules require declining a request.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Short-term and long-term disability insurance and life insurance.
• 403(b) retirement plan with employer match.
• 27 paid time off days plus 18 organizational holidays.
• Opportunity to build and lead the financial and operational foundation of a nationally recognized organization during a defining chapter.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive