Director of Finance and Administration

Who We Are

Sadie Nash Leadership Project provides award-winning experiential social justice education to more than 700 young women and gender-expansive youth of color in New York City and Newark each year. Our programs include a nationally recognized six-week summer institute, in-school and after-school workshops, college access and persistence support, and an advanced-level fellowship to design and implement an original social justice project. We strengthen, empower, and equip our participants to lead lives in committed pursuit of joy and liberation for themselves and their communities.

Position Description

SNLP is seeking a highly organized, strategic, and finance-forward Director of Finance and Administration to serve as a senior organizational leader responsible for strengthening the systems that support SNLP’s people, programs, and long-term sustainability. This role leads financial strategy, budgeting, forecasting, accounting operations, reporting, compliance, and internal controls, while also overseeing the HR, operations, administrative, and data systems that help the organization run effectively.

Working closely with the Executive Director, the Director of Finance and Administration is a member of the senior leadership team, works with the board Finance Committee as well as works collaboratively with program teams, the Operations Manager, and external advisors as needed. The Director will translate financial and operational information into clear, actionable guidance for decision-making. The ideal candidate brings strong nonprofit finance and accounting expertise, systems thinking, cross-functional leadership, and a deep commitment to SNLP’s values of social justice, community, and youth empowerment.

What You’ll Do:

Organizational Leadership & Strategy

• Collaborate with the Board of Directors, Executive Director and senior leadership team to support the implementation of SNLP’s strategic priorities and long-term goals.
• Represent SNLP in external meetings, conferences, and partnerships to advance the organization’s visibility and growth.
• Maintain fiscal policies, approval workflows, documentation requirements, segregation of duties, and monthly review controls, partnering with the Operations Manager to configure and maintain effective finance, payroll, expense management, and administrative systems appropriate for a small nonprofit.

Financial Strategy, Budgeting & Analysis

• Lead the annual and multi-year budgeting process in partnership with the Executive Director and senior leaders, developing program, department, grant, staffing, and organization-wide budgets aligned with SNLP’s strategic goals and resource priorities.
• Lead scenario planning, staffing cost analysis, grant spend-down analysis, sustainability planning, and identification of financial trends, risks, budget variances, and cash flow concerns.
• Translate financial information into clear, actionable analysis for the Executive Director, Board, Finance Committee, and program team, and recommend corrective actions as needed. Including the preparation of rolling forecasts, cash flow projections, budget-to-actual reports, management dashboards, and Board-level financial reports.

Accounting Operations, Systems & Compliance

• Own the monthly close and financial statement preparation process, including transaction review, reconciliations, journal entries, payroll accounting, revenue recognition, and review of AP, payroll, credit card, bank, and revenue activity for accuracy, completeness, and policy compliance.
• Maintain accounting system integrity and financial coding structures, including the chart of accounts, classes, grant codes, reporting fields, functional expense structure, restricted and unrestricted revenue tracking and releases, grant spending, and user permissions.
• Lead audit preparation and schedules, 990 coordination, and ongoing compliance with grant, audit, insurance, nonprofit registration, and internal policy requirements.

HR, Operations & Administrative Systems

• Lead HR, operations, and administrative systems that support staff and program activities, including compensation, benefits, payroll coordination, staffing plans, employee records, compliance documentation, and HR-related budgeting. Escalate sensitive HR matters to the Executive Director and external HR/legal advisors as needed.
• Supervise the Operations Manager, supporting consistent workflows for benefits administration, hiring, onboarding/offboarding, HR compliance, office operations, vendor coordination, and general administrative processes.
• Manage office infrastructure, insurance and charity registration coordination, and other administrative practices.

Data Infrastructure and Technology

• Work closely with directors to assess the technological needs across the organization and recommend necessary tools and training needed.
• Oversee and strengthen organizational data infrastructure and technology systems, ensuring reliable tools, accurate and secure data, and efficient workflows that support program evaluation, reporting, and decision-making in partnership with program leadership.

First Year Priorities

• Establish timely, accurate financial reporting and a dependable monthly close.
• Build a financial planning process that supports sustainability and department ownership.
• Strengthen administrative workflows and clarify responsibility across the organization.

The Ideal Candidate

We’re seeking a candidate who excels in financial management, nonprofit accounting, organizational operations, and relationship-building. The ideal candidate will possess the following required experience and competencies:

• Experience & Financial Expertise: Seven (7) to ten (10) years of progressive experience in finance, accounting, and operations, with prior experience in small to mid-sized nonprofits strongly preferred. Strong knowledge of nonprofit accounting, including restricted revenue, grants, functional expense allocation, and audit preparation, with demonstrated ability to manage monthly close and prepare financial statements independently.
• Financial Planning & Strategic Analysis: Experience developing budgets, forecasts, cash flow projections, and Board-level financial reports. Ability to analyze and use data to inform decision-making, guide resource allocation, and measure organizational impact.
• Systems & Human Resources: Experience using, implementing, and optimizing accounting, HR, payroll, and expense management systems. Familiarity with HR best practices, the employee lifecycle, and benefits administration. Supervisory or cross-functional leadership experience, with the ability to provide clear guidance, constructive feedback, and professional development support.
• Technology & Innovation: Forward-thinking approach to technology, with the ability to assess organizational needs and strategically identify, implement, and integrate tools that strengthen systems, streamline workflows, and support collaboration.
• Passion for Mission & Social Justice: Deep commitment to SNLP’s mission and values, particularly gender, racial, and social justice, with a passion for supporting young people of color in their leadership development. Strong interpersonal skills and ability to foster supportive organizational culture, collaboration and shared accountability across teams.

What else you should know

This position is a full-time, exempt position and can be based in Newark, NJ or New York City. This is an on-site position with some flexibility for remote work: 3 days in the office and 2 days remote, with an expectation of 40 hours per week. Applicants should be able to work outside of standard business hours, including weekends and evenings, as needed.

The salary range for this position is $100,000 - $110,000. Benefits include medical, vision, and dental coverage, a wellness stipend, generous paid leave, and an employer contribution to your retirement fund.

Not sure you meet all of our qualifications? Research shows that cis men apply for jobs when they fulfill an average of 60% of the criteria, while others (including women, gender-expansive folks, and people of color) tend only to apply if they meet every requirement. If you believe that you are a good fit for this role, we encourage you to apply.

Sadie Nash Leadership Project is an Equal Opportunity Employer. As such, we consider a wide range of candidates bringing different skill sets and lived experiences. So whether you're looking to make a change, taking the next step in your career path, or returning to work after a gap in employment, we will be happy to have you apply!