[Hiring] Vice President, Finance and Accounting @Lee

Role Description

The VP, Finance and Accounting provides strategic and operational leadership for all financial functions of the organization, including its 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), and PAC entities. Reporting to the Executive Director and serving on LEE’s Leadership Team, this role serves as the primary financial steward and accounting advisor to the Executive Director and the Leadership Team.

The ideal candidate is a mission-aligned, strategic, and hands-on executive with deep technical accounting and controls expertise and strong FP&A capabilities. The Vice President will lead a two-person finance team and move between big-picture strategy and hands-on accounting work. They will have the opportunity to assess the team structure and design a finance function that meets LEE’s current and future needs.

Responsibilities

• Executive Financial Leadership - 30%
  • Lead the finance strategy across all LEE entities (LEE, LEE Foundation & PACs) in alignment with industry standard accounting principles and in compliance with IRS standards and federal, state, and local law.
  • Partner with senior leaders to set long-term financial strategies and goals across all LEE entities.
  • Serve as a strategic thought partner to the Executive Director and Leadership Team, bringing forward-looking insight, scenario planning, and constructive challenge to organizational decisions.
  • Partner with the Executive Director on financial reporting to the Board, preparing analysis, materials, and recommendations that support Board oversight and decision-making.
  • Collaborate with the Leadership Team to develop and monitor resource allocation, forecasts and expenditures supporting the organization's mission and growth initiatives.
  • Respond nimbly to time-sensitive financial needs from the Executive Director, including funder and Board requests.
• Financial Accounting & Operations - 30%
  • Own LEE's accounting function, including the month-end and year-end close, financial reporting, consolidation, intercompany activity, and cost allocation across LEE's entities.
  • Strengthen, document, and monitor internal controls and a strict segregation of duties to minimize risk, protect assets, and foster a culture of accountability.
  • Partner with LEE's General Counsel to translate compliance requirements into appropriate accounting structures and practices.
  • Manage external relationships and audit processes and serve as a point of contact for auditors, consultants, and regulatory bodies.
• Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) - 15%
  • Lead the organization and team-based budgeting process in alignment with the organizational annual and multi-year strategic planning.
  • Continue evolving FP&A into a forward-looking function that drives strategic decisions.
  • Refine and own LEE's forecasting model, and build multi-year forecasts and scenario plans that support long-term financial sustainability.
  • Provide timely and accurate financial analysis, reports, and recommendations to senior leaders and the Board of Directors.
  • Develop practical financial reporting and dashboards that help Leadership Team members understand and manage their budgets.
  • Develop and lead LEE's treasury management strategy, including banking relationships, cash management, and recommendations for investing reserves.
• Team & Organizational Stewardship - 15%
  • Lead, coach, and develop the finance team, building accountability, strengthening performance, and expanding team members' capabilities over time.
  • Drive a high-performance team culture that balances high standards of accountability and performance with strong support and coaching.
  • Assess the team's structure and capabilities and shape roles to meet LEE's current and future needs.
  • Work alongside the finance team on day-to-day accounting as an ongoing part of the role.
• Special Projects - 10%
  • Lead or contribute to team-level, org-wide, or cross-team special projects to accelerate impact as assigned.
  • Oversee system integrations and automation projects across various platforms.
  • Champion the development and implementation of a robust, tech-enabled, and scalable infrastructure.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or commensurate years of work experience.
• 10+ years of progressive finance and accounting experience.
• Senior finance leadership experience with significant accounting responsibility.
• Deep, hands-on accounting expertise.
• Experience managing accounting for an organization with two or more legal entities.
• Track record of strengthening internal controls and addressing control gaps.
• Experience with budgeting, forecasting, and financial analysis.
• Strong people management experience with a player-coach mindset.
• Alignment with LEE's mission, core values, and theory of change.

Requirements

• CPA strongly preferred; MBA a plus.
• Hands-on experience with Sage Intacct.
• Experience with 501(c)(3)/501(c)(4) or political action committee accounting.
• Experience leading FP&A.
• Experience with treasury management and reserve investment strategy.
• Experience leading a remote team.

Benefits

• Health, dental, and vision coverage for spouses, families, and domestic partners.
• 100% employer-paid basic life and AD&D insurance.
• Short and long-term disability insurance.
• Retirement package with 5% employer match.
• Parental leave benefits.
• Home office setup fund.
• Ongoing virtual work benefits for phone and internet.
• Generous paid time off and an organization-wide winter break.