Director of Finance

Protect Democracy seeks an experienced Director of Finance to head our Finance and Accounting functions, reporting to Executive Leadership. This is an exceptional opportunity for an accomplished financial leader who is passionate about our mission, oriented towards solutions, and adaptable amidst uncertainty.

In this role, you will lead budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning; and oversee accounting, controls, and compliance. You’ll manage a small, highly collaborative team (including an Accounting Manager and a Finance Manager) and bring clear financial leadership to a complex, multi-entity nonprofit, working closely with Legal, Compliance, and organizational leadership. You’ll partner with Partnerships to deliver accurate, timely donor reporting. And ultimately, you will be the person colleagues consult to understand the financial implications of a decision, to weigh the risks and tradeoffs, and to assess alignment between resources and strategy.

About our organization: Protect Democracy formed in late 2016, recognizing that the global wave of authoritarianism had begun to erode American shores . We have since assembled a team of 120+ experts who have served under Democrats and Republicans and in the senior ranks of other nonprofit, political, or media organizations. Our team includes lawyers, policy experts, legislative advocates, media strategists, writers, data analysts, and software developers. In 2023, our team received a Skoll Award for Social Innovation and a MacArthur Fellowship . We anchor all of our work in service of our mission: it is the foundation of our team, be it litigation, advocacy, or ensuring that our organization has the secure financial operations to continue to meet the urgency of the moment.

You can work remotely from nearly any location in the United States.* We strongly encourage candidates from diverse backgrounds and from across the political and ideological spectrum to apply.A commitment to our mission and cross-ideological strategy for defending our democracy is essential.

The priority deadline to apply for this role is November 15, 2026; we will review applications received after that date on a rolling basis. Please note that candidates who reach the final hiring stage will be required to satisfactorily complete a pre-offer background check.**

The Director of Finance will:

• Lead organizational budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning , including annual budgets, multi-year projections, scenario analysis, and financial reporting, ensuring leadership has timely, accurate, and actionable information to support strategic decisions and resource allocation;
• Lead and integrate the Finance function , managing the Accounting Manager and Finance Manager, developing staff and managers, and establishing clear priorities, responsibilities, and sustainable workloads across accounting, finance operations, payroll, and related activities;
• Direct accounting, financial controls, and compliance , including month-end close, audits, tax filings, regulatory reporting, financial policies, and internal controls, ensuring accuracy, timely execution, and appropriate oversight of the organization's financial activities;
• Provide financial leadership across complex nonprofit structures , including multiple entities, state charitable registrations, grant funding, cost allocations, and other arrangements requiring sound financial judgment and coordination with Legal, Compliance, Partnerships, and organizational leadership;
• Serve as a trusted financial partner to executive leadership and teams across Protect Democracy , helping colleagues understand financial implications, evaluate risks and tradeoffs, and make informed decisions while establishing clear expectations for financial planning, forecasting, and cross-functional coordination;
• Lead improvements to financial systems, processes, and infrastructure , overseeing the effectiveness of contract-to-payment, procurement, payroll, and financial reporting workflows, and strengthening coordination, efficiency, reliability, and internal controls.

The ideal candidate brings:

• Approximately 10+ years of progressively responsible finance experience , including substantial nonprofit financial leadership and experience presenting financial results and forecasts to Executive Leadership and Board of Directors;
• Deep expertise in nonprofit financial management , including accounting, financial reporting, cost allocations, audits, and regulatory compliance across multiple nonprofit entities, including 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) structures;
• Advanced financial planning and analytical capabilities , including experience leading complex budgeting and forecasting processes, multi-year financial modeling, and translating financial information into actionable recommendations;
• Strong financial and operational judgment , including the ability to navigate ambiguity, assess complex or unfamiliar situations, identify material risks, …