CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Founded as the Puerto Rican Legal Defense & Education Fund in 1972, LatinoJustice PRLDEF uses and challenges laws to create a more just and equitable society. We transform harmful systems, empower our communities, fight for racial justice, and grow the next generation of líderes. Headquartered in New York City, LatinoJustice also has offices in Orlando, FL and Austin, TX, to do work in the southeastern and southwestern parts of the U.S., respectively. LatinoJustice focuses on six pillars of work: Economic Justice (i.e., education, employment, and housing), Immigrant Rights, Voting Rights, Policing and Prison Reform, Puerto Rico, and Leadership Development. And our Racial Justice Project does targeted advocacy on behalf of Afro-Latino and Indigenous-Latino members of our communities. LatinoJustice utilizes a variety of strategies—including litigation, advocacy, and community education and empowerment—to achieve strategic priorities on the issues that are most critical to the advancement and wellbeing of the Latino community.
Job Description
LatinoJustice PRLDEF (LJP) seeks an experienced and dedicated professional to serve as the organization’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and play a crucial role in shaping the financial future of our organization.
Working under the direct supervision of the President & General Counsel (PGC), the CFO manages the organization's finances and creates, implements, and oversees all accounting policies and processes. The CFO safeguards the organization’s assets, ensures transparency, and promotes the credibility and continuity of the business operations. The CFO is a strategic thought partner to the PGC and the Board in aligning financial strategies to sustain the organization and manage through uncertainty and challenging times. The CFO collaborates with other senior leaders in defining the organizational processes and the implementation of the infrastructure and systems needed to support such long-term sustainability.
The position requires an individual with deep experience in all aspects of organizational finance and accounting management as described in the responsibilities below, and in working with senior leaders and Board members to develop budgets and conduct long-term financial planning to ensure alignment with multi-year programmatic strategic planning.
The successful candidate is also highly collaborative and possesses a high degree of emotional intelligence, and an ability to thrive in quick-paced and high-pressure environments while always treating their colleagues with the utmost respect; approaches their work with a level of sincerity and humility, and embraces teamwork; demonstrates maturity, outstanding judgment, and impeccable integrity; creates a culture of transparency around them while also enforcing appropriate and necessary boundaries and maintaining confidentiality around sensitive matters; builds respect, trust, camaraderie, and credibility among their colleagues while also driving performance and holding team members accountable; and shares in LJP’s commitment to anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion, and its mission to advance social justice and civil rights.
The CFO reports directly to the PGC, Lourdes M. Rosado, and is a member of LJP’s Senior Leadership Team, which is charged with executing the strategic direction of the organization’s legal and advocacy programs, operations, and administration.
The CFO supervises the Finance Department team, which currently consists of an accounting manager, an operations manager, and a part-time bookkeeper.
This position is based in the organization’s New York City office. This is a hybrid role that has an in-person requirement of eight (8) days per month.
Responsibilities
Financial Management
- Create, implement, oversee, and seek to continuously improve accounting and financial management policies and processes.
- Ensure that all accounts, ledgers, and reporting systems comply with appropriate Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, regulatory, audit, and tax requirements. Ensure internal control safeguards are in place and oversee all audit activities.
- Conduct monthly closes and prepare monthly financial packages, including Statement of Financial Position, Statement of Activities, Statement of Cash Flows, and supplemental schedules highlighting key areas of analysis and recommendations, including statements of actuals to budget and forecast revisions as needed.
- Utilize data visualization tools to help highlight key financial information to the staff and Board. Work with PGC and other senior leaders to prepare presentations on the organization’s financial status.
- Serve as staff liaison to Board Finance & Investment and Audit Committees. Present financial information to Board Committees as well as the full Board of Directors.
- Monitor and manage cash flow and forecasting for the organization and projects.
- Monitor investment accounts. Serve as primary POC for investment managers.
- Monitor progress against the budget and financial metrics both internally and externally.
- Lead organization in annual budgeting process as well as multi-year budgeting and strategic planning.
- Lead and complete all annual audit, 990, and charitable registration preparation activities. Follow up to ensure all required tax filings are completed.
- Work closely with the Development team on developing budgets for grant proposals and on grants accounting.
- Monitor changes in legal, regulatory, and administrative environments, implementing changes in procedures as needed to maintain compliance, while maximizing operational and financial results.
- Remain up to date on nonprofit finance best practices and state and federal law regarding nonprofit operations and fundraising.
- Oversee the implementation of new General Ledger & Fund Accounting solution for organization to replace current, outdated platform.
- Foster a culture of continuous improvement by regularly reviewing and refining new products and services based on feedback and performance data.
- Other duties as assigned by the PGC.
Supervision and management
- Oversee and manage the Finance Department and provide supervision and leadership to all finance staff.
- Ensure that professional development opportunities are made available for Finance Department staff.
- Ensure that Finance Department staff receive regular, comprehensive, constructive performance evaluations that will facilitate their professional growth.
- Ensure that Finance Department staff are aware of and understand LJP internal operating policies and protocols, including updates and changes, and that staff follow and implement such policies and protocols.
Senior Leadership Team
- Serve as member of the organization’s Senior Leadership Team and contribute to developing and executing the overall strategy for advancing the organization’s mission.
- Participate in policy development as a member of senior leadership.
Qualifications
- At least 12 years of professional experience, five (5) of those years managing the finances of a national organization with a budget of at least $10 million (preference given to nonprofit experience).
- Minimum of five (5) years supervising and managing finance professionals.
- Bachelor’s degree required, preferably in accounting or finance. Master’s in Business Administration (MBA), with Certified Management Accountant (CMA) or Certified Public Accountant (CPA) designation is a plus.
- Experience should include legal, audit, compliance, budgets, cash management, investments, and resource development as well as proven effectiveness in leading professionals in finance and accounting.
- Applied knowledge and experience in GAAP and FASB accounting standards that pertain to nonprofits, grant and fundraising rules and reporting requirements.
- Experience with financial technology infrastructure. Knowledgeable in MS Office Professional Suite, ADP Payroll, General Ledger and Fund Accounting systems with multi-dimension Chart of Accounts structures. Knowledge of Abila MIP a plus.
- Experience leading a systems upgrade process.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills. Bilingual in English and Spanish a plus.
- Ability to serve as a strategic thought partner and engage in creative, entrepreneurial thinking as well as the ability to execute and operationalize strategies and new initiatives.
- Experience translating nonprofit financial information and data into insights and strategic recommendations that are aligned with organizational vision and mission; ability to measure nonprofit financials and operational performance.
- Self-starter who is flexible, adaptable, and detail-oriented; able to prioritize, delegate, and manage multiple tasks and responsibilities.
- Proven problem solver who can make clear-headed decisions while under pressure.
- Demonstrated resourcefulness in setting priorities, proposing new ways of creating efficiencies, and guiding and enhancing the investment of both human and financial resources and systems.
- Strong and engaging interpersonal skills, high emotional intelligence, and a savvy manager of relationships. Comfortable and effective at managing challenging conversations and situations.
- Commitment to values of transparency, respect, integrity, accountability, diversity, equity, and inclusion in their management and leadership style.
- Commitment to LatinoJustice's mission and civil rights.
Compensation
Salary is commensurate with experience and starts at $160,000 for a minimum of 12 years of experience.
LJP comprehensive benefits include fully paid health, dental, vision, life, and long-term disability. Generous paid time off, voluntary retirement plan with employer match, and professional development. Employees can also take advantage of various pre-tax offerings such as commuter, parking, health savings accounts, and dependent care accounts.
Please Note
Current LJP staff work style is hybrid with combined in-person work.
LatinoJustice PRLDEF is an equal opportunity employer and considers all applications without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, marital or veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected status.
