(Senior) Director, Operations and Finance

We are seeking an experienced (Senior) Director of Operations & Financial Services to join a skilled team to oversee the day-to-day financial and operational functions of our growing consulting firm. As (Senior) Director Operations & Financial Services, you will work closely with the CEO and leadership team to ensure smooth business operations, maximize efficiency, and enable our multi-disciplinary team to focus on client excellence.

This position reports to the CEO and COO/MD and will manage the Finance/Accounting, Operations and HR teams members. The ideal candidate will have senior management experience in a dynamic setting. The role requires outstanding organizational, communication, and leadership skills and an ability to develop innovative solutions. The individual will be able to develop a team culture and motivate, coach, and empathize with individual team members while moving the group toward shared business goals.

Additionally, they will need to clearly communicate the needs of employees to key decision-makers and disseminate information, policies, and procedures created by executives to employees for implementation. The (Senior) Director Operations & Financial Services must be able to make smart and efficient decisions when faced with scenarios that affect the company’s overall goals and objectives, ultimately making the choices that positively impact the company across financial, staffing, or operational decisions.

Accounting and Business Operations Management

• In partnership with CEO/COO, work with internal teams and external advisors/consultants to improve the firm’s operational and technological systems, adhere to company policies and ensure legal/compliance requirements are met.
• Be a strategic leader who can articulate financials, build business cases, and build the processes to implement solutions.
• Provide forward-looking numbers, including performing ad hoc analysis, while ensuring that key sensitivities, risks, and uncertainties are appropriately called out for review and oversight by CEO/COO
• In partnership with CEO/COO and Director of Finance, work to explore new models of business revenue, billing and employee cost structure.
• Manage the Director of Finance and Finance Manager to oversee budgeting, accounting, billing and other financial/reporting functions of Intentional Philanthropy and its client foundations.
• Work with client teams on preparing for client audits, quarterly and annual reporting, as well as handle investment and bank reconciliations as needed.
• Develop processes in line with best practices, train staff, and provide quality control for client managers and bookkeepers.
• Stay abreast of technology advancement and regulatory changes related to the business, including AI, cybersecurity, other software tools, insurance to ensure that IP stays compliant and relevant.
• Analyze current operational processes and performance, recommending solutions for improvement where necessary to maximize efficiency and productivity and multi-team collaboration

Employee Experience & People Management

• Manage a diverse, multi-disciplinary team (Accounting, HR, and Operations), fostering a collaborative, high-performing team environment serving as a direct supervisor to Directors and Associate Directors.
• Provide leadership, mentorship, department planning and workflow support to increase group cohesion and communication.
• Identify and provide coaching and professional development opportunities for business services team members.
• Foster company culture and values by developing clear policies and processes, holding people accountable, and contributing creative ideas for staff gatherings.
• Serve as a bridge and hub for work at the intersection of finance, HR, client teams, and senior leadership.
• Oversee management of employee benefits, payroll, and HR compliance, and fill-in as needed.
• Review and implement the company’s policies and standards, and ensure that laws and regulations are being followed.
• Work closely with Associate Director Human Resources and external HR team to maintain a trusting, inclusive, and productive workplace environment.
• Support the HR department in staff management, hiring, termination, and disciplinary action
• Set standards and procedures for onboarding new staff, and ensure all staff are trained on Intentional Philanthropy tools and protocols in conjunction with senior leadership and external HR team.

Organizational Design

• Translate Senior Leadership Team’s (SLT) vision and big picture ideas into actionable implementation plans across departments and manage through completion.
• Ensure that the company’s overall goals and objectives are carried out through daily operations and our client teams have robust support.
• Create an environment where policies, processes, and tools create a fun and efficient work environment, including bringing new information and learning from outside the team.
• Draw on relationships with team leads, external partners, and vendors to make recommendations and decisions regarding operational activity and strategic goals.
• Support new business development by developing proposals and budgets in partnership with client teams.

Required skills and qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in an accounting and/or finance leadership and management role in a complex for-profit, or not-for-profit organization or public accounting firm (manager level and beyond); including familiarity with the operations, business needs, organizational structure, functional roles, and responsibilities, terminology, regulatory requirements, traditional projects, and problems, trends, and planning requirements; broad understanding of the philanthropy sector. 
• Skills and experience consistent with a graduate degree in Business Administration, Accounting, Finance, or related discipline – the ability to perform complex analysis of financial data; financial modeling, ability to assess financially related business capabilities, identify gaps and recommend solutions
• Advanced technical, organizational, and project management skills and knowledge of business management practices required.
• Excellent interpersonal skills. Ability to work with and communicate effectively with all levels of staff and clients, as well as high ethical standards and integrity
• Proven experience managing a team and mentoring staff to success by building a positive, welcoming and high-performing culture
• Superior knowledge of multiple operational functions and principles, including accounting/finance, employee management, and customer service
• Proven ability to plan and manage dynamic operational processes for efficiency and productivity, while being comfortable with reasonable variances
• The ability to manage multiple and highly complex relationships and projects, and be comfortable managing multiple tasks and shifting priorities while seeing tasks through to completion
• Ability to set standards, delegate to team members and hold people accountable by providing feedback
• Discretion and ability to handle confidential issues and information
• Strict attention to details and deadlines with a proactive work ethic

Essential Candidate Qualities

• Candidate must possess a commitment to excellence and a desire to serve the best interests of the Foundation(s) clients and Intentional Philanthropy
• Candidate must be able to effectively prioritize; to set and meet realistic goals; to maintain a positive attitude and a sense of humor; to make decisions using sound judgement
• Highly flexible team player with the abilities to adapt one’s own working style to different personalities
• Able to make decisions about when to pivot and when to stay the course
• Comfortable in entrepreneurial culture and working through ambiguity at times
• A proven ability to think methodically, strategically, analytically, and critically
• Takes their work seriously but doesn’t take themselves too seriously
• Actively pursues learning and self-development to enhance personal and professional growth
• Enjoys the challenge of a learning curve, but never views routine tasks as a burden
• Integrity, honesty, and a team-spirit

About Intentional Philanthropy

Intentional Philanthropy is a boutique philanthropic advisory and management firm serving individuals, family foundations, and a select group of independent foundations on grantmaking strategy, family foundation succession and foundation management. We help foundations define the change they want to see in the world, develop a strategy to accomplish that change, and vet and evaluate the nonprofits capable of bringing that vision to reality. We work with individuals and families at all stages of their philanthropic journey. We help those just starting out as well as those with years of practice. www.intentionalphilanthropy.com

We offer a competitive compensation and benefits package, including 401k plan with an employer match, profit sharing, paid volunteer leave, vacation/PTO time, plus flexible work schedules and professional development opportunities. We are people-centric, and we empower our employees to manage their careers in balance with their personal lives.

We benchmark salaries based on field data, considering the responsibilities of the role and the individual’s skills and experience. The salary and title for the position will depend on the successful candidate’s relevant experience and qualifications. The benchmarked range for the position is $123,000 to $165,000. This position is hybrid, with preference for candidates located in the D.C. Metro areas.

Candidates outside of the area must be willing to travel to Bethesda regularly.

Application Instructions: To be considered, candidates must submit a resume and cover letter detailing their relevant experience and specific interest in the company and the position to hiring@intentionalphilanthropy.com. Please use this exact subject line: Director Operations & Finance