Finance Director

Job Title: Finance Director

Employment Status: Full-time exempt (An average of 40 hours per week, but as an exempt employee this position will be expected to prioritize fulfilling their job responsibilities)

Location: This is a remote position. We are a California-based organization, and this individual will be expected to work predominantly on a Pacific time zone schedule.

Reports to: Interim Chief Operating Officer

Salary: $120,000 - $150,000/yr

About The Center for Cultural Power:

The Center for Cultural Power (Cultural Power) is a women of color, artist-led organization, inspiring artists and culture makers to imagine a world where power is distributed equitably and where we live in harmony with nature. We support artists through fellowships, training, and opportunities for activation. We create intersectional stories and content addressing issues of immigration, climate, gender and racial justice. We engage movement groups in cultural strategy and organize artists around issues that inspire them. Together with allies, we are co-creating a field of cultural strategy with organizations and practitioners through convenings, design teams, and strategy tables. Our website has more about the organization and our team.

Our staff and board align around the following organizational values:

• Trust
• Collaboration
• Care
• Learning
• Inspiration

We assess our progress and work around the following organizational core competencies:

• Cultural Competency
• Empowers Others
• Ethics
• Strategic Alignment and Partnerships
• Collaboration
• Project Management
• Leadership
• Accountability

Cultural Power is part of a family of organizations including The Cultural Engagement Lab (CEL) and The Constellations Culture Change Initiative & Fund. More on these organizations and initiatives are below. This position may be split between Cultural Power and CEL approximately 80/20.

About The Constellations Culture Change Initiative & Fund

Housed at Cultural Power, The Constellations Initiative is a field-wide initiative to accelerate narrative and social change by creating a place-based network that distributes power and allows for collaboration. The goal is to build worldviews based on abundance and regeneration. Constellations is about BIPOC communities building their own power from the ground up by working with artists and culture-makers to shift narratives and worldviews. The Constellations Culture Change Fund is the grantmaking arm of the Initiative and housed at the Amalgamated Foundation. This position will work across both entities. Learn more about the Constellations initiative here.

About The Cultural Engagement Lab (CEL)

CEL is our 501(c)(4) organization that organizes a powerful network of seasoned artists and culture makers from impacted communities to lend their storytelling talents to meaningful advocacy, electoral, and civic engagement efforts. You can visit CEL’s website to learn more about this body of work and what we accomplished during the 2020 election year.

Position Overview

The Director of Finance is a leadership role responsible for overseeing all financial activities of the organization. This role involves developing and implementing financial strategies, managing budgets and forecasts, ensuring regulatory compliance, and providing strategic financial guidance to senior leadership and staff. The Director of Finance plays a critical role in maintaining the organization's financial health, supporting its long-term growth, and advancing its mission.

At The Center for Cultural Power, the Director of Finance will lead all financial and administrative systems, navigating a dynamic and multifaceted organizational structure. This includes managing relationships with political action activities housed within its partner organization, the Cultural Engagement Lab, as well as overseeing strategic collaborations and regranting efforts. The Director will ensure compliance with all applicable IRS regulations, GAAP standards, and legal requirements related to the organization's 501(c)(3)/(c)(4) structure and affiliated entities.

Responsibilities:

Financial Strategy

• Analyze long-term financial trends and develop multi-year financial plans to align resources with organizational goals and sustainability.
• Provide financial modeling to assess the viability and impact of new initiatives, programs, or ventures.
• Advise on strategic resource allocation to ensure alignment with organizational priorities, equity goals, and programmatic outcomes.
• Partner with the Executive Director and Leadership Team to shape the organization’s strategic planning process with a financial lens.
• Monitor and advise on risks related to financial health, funding concentration, and revenue diversification.
• Support scenario planning to navigate uncertain funding environments, economic shifts, or policy changes.

Organizational Leadership

• Responsible for planning, implementing, and managing the overall finance activities of the organization, as well as 501(c)(3)/(c)(4) tandems.
• Meet regularly with the Leadership team, team leads, and project directors to review and interpret financial reports, participate in strategic and tactical planning, and make specific recommendations regarding budgets, business models, and activity planning.
• Lead the annual budget process and manage interim budget revisions.
• Develop finance reports for the finance committee and board meetings; present financials to the board.
• Work closely with the Development team. Oversee grant proposal budgets, funder reports, and other financial documentation, with attention to funder guidelines and fundraising needs.

Financial Management & Compliance

• Oversee the finance team to provide accurate and timely financial statements for the organization and departments.
• Oversee all accounting functions, including funding allocations, budgeting, accounts payable/receivable, payroll, and cash flow.
• Oversee monthly financial reports for all departments and projects; provide ad hoc financial analysis and decision-making support as needed.
• Oversee the preparation of annual tax forms and other required filings for all entities in the organization’s network.
• Oversee annual independent audit, including making auditor recommendations to the audit committee and working closely with auditors throughout their engagement.
• Develop and implement plans to ensure all legal entities are in compliance with GAAP and applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations—especially those governing 501(c)(3)/(c)(4) tandems and political activities.

Team Leadership & Operations

• Supervise Finance Manager I & II and contracted Finance Support.
• Lead weekly Finance Team meetings.
• Develop and implement an effective system of accounting and internal controls; redesign process flow as needed to improve efficiency.

Qualifications

Hard Skills

• Proven experience in nonprofit financial management, including 501(c)(3)/(c)(4) structures
• Strong understanding of GAAP, IRS regulations, and legal compliance
• Demonstrated ability to lead annual budgeting processes and multi-year financial planning
• Experience overseeing audits, tax filings, and funder financial reporting
• Proficiency with financial software (e.g., QuickBooks, Sage Intacct, or similar)
• Track record of managing accounting functions such as A/P, A/R, payroll, cash flow, and allocations
• Commitment to equity and values-aligned financial leadership
• Experience working in organizations with complex or evolving structures
• Experience managing financial aspects of strategic partnerships and joint initiatives
• Background in scenario modeling or capital planning

Soft Skills

• Strategic thinker with the ability to align financial decisions with organizational goals
• Strong leadership and supervisory skills; experience managing teams and consultants
• Clear communicator who can translate complex financial information for non-financial stakeholders
• Comfortable working across departments and with executive leadership and boards
• Highly organized with a strong attention to detail and follow-through
• Familiarity with cultural or advocacy-focused nonprofits, especially those working at the intersection of art and social justice
• Ability to lead with curiosity, humility, and collaboration in dynamic environments