Chief Operating Financial Officer

Chief Operating Financial Officer 

Job Announcement

About Movement Strategy Center (MSC)

Founded in 2001, Movement Strategy Center understands that transformative movements change the way we think, the way we organize structures and systems, the way we live, and even who we are. In this moment of extraordinary challenge, our world needs people and moments who are ready to stretch the boundaries of what anyone has imagined we can do. MSC works with individuals, teams, networks, and alliances, in partnership with a broader Transitions Community, to deepen and accelerate the transition from a world of domination and extraction to a world of resilience, regeneration, and interdependence.

Movement Strategy Center operates three distinct programs, which include: 1) comprehensive fiscal sponsorship of non-profit organizations, 2) philanthropic regranting and strategy development partnerships, and 3) research, innovation design and facilitation to support power-building and transformative shifts in front-line marginalized and communities of color.

MSC has a core budget of $8MM and an additional $50MM in its fiscal sponsorship program with 35 active organizations. Total staff (including those in the fiscal sponsorship program) are approximately 200. MSC is located in downtown Oakland, California with the possibility of being a remote position.

Position Overview

The Chief Operating Financial Officer will be primarily responsible for overseeing the internal operations, financial, grants and contract management and compliance functions, including the internal controls and procedures relating to the receipt and use of federal, and charitable 501(c)3 and social welfare 501(c)4 funds, specifically as it relates to advocacy, lobbying, and political activity.

They will consult across the Movement Strategy Center 501(c)3 and the Movement Strategy Center Action Fund 501(c)4 with respect to inter-entity arrangements, shared processes and employees, and maintaining corporate separateness for MSC and MSC Action Fund.

The Chief Operating Financial Officer will oversee the Business Development Operations Team led by the Director of Business Operations responsible for all implementation, maintenance and integration of technology systems, administrative operational support and office management and maintaining state charitable and business license registrations, political registrations.

The Chief Operating Financial Officer will develop and oversee the organization’s Compliance Team for full non-profit, federal and philanthropic funded grants and contracts compliance on behalf of FSP partners and MSC core operations. This includes creating, reviewing, monitoring, amending binding legal contracts and grants agreements and providing pertinent information for funder and regulatory reports, and provide strategic advice, consult regarding rules and regulations relating to advocacy, ethics/gift and political activity, and support a related training curriculum for staff and fiscally sponsored projects.

The Chief Operating Financial Officer will partner with the Chief Human Resources Officer to ensure oversight of risk management includes the timely and proactive maintenance of all forms of insurance coverage for MSC’s core operations and that of our project partners and the proper evaluation and contracting of independent contractors for fiscally sponsored.

The Chief Operating Financial Officer’s oversight of the Finance function includes managing a Director of Finance, Project Accountant, and MSC’s outsourced contract for financial accounting, audit and tax reporting, treasury management, and financial analysis, and guidance support to MSC’s fiscally sponsored projects, in terms of tracking ongoing financial conditions and trends, customizing financial reports with the third party financial accounting team, and preparing budgets and budget tracking reports, and provide timely advice and interpretation of financial statements.

The Chief Operating Financial Officer is a direct report to the Executive Director and a member of MSC’s Senior Leadership Team, which consists of the Executive Director, Chief Human Resources Officer, Chief Advancement Officer, and Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer. While supervised by the Executive Director, the Chief Operating Financial Officer has fiduciary responsibility for all financial matters and reporting. The Chief Operating Financial Officer provides strategic support in MSC’s promotion and marketing, financial growth, and scaling the quality of our lines of business and services.

Supervisory Responsibility

Direct reports to the Chief Operating Financial Officer include the Director of Business Operations, the Federal Contracts and Grants Compliance Manager, and the Director of Finance.

Expected hours of work

Standard days and hours of work are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Daily schedule is flexible within the proximity of this time frame, and will be decided in consultation with the supervisor. MSC maintains a remote working environment with periodic visits to the Oakland headquarters.

Travel

Quarterly domestic travel will be required for organization-wide and team-centered meetings and conferences.

Core Responsibilities

• Manage the day-to-day operations of the organization, collaborate with, and provide strategic advice to members of the Senior Leadership Team, such as the Chief Human Resources Officer, Chief Advancement Officer and Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer responsible for MSC’s fiscal sponsorship program and innovation design lab
•  Manage direct reporting relationships in accordance with Movement Strategy Center’s culture of a Just Transition organization that is not exploitive, harmful and is regenerative, reflective and grounded in learning and social justice impacts for its employees and stakeholders
• In partnership with the Senior Leadership Team, establish policies that promote culture and vision of high-performance teamwork in accordance with MSC Transformative Movement Building Framework for a Just Transition
•  Ensure the development and oversight of daily management and execution of organizational wide financial and internal controls, and risk management staffing, policies, and procedures in compliance with Federal and State regulations that support all functions within Movement Strategy Center  
• Design and implement business strategies, plans and procedures
• Set comprehensive goals for performance and growth
• Establish and manage excellent standards of teamwork, customer service, diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging throughout the organization
• Evaluate and encourage high performance of all Departments through the use of consistent protocols and procedures, management frameworks, performance standards and active feedback loops throughout the organization
• Proactively partner with the People and Culture Team to ensure compliance with all federal and state regulations in contracting labor throughout the organization
• Keep the Executive Director proactively informed
• Write and submit reports to the Executive Director in all matters of importance
• Enable all direct reports and members of the Senior Leadership Team to have timely and accurate information needed to make decisions, modify and recalibrate
• Manage relationships with partners/vendors
• Other duties may be assigned

Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Experience

• California residency or specific CA non-profit accounting and management experience
• A minimum of 8 years of experience in legal and financial compliance, grants and contract management, operations/IT management, and non-profit and governmental agency compliance
•  A minimum of 3 years experience as a Chief Operating Officer or C-Level Leader of a non-profit or social enterprise organization that has MSC’s similar complexity and program offerings 
• Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA), or Certified Management Accountant (CMA), or similar certification
• Experience in critical strategic thinking and implementation
• Experience in cultivating and sustaining high-performing teamwork
• Demonstrated experience in building and managing organizational risk management, growth and stabilization processes and systems
• Proven experience Strong Communications and Project Management Skills
• Proven effective relationship-building and conflict-management skills
• Experience and results in utilizing new and out-of-the-box approaches to solve complex problems that center the needs of the end-users
• Experience with NetSuite or similar “high-end” accounting systems
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, both verbal and written
• Demonstrated dedication to social justice

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice. 

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

• 100% FTE, salaried exempt position. Annual gross pay is $153k-$200k.
• MSC’s benefits package includes:
• 20 days vacation leave per year
• 12 standard holidays and 2 personal days per year
• 12 sick days per year
• 12 weeks of family paid leave, no tenured required
• Medical, vision, dental for employees and dependents (eligible 1st of the following month)
• 100% employer-sponsored basic life, short-term and long-term disability insurance coverage
• Access to a 403b retirement plan
• Access to FSA and Commuter Benefits

MSC is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion or belief, disability, gender, nationality, ethnicity, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), gender identity or expression, sexual orientation or any other status protected by law. People of color and LGBTQ candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.