Senior Director, Finance

POSITION SUMMARY

UpStart seeks a Senior Director, Finance to serve as the organization's senior finance leader. They will hold full ownership and direct accountability for the accuracy, integrity, and compliance of UpStart's financial reporting, including the month-end close process, annual audit, board and Finance Committee reporting, and financial controls environment. An external accounting firm performs day-to-day transaction processing and bookkeeping, and this role is responsible for overseeing, reviewing, and holding that firm accountable.

This role will report to the CEO and work closely with the Finance Committee as its primary staff resource, as well as with the Deputy CEO on organizational strategy and the Managing Director, Operations & Systems on operational execution.

This role is expected to travel up to 3 times a year for staff retreats and other events as needed.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Financial Reporting & Close

• Own the monthly close process end-to-end: direct the external bookkeeping firm’s close activities, review and approve all deliverables before they reach leadership, prepare variance commentary with explanations sufficient for board-level review, and obtain CEO sign-off on the final monthly package
• Prepare monthly and quarterly financial reporting packages for the Finance Committee and the full board
• Maintain grant-level financial tracking, including award receipt, net asset classification, expense drawdown against grant budgets, and timely release from restriction in accordance with donor intent
• Ensure financial statements are GAAP-compliant and audit-ready at all times, not only at year-end
• Prepare and review the annual Form 990 in coordination with the accounting firm; reconcile 990 figures to audited financials before filing, ensure Part VII compensation disclosures, Schedule B, and functional expense allocations are reviewed and signed off by the CEO prior to submission

Audit & Compliance

• Own the annual audit process: manage the auditor relationship, prepare all PBC schedules, resolve open items, present findings to the Finance Committee, and coordinate execution of the management representation letter with the CEO
• Drive resolution of all prior-year audit findings with documented remediation evidence
• Maintain the internal controls environment; ensure the Accounting Manual is reviewed and updated annually following each audit cycle
• Ensure all disbursements carry documented approvals per policy; hold staff accountable to the standard
• Maintain restricted fund tracking at the project level: intake, classification, monthly balance review, and timely release from restriction

Outsourced Accounting Firm Management

• Serve as the primary point of accountability for the outsourced bookkeeping and accounting firm; reviewing all deliverables before they reach leadership or the Finance Committee, owning the chart of accounts structure in QuickBooks Online, and directing the firm on proper coding, class tracking, and account mapping
• Lead the transition from the current accounting firm to a new provider (Q2–Q4 FY27), including vendor selection, onboarding, and knowledge transfer
• Hold the firm accountable to SLA and quality standards; document performance issues; escalate to the CEO when warranted

Budget & Planning

• Partner with the Deputy CEO on the annual budget process; maintain the master budget workbook and consolidation across operating and fiscal sponsorship entities, develop and maintain a rolling 12-month cash flow forecast updated monthly and presented to the Finance Committee
• Manage fiscal sponsorship financial reporting as a distinct environment from operating financials, maintaining fund isolation across sponsored projects, tracking pass-through revenue and disbursements at the project level, calculating and reconciling admin fees, and producing financial reports for individual sponsored projects sufficient to support their programmatic and compliance needs

Internal Controls & Systems

• Design and maintain a controls environment sufficient to prevent and detect material misstatements, unauthorized disbursements, and grant misclassification; document the controls framework and assess it against findings each audit cycle
• Implement and document a grants accrual process for all incoming awards, with CEO sign-off at month-end
• Oversee Bill.com and related disbursement workflows; ensure approval trails are complete and retained
• Identify and deploy finance technology and AI-powered workflow improvements consistent with UpStart’s efficiency-forward operating strategy

This job description is intended to convey information essential to understanding the scope of the position. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of skills, efforts, duties, or responsibilities associated with the position.

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

Required

• 7+ years of progressively responsible finance or accounting experience, including at least 3 years in a senior role with direct audit and close ownership
• Deep working knowledge of ASC 958: you are an expert in net asset classification, donor restrictions, release from restriction, functional expense allocation
• Hands-on audit experience: you have personally led or co-led an annual audit, managed auditor relationships, identified and remediated audit findings, and prepared PBC schedules
• Vendor management: you have demonstrated the ability to manage external accounting or bookkeeping vendors to quality and timeline standards
• Multi-fund accounting experience: you are proficient in multi-entity or multi-fund accounting environments
• Familiarity with fiscal sponsorship structures: you understand fund isolation, pass-through revenue treatment, admin fee mechanics, and the obligation to maintain clean separation between sponsored project activity and the sponsor’s own financials
• Working proficiency in QuickBooks Online (QBO): you can navigate the chart of accounts, run and interpret standard reports, and identify coding errors in a bookkeeper-maintained environment
• Commitment to leading through a lens of community and belonging
• Adaptability and agility in the face of change, both organizational and technological
• Passion for UpStart’s mission and the work of UpStart’s network
• Commitment to upholding UpStart’s values and Guiding Principles Regarding Client and Program Partnerships.

Strongly Preferred

• CPA, MBA, or equivalent credential
• You’ve managed fiscally sponsored project reporting, funder compliance, or fund isolation across multiple concurrent sponsored projects
• Familiarity with project-level restricted fund tracking
• Experience supporting a Finance Committee or board-level reporting
• Exposure to AI-powered finance workflow tools or interest in deploying them

In addition to a competitive salary, UpStart currently offers the following benefits:

• A comprehensive benefits package, including 100% employer-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Life, short-term, and long-term disability insurance.
• 16 weeks of paid parental leave with no waiting period.
• 100% employer-funded Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) for medical-related travel, up to $1,950 per year.
• FSA and Commuter Benefits accounts.
• Employer-sponsored 401K with employer match.
• Flexible discretionary paid time off.
• Annual $1,500 professional development stipend.
• One-time $300 office setup stipend and provided Mac.
• Monthly $50 cell phone stipend.
• 3:00pm local close-of-business on Fridays.
• Days off for all work-prohibitive Jewish holidays, in addition to secular US holidays.
• A one-month (30 days) paid sabbatical per every five years of employment.
• Occasional travel for meetings, conferences, and other business-related activities.
• A great workplace culture! Check out our culture deck here.