Director of Finance

About CDI

The Constructive Dialogue Institute (CDI) is a non-partisan non-profit dedicated to equipping the next generation of Americans with the skills to communicate and collaborate across lines of difference. Since its founding in 2017, CDI has partnered with more than 150 colleges and universities nationwide, offering an evidence-based suite of programs designed to reach stakeholders at every level of a campus—from presidents to incoming students—to create campus cultures of inquiry and dialogue. CDI was co-founded by psychologist Jonathan Haidt, the bestselling author of The Righteous Mind and The Anxious Generation.

About the Role

CDI is looking for an experienced nonprofit finance professional to join the team as our first dedicated in-house finance hire. The Director of Finance will inherit a strong foundation of systems, processes, and external bookkeeping support. They will be responsible for building and improving on this foundation to ensure robust accounting, compliance, and financial operations as CDI enters its next phase of growth. CDI operated a $6M budget in 2025 and expects to grow to approximately $9.5M in 2026.

This role is intentionally scoped as a hands-on finance leadership position. You will own core accounting and financial operations—maintaining clean, accurate books; strengthening internal controls; and improving workflows across systems and teams. You will also partner closely with the VP of Operations on major workflows such as our audit, 990 preparation, and the annual budgeting process, with the opportunity to take on greater ownership over time.

The ideal candidate combines the rigor of a controller with the mindset of an operator—someone who enjoys digging into complex problems, improving accuracy and efficiency through integration and automation, and brings an audit and compliance lens to everything they do. As CDI continues to grow, this role offers a clear opportunity for expanded ownership and influence over time.

Responsibilities

Accounting & Financial Operations

• Own CDI’s accounting function, including oversight of an external bookkeeping firm.
• Oversee the monthly and year-end close process; ensure timely, accurate reconciliations and maintain supporting schedules.
• Ensure accurate and consistent revenue recognition across earned and contributed revenue.
• Maintain and improve CDI’s accounting handbook.

Systems & Processes

• Strengthen internal controls and ensure consistent application across the organization.
• Oversee spend management, including procurement processes, approval workflows, and documentation.
• Improve financial workflows and data quality by integrating and optimizing systems such as QBO, HubSpot, and Stripe.
• Continuously identify opportunities to automate, integrate, and streamline key systems and processes.

Grants & Compliance

• Oversee expense tracking by program, grant, and donor restriction.
• Partner with the Executive Director, VP of Development, and VP of Operations to prepare grant budgets and financial reports.
• Ensure compliance with required registrations, filings, and reporting at the local, state, and federal levels.

Reporting & Analysis

• Prepare monthly financial reports and insights for internal leadership.
• Prepare financial reports and materials for quarterly meetings, in partnership with the VP of Operations.
• Support the VP of Operations with forecasting, dashboards and cash flow monitoring.

Insurance & Contracts

• Manage organizational insurance policies, renewals, and documentation.
• Oversee vendor and sales contracting processes, templates, and coordination with other teams.
• Liaise with outside counsel as needed and escalate complex or unusual contract questions to the VP of Operations and/or outside counsel.

Budgeting, Audit, & Tax

• Support the VP of Operations with the annual budgeting process, including analysis of historical data, preparation of materials, and documentation.
• Support the annual audit and Form 990 process in partnership with the VP of Operations and external firms, including preparation of schedules and responses.

About You

• Experience: 7–10 years of progressive nonprofit finance or accounting experience, or equivalent.
• Deep nonprofit expertise: Deep and broad understanding of nonprofit finance and compliance topics, including audits, revenue recognition, restricted assets, and earned program revenue.
• Excellent judgment and autonomy: Able to move work forward independently in a fast-paced, dynamic environment. Exercises good judgment; mindful of risk and compliance.
• Systems thinker and tech-savvy: Experience building systems from scratch and improving existing ones, with the ability to see the big picture across systems, data, and workflows; genuine interest in learning and leveraging technology to automate, integrate, and streamline workflows.
• Detail-oriented and organized: High bar for accuracy, compliance, and clean financial records. Skilled at organizing a high volume of complex work.
• Collaboration and leadership: Experience liaising across teams, overseeing junior or external finance staff, and clearly communicating financial concepts to non-finance partners.
• QuickBooks Online experience strongly preferred.

Benefits

• Compensation — $120,000–$140,000 annually
• A Mission-Driven Culture — we practice what we preach, so our work culture is characterized by intellectual humility, continuous improvement, and open-mindedness
• Remote-First — CDI was founded as a remote-first organization, and we work hard to maintain a strong team culture across vast distances
• Unlimited PTO — as well as 13 company holidays
• Remote Work Support — up to $500 reimbursed for home office equipment (like desks, chairs, or webcams) and up to $50/month reimbursed for home internet or cell phone expenses
• Other Benefits — employer-supported health, vision and dental plans, subsidized parental leave, 3% 401k match, short- and long-term disability insurance, life and AD&D insurance, $1,000 annual professional development budget

Proficient in English