Vice President, Finance and Accounting

About LEE

LEE is a nonpartisan network of leaders at all stages of life and career. We provide 1:1 coaching, meaningful member-to-member connections, and skill-building opportunities to support and inspire members to increase access and opportunity in their communities. At LEE, we equip members with the tools, resources, and industry knowledge they need to grow their career, expand their network, and take action to create change. LEE believes that effective leaders who are grounded in their values and experiences can make a difference in their communities. (wearelee.org)

LEE is an outcomes-oriented, tech-forward, entrepreneurial organization with a $25M budget and approximately 75 full-time staff working virtually across the country. LEE is financially healthy and is focused on growing its impact through investments in its platform and digital work. We are proud to be certified as a Great Place to Work, and to offer generous compensation, a virtual work setting that includes flexible scheduling, and a competitive, values-driven benefits package.

LEE's culture is built on trust. Leaders work across teams, are closely involved in one another's work, and put the success of the organization ahead of their own function. Every leader is a player-coach, expected to set direction and lead strategically while also contributing directly to the work.

Why This Role Matters Now

Over the past year, LEE has strengthened its financial controls, modernized core systems and processes, improved documentation, and built a stronger foundation for forecasting and financial planning. The Vice President, Finance and Accounting will build on that progress by further strengthening accounting and controls, continuing to modernize and automate the finance function, advancing strategic budgeting and financial planning, and developing a lean, high-performing finance team.

Position Summary

The VP, Finance and Accounting provides strategic and operational leadership for all financial functions of the organization, including its 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), and PAC entities. Reporting to the Executive Director and serving on LEE’s Leadership Team, this role serves as the primary financial steward and accounting advisor to the Executive Director and the Leadership Team.

The ideal candidate is a mission-aligned, strategic, and hands-on executive with deep technical accounting and controls expertise and strong FP&A capabilities. The Vice President will lead a two-person finance team and move between big-picture strategy and hands-on accounting work. They will have the opportunity to assess the team structure and design a finance function that meets LEE’s current and future needs.

Position

Location

Remote (U.S.-based)

Travel

Requirements

• Approximately 10-15%, including Leadership Team retreats and periodic in-person meetings with the Executive Director in New York

Responsibilities

• Executive Financial Leadership - 30%

• Lead the finance strategy across all LEE entities (LEE, LEE Foundation & PACs) in alignment with industry standard accounting principles and in compliance with IRS standards and federal, state, and local law

• Partner with senior leaders to set long-term financial strategies and goals across all LEE entities

• Serve as a strategic thought partner to the Executive Director and Leadership Team, bringing forward-looking insight, scenario planning, and constructive challenge to organizational decisions

• Partner with the Executive Director on financial reporting to the Board, preparing analysis, materials, and recommendations that support Board oversight and decision-making

• Collaborate with the Leadership Team to develop and monitor resource allocation, forecasts and expenditures supporting the organization's mission and growth initiatives

• Respond nimbly to time-sensitive financial needs from the Executive Director, including funder and Board requests

• Financial Accounting & Operations - 30%

• Own LEE's accounting function, including the month-end and year-end close, financial reporting, consolidation, intercompany activity, and cost allocation across LEE's entities. Work alongside the finance team and contribute directly to the accounting work to ensure accurate, timely reporting.

• Strengthen, document, and monitor internal controls and a strict segregation of duties to minimize risk, protect assets, and foster a culture of accountability

• Partner with LEE's General Counsel, who leads legal interpretation and state-by-state compliance for LEE's political activity, to translate compliance requirements into appropriate accounting structures and practices. This includes tracking 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) revenue and expenses and documenting inter-entity transfers

• Manage external relationships and audit processes and serve as a point of contact for auditors, consultants, and regulatory bodies

• Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) - 15%

• In alignment with the organizational annual and multi-year strategic planning led by the Partnerships & Infrastructure Team, lead the organization and team-based budgeting process

• Continue evolving FP&A into a forward-looking function that drives strategic decisions

• Refine and own LEE's forecasting model, and build multi-year forecasts and scenario plans that support long-term financial sustainability

• Provide timely and accurate financial analysis, reports, and recommendations to senior leaders and the Board of Directors, including resource allocation, investment options, and risk management insights

• Develop practical financial reporting and dashboards that help Leadership Team members understand and manage their budgets

• Develop and lead LEE's treasury management strategy, including banking relationships, cash management, and recommendations for investing reserves, to ensure LEE's financial assets are optimized across its entities

• Team & Organizational Stewardship - 15%

• Lead, coach, and develop the finance team, building accountability, strengthening performance, and expanding team members' capabilities over time

• Drive a high-performance team culture that balances high standards of accountability and performance with strong support and coaching

• Assess the team's structure and capabilities and shape roles to meet LEE's current and future needs

• Work alongside the finance team on day-to-day accounting as an ongoing part of the role, contributing directly to the work while coaching and developing the team

• Special Projects - 10%

• Lead or contribute to team-level, org-wide, or cross-team special projects to accelerate impact as assigned by manager or designee

• Oversee system integrations and automation projects across Sage Intacct, ADP, Ramp, and Paystand, including the integration between payroll (ADP) and the general ledger, to eliminate manual processes and journal entries

• Assess and implement FP&A and reporting tools, leveraging automation and AI where they add value

• Champion the development and implementation of a robust, tech-enabled, and scalable infrastructure to ensure the highest level of financial controls and security

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or commensurate years of work experience
• If you do not hold a Bachelor’s degree an additional 4 years of relevant experience is required.
• If you hold an Associate’s degree an additional 2 years of relevant experience is required.
• 10+ years of progressive finance and accounting experience, including
• Senior finance leadership (e.g., CFO, VP or Director of Finance, Controller) with significant accounting responsibility in an organization with a budget of at least $15M
• Deep, hands-on accounting expertise, including ownership of the close, financial reporting, audit, and nonprofit accounting
• Experience managing accounting for an organization with two or more legal entities, including consolidation, intercompany activity, and cost allocation
• Track record of strengthening internal controls and segregation of duties and addressing control gaps or audit findings
• Experience with budgeting, forecasting, scenario planning, and financial analysis for senior leaders; candidates with strong accounting leadership and meaningful exposure to FP&A will be considered
• Experience leading the implementation or integration of a cloud ERP or core financial system, including the change management to drive adoption
• Strong people management experience with a player-coach mindset, including a willingness to contribute directly to the work while mentoring and developing staff
• Mission-driven, entrepreneurial and collaborative mindset, and a commitment to ethical financial management and transparency
• A flexible partner who balances strong controls with helping the organization move forward, and is comfortable with shifting priorities and time-sensitive requests
• Ability to communicate financial information clearly to non-finance leaders and collaborate effectively within a geographically dispersed team
• Alignment with LEE's mi