Chief Financial Officer

Vital Voices Global Partnership - Washington Finance and Operations

01 Oct 2023

Vital Voices Global Partnership - Washington

Finance and Operations

Full Time

1

7 - 10 years

05 Oct 2023

Organization Description:

Now celebrating 25 years, Vital Voices has directly invested in more than 20,000 women leaders across 184 countries and territories since its inception. Driven by the universal truth that women are the key to progress in their communities and nations cannot move forward without women in leadership positions, Vital Voices has provided early support for leaders who went on to become Nobel Peace Prize Laureates, U.S. Youth Poet Laureates, prime ministers, award-winning innovators, pioneering human rights defenders, and breakthrough social entrepreneurs, including Amanda Gorman and Malala Yousafzai.

To advance and expand this work, in 2022, Vital Voices opened the doors to the world’s first global embassy for women, the Vital Voices Global Headquarters for Women’s Leadership. It is a first-of-its-kind space that allows for convening, innovation, planning, and action—all in the pursuit of serving women leaders who are taking on the world’s greatest challenges.

Vital Voices is a global operation with headquarters in Washington, DC. In the past few years, Vital Voices has scaled at a fast rate and anticipates continuing this trajectory into the future. The organization has launched a $100 million impact fund to support women in the network and build a sustainable operational model. Vital Voices engages a matrixed organization approach with 80 staff working across portfolios and projects with an annual budget of $30 million. Significant revenue streams include funding from U.S. Department of State, corporate donors, individual donors, and foundation funding.

Position Summary:

Reporting to the CEO, the CFO is an integral member of the 13-person senior leadership team, working collaboratively on a range of operational and strategic issues. At the Board level, the CFO serves as the staff liaison to the Finance & Audit Committees. The position oversees a team of three: Director, Grants; Director, Budget & Compliance; Budget Analyst. Vital Voices current Vice President – Finance will be stepping down this summer after 18 years of service and leadership with the organization. Vital Voices has engaged an Interim CFO to provide leadership during the search process.

Priorities for the new CFO will include initiating and leading the FY24 budget cycle, providing financial and operationalization leadership as Vital Voices launches the $100 million impact fund, and ensuring that internal finance staffing, systems, and processes keep pace with and support the organization’s growth. Additionally, Vital Voices seeks a finance leader that can view the organization’s long-term potential, build and implement systems to support sustainable growth, work collaboratively, and serve as a guide and mentor for emerging leaders and talent across the organization.


Key Responsibilities:

  • Finance Leadership
    • Serve as a strategic thought partner to and collaborator with the senior leadership team, helping to develop and execute plans and strategies that advance mission priorities and impact.
    • In partnership with the leadership team, develop long-term financial strategy, financial models, operations innovations, and implementation plans that support Vital Voices’ evolution and sustainability, including operationalizing the $100 million impact fund.
    • Lead the budgeting cycle to meet strategic and financial objectives, working collaboratively with the CEO, leadership team, and Board Finance Committee. Serve as staff liaison to the Board Finance Committee.
    • Assess the long-term financial impact from new opportunities and innovations and support leadership in making informed, strategic decisions.
    • Serve as a leader within the organization, building relationships across the organization, mentoring and developing staff, and building a team.
    • Embrace and model the Vital Voices guiding principles, values, investment and leadership models with the goal of supporting Vital Voices’ organizational culture and successes.
  • Finance Management & Reporting
    • Develop and implement plans for the financial infrastructure of systems, processes, and human capital to take Vital Voices to the next level of excellence in support of financial management initiatives and long-term goals including the effective management, development, and analysis of indirect cost rates and the impact fund.
    • Develop and maintain financial information systems that are responsive to customer needs including the general ledger (and subsidiary ledgers), grants, government funding, and philanthropic funding that meet all reporting requirements (monthly financial statements, program status reports, grants reports, Federal funding reports, etc.)
    • Develop financial, statistical, and analytical reports with assumptions, analyses, and projections to enable leadership in a matrixed organization to make informed decisions.
    • Carry out treasury responsibilities for operating funds and restricted grants.
    • Manage operation and finance for Federal and non-Federal grants including subcontractors and sub-grantees negotiations and reporting, reporting compliance with all requirements in the contract/grant, and billings/collections management for all grants.
    • Oversee and lead implementation of effective, efficient accounting functions including payroll, accounts receivable and accounts payable.
  • Internal Controls & Risk Management
    • Protect the assets of Vital Voices by using business and financial expertise and acumen to examine program and organizational commitments, producing and disseminating financial information, maintaining internal controls, and employing other safeguards such as insurances.
    • Ensure systems and controls that facilitate a clean audit opinion in the annual Single Audit along with funder reviews.
    • Function as the risk manager in implementing processes and initiatives that prevent operational losses, grant & contract non-compliance, and violation of funder restrictions.
    • Oversee the preparation of all tax forms, legal documents, and audits.
    • Serve as key liaison to independent audit firm, legal counsel, banks, insurance brokers, vendors, and other professionals in areas regarding finances and administration.
  • DE&I Commitment:  Embrace and model the Vital Voices guiding principles, values, investment, and leadership models with the goal of supporting Vital Voices’ organization culture and success.  

Vital Voices uses a variety of technology to support finance and operations: Sage Intacct Accounting, CRM, Payroll, MS Office 365, Bill.com, Salesforce and Travel software. The DC office offers a hybrid work environment in which staff are in the office every Tuesday (unless on business travel) and one additional weekday each week.


Qualifications and Experience:

Successful candidates will bring a variety of experiences and attributes to Vital Voices:

  • 7+ years of financial and management experience in organizations with annual operating budgets of $10 million or more, with demonstrated excellence in managing finance, accounting, budgeting, and reporting responsibilities; experience with nonprofit organizations a plus.
  • Experience in management and reporting of Federal and non-Federal grants and contracts, including requirements for managing and accounting for Federal contracts and grants as specified in OMB Circular A-122, OMB Circular A-110, and OMB Circular A-133.
  • Experience in negotiating subcontracts and grants and monitoring performance and reporting by the subcontractors and grantees.
  • Experience in allocating and managing indirect costs.
  • Strong interpersonal and written communications skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with all levels of staff, as well as Board members and constituents.
  • Sound judgment, excellent analytical skills, and ability to provide leadership and direction while, at the same time, follow through on multiple projects/deadlines with minimal oversight.
  • A creative and forward-thinking mindset that understands the complexities of a rapidly expanding organization and seeks and assesses new strategies and innovations to sustainably broaden the organization’s offerings & revenue-streams.
  • Highly organized, with focus on details.
  • Collaborative team player, committed to working with people of diverse backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives.
  • Technologically proficient in accounting, word processing and database applications.
  • Experience in facilities management a plus.
  • Bachelor’s degree in related field preferred; Master’s degree highly desirable.
  • CPA preferred.

This position is a full-time, exempt position based in Washington, DC. All staff are expected to be in the office twice a week. We are not considering remote candidates at this time. If and when it is safe to travel, domestic and international travel up to 10% may be required for the position. Vital Voices does not provide work visa sponsorship or relocation assistance for this position.


The starting salary range for this position is $215,000 - $266,000 based on experience and ability to have broad impact early. The compensation package includes comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance, 401k match, and generous PTO including wellness flex days, generous parental leave, sabbatical time, and volunteer leave as well as short- and long-term disability, life insurance, HSA, EAP, and a professional development stipend.


Vital Voices provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Vital Voices complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.


Vital Voices expressly prohibits any form of workplace harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status. Improper interference with the ability of Vital Voices’ employees to perform their job duties may result in discipline up to and including discharge.