Senior Director of Finance

Senior Director of Finance

FLSA Status: Full-Time Exempt 

Department: Finance    

Reports to: Deputy Director, Head of Philanthropy and Financial Strategy 

Salary:  $170,000 – $195,000 

Schedule: Hybrid - 2 Days in office (W/Th) 9:30am – 5:30pm  

ABOUT HER JUSTICE 

Her Justice is a nonprofit organization that advocates for and with women and gender diverse people living in poverty in New York City. We recruit and mentor volunteer lawyers to provide free legal help in the areas of immigration, family, and matrimonial law to address individual and systemic legal barriers.     

100% of our clients are living in poverty in the five boroughs of New York City.  In FY2024, 92% of our clients were women of color, 85% were survivors of intimate partner violence, 70% were mothers, and 49% spoke a primary language other than English.  

Since 1993, we’ve provided life-changing free legal help to over 45,000 women and children and we’ve pursued policies that have bettered the experiences and outcomes for hundreds of thousands more. Her Justice is committed to creating a more fair and functional civil justice system for New Yorkers, so they can build safer, freer futures for themselves, their families, and their communities. 

SUMMARY 

The Senior Director of Finance at Her Justice is a senior leadership role responsible for overseeing the organization’s financial operations, financial planning, and compliance while ensuring alignment with its mission and organizational priorities. Reporting to the Deputy Director, Head of Philanthropy and Financial Strategy, this role partners closely with the Executive Team and the Board of Directors Audit & Finance Committee to support financial management and operational decision-making for the organization’s $8M annual operating budget and 40 person team. 

Operating in a lean team environment, this role balances financial oversight with hands-on execution and directly supervises the Finance Manager. The role is accountable for the accuracy, timeliness, and integrity of all financial outputs, ensuring strong day-to-day financial operations while building and strengthening financial infrastructure across the organization. 

The ideal candidate brings strong nonprofit financial management experience, attention to detail, and the ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment.  

RESPONSIBILITIES 

Leadership and Planning 

• Support and advance the organizational vision of Her Justice, ensuring that budgets and financial plans align with organizational priorities, available resources, and operational realities. 

• Partner with the Executive Team to support planning, providing financial data, analysis, and recommendations to inform decision-making. 

• Serve as a key financial partner to the Board of Directors. Lead the Audit & Finance Committee in collaboration with the Deputy Director and the Board Treasurer, preparing financial reports and supporting materials to facilitate effective oversight and governance. 

• Directly supervise and manage the Finance Manager, providing clear direction, oversight, and accountability for day-to-day financial operations, including accounting, payroll, accounts payable and receivable, and financial reporting. 

• Build strong cross-functional relationships across Development & Communications, Legal Programs & Policy, and People & Operations to ensure financial processes support organizational needs. 

• Assess all financial systems and processes and make recommendations for improvements to increase efficiency, ease of reconciliation, and accurate and timeline reporting. 

Financial Management 

• Oversee all financial operations, including accounting, budgeting, forecasting, payroll, and financial reporting, ensuring accuracy, efficiency, and strong financial stewardship across the organization. 

  • Ensure all financial reporting, accounting systems, and ledgers comply with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and relevant regulatory standards. 

  • Monitor and manage organizational cash flow to ensure sufficient liquidity to meet operational needs. 
  • Maintain internal controls, financial policies, and processes to safeguard organizational assets and ensure compliance with regulatory and audit requirements 

  • Manage relationships with external partners, including auditors, banks, and financial service providers.  

• Oversee the work of the Finance Manager, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and completeness of all financial processes, including month-end/year-end close, reconciliations, payroll processing, and transaction-level financial activities. Establish clear workflows, expectations, and review processes to ensure effective division of responsibilities between oversight and execution within the finance function. 

• Oversee payroll operations and partner with People & Operations on benefits administration, including retirement plans, renewals, and PEO management. 

• Partner closely with the Development team on recording, reporting and reconciling all sources of income, including government contracts and grants, corporate and foundation funding, individual giving campaigns, and fundraising events.  
  • Responsible for developing and maintaining government and foundation grant budgets, financial reporting, invoicing and compliance across contracts and audits.  

Budgeting and Forecasting 

• Lead and oversee the annual budgeting process, partnering closely with department and program leaders to develop realistic, mission-aligned budgets.  

• Monitor budget performance and provide regular updates and analysis to leadership.  

• Develop and maintain financial forecasts to support short- and mid-term planning. 

• Identify trends, variances, and risks, and provide recommendations to support informed operational decision-making. 

Audit Management, Tax Filing and Compliance 

• Lead the annual audit process and act as the primary liaison to external auditors, ensuring timely and accurate GAAP compliant financial statements. Maintain documentation and processes to support audit readiness and compliance. 

• Oversee tax filings and regulatory compliance, ensuring adherence to all applicable federal, state, and local requirements. 

Board Relations and Reporting 

• With the strategic guidance of the Deputy Director, serve as the primary financial liaison to the Board of Directors Audit & Finance Committee, providing updates on financial performance, budget status, and key financial considerations. 

• Prepare accurate and clear financial materials and presentations to support Board meetings and governance. 

SKILLSET AND QUALITIES 

Mission-Driven Financial Steward. 
You are deeply committed to advancing social justice and understand the role strong financial management plays in supporting equitable, mission-driven work. You approach financial stewardship with integrity, accountability, and care, ensuring that resources are managed responsibly in service of Her Justice’s clients and community. 

Hands-On Finance Leader. 
You are both a leader and an operator. You are comfortable owning the details of financial operations while also overseeing the broader function. You are willing to roll up your sleeves in a lean environment and ensure that work gets done accurately, efficiently, and on time. 

Strong Manager and Team Builder. 
You are an effective people manager who can provide clear direction, oversight, and accountability to the Finance Manager. You are skilled at setting expectations, reviewing work, building capacity, and ensuring consistent, high-quality financial execution across the function. 

Operationally Focused and Detail-Oriented. 
You have a strong command of financial processes and ensure that all financial records, reporting, and transactions are accurate, complete, and well-organized. You take pride in building and maintaining systems that are reliable, consistent, and audit-ready. 

Clear and Practical Communicator. 
You are able to translate financial information into clear, concise insights for non-financial audiences, including the Executive Team and Board. You communicate in a way that is accessible, actionable, and grounded in the organization’s day-to-day realities. 

Collaborative Cross-Functional Partner. 
You work effectively across teams and understand how finance connects to Development, Legal Programs & Policy, and People & Operations. You are responsive, solutions-oriented, and able to support colleagues in making financially informed decisions. 

Nonprofit Finance and Compliance Knowledge. 
You bring strong experience in nonprofit financial management, including fund and grant accounting, audit processes, and regulatory compliance. You understand the nuances of restricted funding and are able to ensure compliance while supporting operational needs. 

Organized and Process-Oriented. 
You bring structure and clarity to financial operations. You are skilled at creating workflows, improving processes, and ensuring that responsibilities are clearly defined and consistently executed. 

Adaptable and Responsive. 
You are comfortable working in a fast-paced environment with shifting priorities. You are able to respond to urgent requests, support leadership needs, and deliver high-quality work under tight timelines without compromising accuracy.  

Analytical and Solution-Oriented. 
You are able to analyze financial data, identify trends and variances, and provide practical recommendations to support operational decision-making. You focus on solving problems in a way that is grounded, realistic, and aligned with organizational needs. You are able to effectively prioritize competing demands and make sound decisions in a fast-paced, resource-constrained environment while maintaining accuracy and quality. 

QUALIFICATIONS 

• Minimum 7–10 years of professional experience in finance or accounting, preferably within a nonprofit organization. 

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in a related field (e.g., Nonprofit Administration, Accounting, Finance Administration). 

• Experience in non-profit financial management, budgeting, audit, and compliance.  

• Knowledge and management of government contracts, including city, state, and quasi-government structures 

• Experience with PEO platforms.  

• Experience working with senior leadership and Boards.  

• Demonstrated ability to manage financial operations in a lean environment. 

• Excellent analytical, organizational, and communication skills. 

• Demonstrated leadership ability, team management, and interpersonal skills. 

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (especially Excel, Outlook, and Teams). 

• Experience with Blackbaud Financial Edge and/or Raiser’s Edge a plus. 
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WORK ENVIRONMENT 

• Hybrid with 2 days a week in office required. 

• Local travel may be required to attend meetings with board members, law firms and partnering agencies. 

• Travel to conferences may also be required. 
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OUR COMMITMENT:

HER JUSTICE is an Equal Opportunity Employer. HER JUSTICE does not discriminate due to race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender and/or gender identity or expression, marital or parental status, national origin, ethnicity, citizenship status, veteran or military status, age, disability, unemployment status or any other legally protected basis, and to the extent permitted by law. Qualified candidates of diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds are encouraged to apply for vacant positions at all levels.

IN-OFFICE WORK:

Her Justice works on a hybrid schedule with in office days being Wednesday and Thursday. We currently do not accept fully remote applicants.