Director of Finance and Accounting

Pocketbook Strategies is the finance and operations strategy firm for social movements and power building organizations.

Organizations across movement – be it an emergent campaign, or an evolving institution – need sophisticated infrastructure, and that's why they come to us!

We exist to meet the needs of movements and campaigns and help build the operational infrastructure they need to survive the whiplash of momentum cycles, navigate growing complexity, and sustain themselves for the long haul. Our movement needs financial and operational services that they can trust both with the technical needs of their organization, and an aligned vision for the world that we want to build.

We provide fractional CFO/COO advisory services, outsourced accounting & bookkeeping, and financial operations and compliance consulting to a variety of leading political, civic, and charitable organizations.

About the Role

The Director of Finance and Accounting leads Pocketbook's Finance and Accounting Department, ensuring excellence in client service delivery while driving strategic growth and operational innovation. This role has three components: 

1. Client Services: Combines hands-on oversight of critical financial functions—including monthly closes, nonprofit compliance, and financial analysis—with strategic leadership in developing new service offerings and refining existing ones. This role has a high level of direct client engagement.
2. Department & Team Management: The Director manages and develops the Finance and Accounting department, translating company strategy into measurable departmental goals while managing and coaching team members to elevate their capabilities. 
3. Company Leadership: As a key member of Pocketbook's management team, this position collaborates across functions to align the Finance and Accounting Department with organizational vision while maintaining rigorous compliance standards. 

The ideal candidate brings a combination of the following traits and experiences:

• Deep technical expertise in nonprofit accounting and financial management, 
• Track record of growing and managing teams, 
• Rooted understanding of how to work with organizers and campaigners
• The strategic vision to help shape Pocketbook's evolving service model in alignment with the needs of the field. 

Pocketbook was founded in 2022 to be the financial operations firm for social movements, power building organizations, and insurgent electoral campaigns. Our goal is to bridge the operational and financial skill gap to ensure the progressive movement has the infrastructure we need to win. Pocketbook runs on a strong foundation of established systems, with a service model built around responsiveness to our clients and the broader movement. The Director of Finance and Accounting will be comfortable working in both modes: operating and improving our existing systems and ensuring protocols are consistently followed, while also building new tools and processes to support services we’re testing and refining. Success in this role requires a strong grounding in accounting controls and standards, a dedication to a high-quality client service, and a deep commitment to the left. 

Location: Remote, with a preference for California. Expected to travel 3-6 times per year for staff meetings, retreats, and other in-person gatherings. 

Supervises: Leads a team of 6, with direct management responsibility for 3 direct reports and indirect oversight of the remainder of the team

Reports to: Founder & Director, Howie Stanger

Decision Making: Authority to make decisions that impact the strategic direction and effectiveness of a business unit, program, or function. Member of Pocketbook’s Management Team. 

Compensation: The salary range is $110,000 to $160,000 depending on experience and qualifications. The Pocketbook benefits package can be found here. 

Management and Leadership - 60%

1. Pocketbook Management Team - 15%
2. 1. Collaborate cross-functionally to align finance and accounting operations with organizational KPI’s, annual goals and client growth needs. 
   2. Serve as a strategic partner in refining Pocketbook’s growth trajectory; proactively evolving service offerings to meet emerging market/client needs while ensuring alignment with Pocketbook’s overarching strategy. 
   3. Ensure capacity planning, hiring plans, and new client intake are aligned with the company’s overall capacity and service delivery capabilities.
3. Department Leadership - 55%
4. 1. Provide oversight for the Finance and Accounting Department; manage and coach team members to elevate their leadership and technical capabilities.
   2. Foster a team culture that values innovation and growth, high-quality work, empowering team members to proactively improve processes and deliver exceptional client service 
   3. Build alignment around and monitor departmental goals and KPIs, ensuring that company strategy is translated into measurable results and team members are held accountable to their targets.
   4. Innovate on client service strategies and software infrastructure to drive operational excellence and growth, including but not limited to new service lines, client evaluations, pricing models, automation, and knowledge management systems.
   5. Manage the P&L for the finance and accounting verticals – working to ensure we’re matching client services with scalable financials.

Client Services -  Financial and Accounting Services - 30%

1. Ensure all monthly and annual closes, audits/reviews/compilations, and 990s pass rigorous accounting and nonprofit compliance standards.
2. Manage the systems and processes the Finance and Accounting Department uses to deliver high-quality monthly reporting to all client stakeholders, while innovating service delivery to increase client satisfaction and department effectiveness.
3. Ensure daily financial and accounting functions are performed in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), company policy, and all applicable regulatory requirements and legal rules and regulations for nonprofit operations.
4. Lead diagnostic/consultative financial service projects and major new client implementations; act as key advisor to complex or high-volume clients who need advanced financial services. 
5. Assist in launching and operationalizing new client service lines and refining existing ones, including training and certification programs, fiscal sponsorship, compliance diagnostics, and financial coaching.

Need to have

• 7+ years of nonprofit accounting, finance or related field experience, including direct ownership of GAAP-compliant monthly close, audit prep, and 990 filing
• 3+ years directly managing an accounting/finance team of at least 3 people.
• 2+ years of experience working with multi-entity nonprofit financial configurations.
• Proven ability to communicate complex financial, organizational, and regulatory information to non-experts. 
• Overseen 5+ annual audits/reviews/compilations as the responsible accounting lead or project manager. 
• Has led launch of a new service line or client program from concept to delivery
• 2+ years of direct P&L or budget ownership for a team or service line
• Fluency in QBO, Google Workspace and nonprofit and multi-entity operating structures are a must. 
• 2+ years in a director-level or department-head role owning any of the following:
• • Setting departmental KPIs (or equivalent metric) and performance accountability structures
  • Significant culture change initiatives
  • Organization-wide strategic planning

Nice to have

• CPA/MBA credential
• 2+ years experience with FEC reporting compliance
• Significant, measurable experience leading an ERP or financial operations system implementation.
• Experience using Sage Intaact, Netsuite, Rillet, or other cloud-based ERP systems. 
• Has managed a team through at significant headcount growth
• 5+ years serving as the technical advisor on complex or high-volume client accounts