Director, Finance

$110,000 - $125,000/Yr

Sesame Workshop - New York, NY

Full-time - Senior

New York, NY

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

About the position

Sesame Workshop has an immediate need for an experienced Director, Finance to oversee and own the budgeting, financial planning, and reporting for a portfolio of programs within the International Social Impact group. This role is crucial for ensuring the financial health and compliance of various humanitarian projects and country offices. The Director, Finance will be responsible for managing all aspects of the accounting and finance functions for assigned portfolios, which includes general ledger management, funder program budgeting, accounting, and reporting. The ideal candidate will possess a strong financial background, particularly in donor budgeting and reporting, and must be detail-oriented and comfortable handling highly confidential information. In this position, the Director, Finance will support the financial management and reporting for a diverse portfolio of international programs. The successful candidate will have solid experience in budgeting, financial planning, reporting, and compliance, which is essential for managing large components of the International Social Impact portfolio. The role requires the ability to delegate tasks effectively while remaining the primary finance contact for all projects and programs within the portfolio. Candidates should have advanced experience working in an NGO or non-profit environment, including creating, revising, and monitoring donor-funded program budgets, supporting proposal development, and preparing financial reports such as budget versus actual analyses. The Director, Finance will also be expected to build financial models, forecast revenues and expenses, and incorporate historical performance into the planning and budgeting process. This position requires a candidate who can operate independently while also collaborating with team members to achieve common goals. Strong communication skills are essential, as the Director will present financial information and recommendations to senior management, including the SVP of International Social Impact and the Chief Development Officer. Previous experience providing financial support to international offices or subsidiaries is also a key requirement for this role.

Responsibilities

• Manage all areas of the accounting and finance functions for assigned portfolios, including general ledger and funder program budgeting, accounting, and reporting.
• Plan and execute the coordination and preparation of the assigned portfolio's annual budget, monthly close, quarterly forecasts, and oversight of all program budgets.
• Address questions from donors about budgets, financial plans, expense timelines and projections, and underlying budget assumptions.
• Review plans to spend for budget applicability and reasonableness. Ensure all program expenditures follow Sesame Workshop's internal policies and procedures as well as donor requirements.
• Review and approve all documentation and support for program spending to ensure reasonableness, allowability and allocability.
• Review third-party/sub-recipient budgets, contracts, and cash flow statements against funder agreements and internal financial projections.
• Consolidate sub-recipient budgets and financial reports to create cohesive budgets and financial reports, according to donor guidelines and format.
• Review grant/sponsorship/other revenue deal memos and grant/sponsorship/other revenue contracts for financial implications.
• Continuously monitor budget versus actual and notify Program Leads, Finance management, and other key team members of budget variances and/or the need for revised budgets.
• Complete Quarterly Close and Estimates; ensure that all actual and projected revenue and expenses are accurately recorded, accrued, and reported in Sesame Workshop's financial systems.
• Prepare, review and approve proposal budgets for assigned portfolios.
• Support annual audit, including annual uniform guidance audit, as it relates to international projects and subsidiaries.
• Lead consolidation of branch offices and subsidiaries within assigned portfolio and ensure conformance with US GAAP reporting and disclosure requirements.

Requirements

• Must have the legal right to work in the United States
• Bachelor's degree, MBA or equivalent experience. CPA or related degree/certification is a plus
• 7+ years of experience in financial planning, fiscal management, accounting and non-profit accounting or funding experience; thorough understanding of GAAP
• Experience with government grant reporting, USAID funded projects experience a plus
• Experienced in budgeting and reporting in foreign currency, currency conversion
• International business experience including experience with international branch offices or subsidiaries, including knowledge of international accounting standards and taxation is a plus
• Thorough understanding of General Ledger systems; knowledge of NetSuite and/or TM1 a plus
• Experience with US government grants and contracts and the related compliance requirements
• Proficiency in Excel and PowerPoint

Nice-to-haves

• Experience with international accounting standards and taxation
• Knowledge of NetSuite and/or TM1
• Experience with USAID funded projects