Role: Director of Finance
Location: Remote with preference for Central, Eastern, and Mountain Time Zones
Status: Full-Time Exempt
Travel Expectations: 0% - 5% team meetings and to experience programming
Reports to: Chief Operating Officer
About the Surge Institute
The Surge Institute is an education leadership accelerator with a simple but important mission: Develop and elevate leaders of color who create transformative change for children, families, and communities.
The Institute’s signature programs were designed to develop and unite emerging BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) leaders and change the education landscape by providing them with a unique leadership development experience. We go beyond training. We connect, support, and elevate; and we do it all in love and through community. Learn more about Surge’s strategy and impact.
Surge’s success has brought the organization increased support and influence as Surge strives to make a positive impact in communities across the country through representative education leadership. This is an exciting time for Surge, and we hope to find motivated, disciplined, mission-driven individuals to join our team!
Job Summary
The Director of Finance is a critical, hands-on leader on the Operations team who will directly manage and execute the financial operations of the Surge Institute. This is an individual contributor role responsible for owning and performing key financial processes including budgeting, cash management, accounts payable and receivable, payroll, contract administration, and financial reporting. This role is a powerful opportunity to ensure that the financial backbone of Surge supports its bold vision for equity and education leadership.
This role is ideal for someone who thrives in both strategic thinking and detailed execution — someone who can build and maintain strong systems, collaborate across teams, and roll up their sleeves to get the work done. The Director will report to the Chief Operating Officer and work closely with external accounting partners, department leads, and Surge’s leadership team.
The Director of Finance will manage relationships with external accountants, who support nonprofit-specific technical tasks, as well as with our external auditor. There is no initial staff oversight in this role, though leadership growth and future direct reports may be possible as the organization grows.
Key Responsibilities
Financial Operations & Management
- Maintain and update department-level budgets, internal trackers, and financial reports with a high level of accuracy.
- Lead the day-to-day management of cash, investment, and credit accounts in close collaboration with the COO.
- Lead the day-to-day expense management through Expensify, including staff report collection, accurate coding, approval workflows, and timely processing.
- Lead the accounts payable process, including invoice receipt, coding, routing for approval, and submitting for payment. The Surge Institute utilizes Bill.com for invoice collection and payment process.
- Lead the accounts receivable process, including creating and tracking invoices.
- Create and maintain financial dashboards for staff and board to monitor Surge’s financial position.
- Serve as the internal owner of finance systems, tools, and permissions. Maintain and regularly update SOP documentation.
- Train team members on finance systems and ensure policies are communicated and understood.
- Lead the full contract lifecycle process, including intake, drafting, coordination for review, execution, and file maintenance for vendor and contractor agreements.
- Coordinate annual insurance renewal documentation with brokers and maintain Certificates of Insurance for events and grants.
- Collaborate with the COO and external accountants in the financial reporting process by creating and updating reports and presentations.
Budget & Partner Collaboration
- Provide regular department budget updates, analyze budget-to-actuals, and partner with team leads on financial decision-making.
- Provide grant-specific budget support and reporting in coordination with the Development team.
- Partner with the COO on the development of the annual budget process.
Payroll & Compliance
- Run semi-monthly and off-cycle payrolls through ADP.
- Support the maintenance of state tax accounts in partnership with our PEO and respond to related government inquiries with support from the COO.
- Support the external accountants with audit document preparation and other accounting tasks as needed.
Desired Attributes
- Financial Management Expertise: Deep understanding of nonprofit financial operations, grant accounting, and budgeting.
- Process & Systems Thinker: Skilled in improving workflows, increasing accuracy, and implementing user-friendly financial systems.
- Collaboration & Communication: Strong relationship-building skills and ability to translate finance concepts for non-finance team members.
- Detail-Oriented: Consistent in maintaining accurate records, reports, and processes across multiple streams of work.
- Values-Aligned Leadership: Commitment to Surge’s mission, and to equity, transparency, and continuous improvement.
Professional and Personal Qualities
- Demonstrates a deep connection to communities of color and commitment to transforming K–12 public education
- Takes initiative, adapts quickly, and embraces hands-on problem-solving
- Maintains precision and focus while managing multiple priorities
- Communicates clearly and translates complex ideas into accessible language
- Brings positivity, humility, and consistency to team interactions and deliverables
- Embodies Surge’s mission and through accountable, results-driven work
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or related field required; advanced degree or certification (e.g. CPA, MBA, MNA) preferred.
- At least 5 years of progressive experience in nonprofit finance, including managing complex budgets, accounts payable/receivable, and payroll.
- Experience with QuickBooks Online, ADP and Bill.com (payroll/AP platforms), Expensify (expense reporting), Salesforce (CRM), and Google Sheets (reporting/dashboard tools) is strongly preferred.
- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple deadlines, communicate effectively, and work in a fast-paced, remote environment.
- Ability to maintain regular work hours, with occasional flexibility to accommodate collaboration with team members in Eastern, Central, Mountain, and Pacific Time Zones (e.g., early morning or late afternoon meetings). The COO uses the Central Time Zone for regular work hours.
Compensation, Hiring Process, and EEO
Surge Institute offers a competitive total rewards package and consistently benchmarks our offerings to the nonprofit sector. The starting salary range for this role is $86,000 - $95,000 based on experience and qualifications. A comprehensive benefits package including unlimited PTO, company holidays, 401K retirement plan with a match up to 5%, and healthcare contributions between 60-80% depending on the selected plan, and a variety of other benefits are offered by Surge.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Candidates are encouraged to apply by April 25, 2025, as interviews are expected to begin in early May. The process will include 2–3 rounds of interviews, and candidates invited to complete a performance task will be compensated for their time.
All applicants will be informed of the status of their application. Due to internal capacity, we are unable to accommodate meetings or informational interviews with prospective candidates prior to the formal interview process.
Surge Institute does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, ethnic or national origin, age, disability, gender, sexual orientation, or other characteristics covered by law with regard to employment opportunities. The above is intended to describe the general content of and requirements for the performance of this job. It is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of job functions, responsibilities, or requirements and does not include the general job performance expectations applicable to all employees (e.g., regular, timely attendance).