$92,000–$110,400 Per Year
Accounting, Alliance/Partner Management, Analysis Skills, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Automation, Budget Management, Budgeting, Business Administration, Channel Strategies, Communication Skills, Continuous Improvement, Cross-Functional, Data Analysis, Data Modeling, Data Quality, Diversity, Documentation, Economics, Finance, Financial Analysis, Financial Management, Financial Modeling, Financial Operations, Financial Planning, Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A), Financial Policies, Financial Risk, Financial Systems, Forecasting, Head of Finance, Leadership, Machine Tool, Outsourcing, People Management, Process Improvement, Quality Management, Strategic Planning, System Integration (SI), Team Lead/Manager, Technical Leadership, Time Management, Variance Analysis
Reports to: Chief Financial Officer
Staff reporting to this position: Budget Analyst
Department: Administration
Position classification: Exempt, full time; Nonunion - Level 7
Compensation range: $92,000-$110,400 per annum
Work site: On-site (Washington, D.C., office)
Summary
American Progress is seeking a Director of Financial Planning and Analysis for a hands-on technical leadership role that owns the organization's budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning functions. This position is expected to be fully immersed in the models, data, and details of financial operations-building, operating, and interrogating the work directly, rather than overseeing it from a distance.
The Director leads the full planning cycle from initial budget development through board-level reporting, serves as a strategic partner to senior budget owners across the organization, and drives the modernization of the finance function through process improvement, AI tooling, and smart resourcing decisions.
The ideal candidate combines deep technical expertise in financial modeling and analysis with a developing ability to lead cross-functional conversations, manage a team, and engage senior stakeholders at the level of strategic planning. This is an explicitly hands-on role; the successful candidate will be expected to work directly with Excel, financial systems, and planning tools as a core part of their day-to-day function.
Responsibilities:
Financial planning, budgeting, and forecasting (40 percent)
- Own and manage the financial planning cycle.
- Develop and maintain detailed financial forecasts, rolling projections, and variance analyses that provide actionable insights.
- Build and maintain high-quality, auditable financial models.
- Translate complex financial data into clear, concise narratives and visualizations for executive and non-financial audiences.
- Drive a disciplined variance analysis to optimize models and forecasts.
Senior-level budget owner relationships (20 percent)
- Act as the team's primary partner to senior leaders, leading disciplined budget reviews grounded in a deep understanding of departmental operations and strategic priorities.
- Surface and drive action on financial risks and opportunities, delivering clear insights and recommendations while building trust in the Finance team as a strategic advisory function.
Process improvement, systems, and AI integration (20 percent)
- Stabilize and modernize the team's function by documenting and continuously improving core processes.
- Drive the organization's ambition for AI utilization across the finance function-evaluating, piloting, and implementing AI tooling to automate routine work and enhance analytical capabilities.
- Ensure full and effective utilization of the financial systems for real-time data visibility and reporting accuracy.
Team leadership and development (10 percent)
- Manage and develop direct reports and the team by setting clear performance expectations aligned with the function's transformation.
- Foster a culture of technical excellence and continuous learning, shaping hiring profiles to ensure the team is built for future organizational needs.
Cross-functional and strategic partnership (10 percent)
- Partner cross functionally to integrate financial planning into organizational decision-making, supporting long-range strategic modeling and delivering timely, accurate, and clearly communicated financial insight that enables confident executive leadership.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Requirements and qualifications:
- At least seven years of progressive experience in financial planning, budgeting, and analysis; experience in a complex multi-entity or high-growth environment preferred.
- Bachelor's degree in finance, accounting, economics, or a related field required; an advanced degree (MBA or equivalent) is a plus.
- Exceptional hands-on financial modeling expertise, with the ability to independently build, operate, and quality check complex Excel-based models.
- Proven ownership of the full annual budget cycle, including end-to-end management and preparation of executive- and board-level materials.
- Rigorous variance analysis capability, using detailed variance work to validate data integrity, challenge assumptions, and assess the soundness of financial policies, methodologies, and reporting.
- Ability to lead and influence senior leaders, effectively guiding high-stakes budget discussions with department heads and organizational leadership.
- Strong systems, AI, and analytics orientation, including experience with financial planning platforms, interest in deploying AI and automation, and familiarity with outsourced data and analytics partnerships.
- Clear communication and leadership skills, with the ability to translate complex financial insight for non-financial audiences while managing and developing high-performing teams with accountability and precision.
American Progress offers a full and competitive benefits package. Candidates from diverse backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply. Final salary may be above the posted range commensurate with experience.