>Back to Careers

About CLASP

The Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) is a national, nonpartisan, anti-poverty organization advancing policy solutions that work for people with low incomes and people of color. We advocate for public policies and programs at the federal, state, and local levels that reduce poverty, improve the lives of people with low incomes, and advance racial and economic justice. Our solutions directly address the barriers individuals and families face because of race, ethnicity, low income, gender, immigration status, and other marginalized identities and lived experiences.

For more than 50 years, we have kept our vision alive through trusted expertise on policy and strategy, knowledgeable and committed staff, partnerships with directly impacted people and grassroots leaders, and approaches to achieving economic, racial, and gender justice that are bold, innovative, and effective.

Within our broad anti-poverty mission, CLASP’s staff of more than 50 people is organized around five policy teams (Child Care and Early Education; Education, Labor & Worker Justice; Income and Work Supports; Immigration and Immigrant Families; and Youth Policy), partnering with cross-cutting teams that specialize in Communications, Legislative Affairs, Development,  Finance, Human Resources, and Operations. The Finance and Operations and Human Resources teams work closely together with the Chief Operating Officer (COO) and President/Executive Director (ED) to support the organization’s $11M+ annual budget.

This is a very exciting moment for CLASP and for the newly created position of Director of Finance and Operations. With strong fundraising and rising demand for CLASP’s work at this moment of urgency around economic and racial justice, the scale of CLASP’s work is growing. This growth includes both staff and partnership relationships (including with subgrantees and individual consultants). The position reports to the COO, who sits on the Senior Leadership Team and also has responsibility for organizational culture and human resources. This is also an exciting moment for the selected candidate because it will offer the opportunity to shape this work as part of a relatively new Leadership Team.

CLASP Values for Racial Equity

We understand that inclusion is only the first step toward fostering sustainable racial equity, in our society and within our organizational culture. At CLASP, we value the importance of including multiple perspectives in how we shape our organizational culture and engage in our policy and advocacy efforts. And we know that to move beyond inclusion and to achieve true racial equity, we must be intentional in centering and prioritizing the voices, perspectives, and lived experiences of people of color.

About the Position

CLASP seeks an experienced hands-on leader to join our organization as Director of Finance and Operations. The Director will lead CLASP’s financial and administrative operations and collaborate with the Administrative Manager for our information technology efforts with the goal of supporting the organization’s growth and strategic goals. As noted, this is a new position created as a result of CLASP’s steady growth, which requires a participatory leader to take responsibility for the full range of financial and administrative operations policies and practices, reporting directly to the Chief Operating Officer and working closely with the President/Executive Director.

The Director serves as a member of CLASP’s Leadership Team and is responsible for leading CLASP’s Finance and Administration Team and will directly supervise a staff of two.

A qualified candidate must possess

• A demonstrated commitment to improving the circumstances of people with low incomes and from historically marginalized communities, including immigrants and communities of color.
• Effective implementation skills and comfort working in the environment of a mid-sized and growing nonprofit, where everyone takes on multiple roles and responsibilities, including strategy and hands-on implementation.
• Master’s degree in finance, accounting, or business administration preferred (ideally with CPA or related certification).
• At least 10 years of progressive relevant experience and demonstrated capacity to lead; ideally 7+ leading within the broad operations, administration, and finance field and 5+ years of broad financial and operations management experience at nonprofit organizations with budgets over $5 million.
• Strong attention to detail, accuracy, and the capacity to work back and forth between detail and “the big picture,” see both the “forest and the trees,” particularly in the finance context.
• Strong capacity to set priorities, handle multiple deadlines and respond to multiple customers/audiences.
• Ability to work collaboratively and collegially in a team environment, including partnering with multiple work teams that require administrative support.
• Ability to present financial data and context clearly, including visually, verbally, and in writing.
• Demonstrated capacity to manage and mentor staff (both junior and senior) and develop systems.
• Candidate must be based in Washington, D.C. area or willing to relocate. CLASP has adopted a flexible hybrid work environment.

Essential Duties Include:

Finance (70%)

• Provide hands-on leadership and oversight to all financial systems and internal controls. Includes accounts payable, account receivables, cash flow analysis and expense management.
• Participates in developing, tracking, and reporting the annual planning and budget process in alignment with CLASP’s annual goals.
• Responsible for the quality and content of all financial data, reporting, and audit and federal tax return coordination in conjunction with an outside accounting consultant for the organization.
• Translate financial concepts to other management members and effectively collaborate with program colleagues who may not have finance backgrounds.
• Directly responsible for overseeing organizational and departmental budgeting, financial forecasting, cash flow, coordination of audit activities, IRS Form 990, and accounts payable and receivable.
• Preparing grant budgets for new programs, proposals, grant reporting, and contracts in conjunction with Sr. Finance Manager.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local legal requirements, ensuring timely filing of all financial and other reporting.
• In conjunction with the COO, oversee banking and investments, financial sustainability, and financial statement review.
• Manage relationships with outside accounting and auditing firms.
• Review, approve, and negotiate contracts as needed.
• Develop and continuously improve processes for partnering with policy teams, especially around systems for paying people who are currently experiencing poverty with a minimum of administrative burden.
• Collaborate with the Director of Development to ensure that contributions and grants are accurately coded and reported.
• Partner with Director of Human Resources on policies and systems that have financial and operational implications for the organization.

Operations:

• Ensure CLASP has excellent standard operating policies and procedures that help guide, support, and reflect the organization’s culture and values, including operational and financial policies that are accurately documented, routinely updated to reflect best practices, aligned with the organization’s racial equity vision and values, and implemented throughout the organization.
• Oversee processes to maintain all business licenses, insurance and corporate reporting, and organizational files.
• Manage relationships with general office personnel to ensure smooth operation.

 Information Technology:

• Work with administrative staff and CLASP’s external IT contractor to meet the organization’s IT needs. Collaborate with the Administrative Manager relating to the maintenance of current systems and the implementation of new technology.

Operations:

• Ensure that all routine office operations, including management of CLASP’s office space, are running smoothly to support the needs of the organization.

COVID Policy:

We have a mandatory vaccine policy as a condition of employment (applicable accommodations apply).  Masking is required in all common spaces.

Salary Range: $120,000 – $145,000

Salary within the range is commensurate with experience. CLASP offers exceptional benefits, including several employer-paid health insurance options, dental insurance, life and long-term disability insurance, long-term care insurance, a 403(b)-retirement program, flexible spending accounts, and generous vacation, paid sick leave, paid family and medical leave, and holiday schedules.

Application Process:

To express interest in the role, please submit a resume and cover letter via email to resumes@thejobplugs.com with the subject line “CLASP Director of Finance and Operations”. All materials should be submitted in PDF format.

CLASP is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.

CLICK HERE TO APPLY