Finance Operations Specialist

Description Protect Democracy seeks a Finance Operations Specialist to join our small, highly collaborative Finance team. In this role, you will manage the financial lifecycle of organizational spending, from budget and contract through purchase order, invoice, payment, and financial reporting. This is an excellent opportunity for a finance operations professional who enjoys owning complex cross-functional processes, understands how individual transactions connect to budgets and financial reporting, and is motivated by building systems that help an organization operate effectively. Protect Democracy was formed with an urgent and explicit mission: to prevent our democracy from declining into a more authoritarian form of government. We anchor all of our work in service of our mission: it is the foundation of our team, be it litigation, advocacy, or ensuring that our organization has the secure financial operations to continue to meet the urgency of the moment. This is a hands-on role with meaningful ownership. You will manage cross-functional financial workflows and participate in day-to-day transaction processing, partnering closely with Accounting, Legal/Compliance, People Operations, and teams across Protect Democracy. You should be interested in the full financial story behind a transaction—not simply whether an invoice can be paid, but what commitment it relates to, where it belongs in the budget, whether appropriate approvals and documentation are in place, and how it should ultimately appear in our financial reporting. You can work remotely from nearly any location in the United States.* We strongly encourage candidates from diverse backgrounds and from across the political and ideological spectrum to apply.A commitment to our mission and cross-ideological strategy for defending our democracy is essential. The priority deadline to apply for this role is October 15, 2026; we will review applications received after that date on a rolling basis. Please note that candidates who reach the final hiring stage will be required to satisfactorily complete a pre-offer background check.** The Finance Operations Specialist will: Own significant portions of Protect Democracy’s contract-to-payment lifecycle , coordinating cross-functional workflows from Finance review and contract execution through vendor setup, purchase orders, invoice review, payment, renewal, and closeout; Develop strong working knowledge of organizational, team, and project budgets and spending commitments , using that context to review proposed spending, maintain accurate PO and commitment records, monitor contract utilization and upcoming actions, and identify issues requiring resolution; Review and process invoices, reimbursements, and card transactions while protecting the integrity of financial data , ensuring appropriate documentation, approvals, coding, policy compliance, and connection to underlying contracts, POs, and budgets; Project-manage Finance Operations initiatives , coordinating stakeholders, timelines, decisions, dependencies, and execution through completion; Design and continuously improve Finance systems, workflows, and controls , including Ramp procurement/contract functionality, Finance Help Desk processes, integrations, automations, and procedures; Serve as a knowledgeable Finance partner to staff and vendors , independently resolving routine and moderately complex issues and exercising judgment about when matters require escalation; Support budgeting, forecasting, and financial analysis by maintaining reliable committed-spend information, identifying potential variances, and helping connect operational spending activity to the broader financial picture; Contribute to broader Finance priorities and projects , including year-end, audit, reporting, systems implementation, and other cross-functional work as needed. Requirements The ideal candidate brings: Approximately 4–7 years of relevant professional experience in finance operations, accounting operations, procurement, accounts payable, or a related field, including experience across multiple stages of the procure-to-pay or contract-to-payment lifecycle; Demonstrated experience independently owning processes or workstreams and project-managing cross-functional work across financial entities involving multiple stakeholders, deadlines, dependencies, and deliverables; Working knowledge of accounting, budgets, and financial reporting , including the ability to understand how operational transactions and individual spending decisions affect the general ledger and broader financial plans; Sound judgment and problem-solving ability , including experience identifying discrepancies, resolving moderately complex operational issues independently, and escalating appropriately; Strong organizational, communication, and relationship-management skills , with the ability to manage substantial transaction/workflow volume and competing priorities without losing sight of the larger financial context; A proactive, systems-oriented approach , with demonstrated interest in improving processes, not simply maintaining them as they currently exist; A deep commitment to Protect Democracy’s mission. Preferred, but not required: Experience with nonprofit, legal, advocacy, project- or grant-based financial structures; Familiarity with Sage Intacct, Ramp, or comparable financial/procurement systems. Compensation The starting salary range for this role is $84,300 - $94,000 (FLSA Exempt) commensurate with the candidate’s relevant experience, capabilities, and skills, and in alignment with internal equity. About Protect Democracy * Flexible location. We are a remote-first organization based exclusively in the United States, meaning our staff work within the US and primarily virtually. We also offer shared workspaces for those who enjoy working in an office environment. We are established for remote work in many states across the country, and while candidates based anywhere in the United States are welcome to apply, we may not be able to offer employment in your current location. If you proceed in the hiring process, we will discuss where you currently live and what is possible in our initial interview. All staff are also required to travel at least two times per year to team retreats, and this role also requires periodic travel. (Accommodations to this requirement will be made only in exceptional circumstances.) Commitment to an inclusive workplace. Protect Democracy is an equal opportunity employer. We believe that a broad range of backgrounds, perspectives, and lived experiences strengthens our ability to analyze problems, craft solutions, and drive meaningful change. Protect Democracy encourages applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, or veteran status. Phenomenal benefits. Our benefits package includes generous sick leave and a flexible vacation policy where we encourage team members to take 4-5 weeks every year, along with 12 paid holidays, 6 weeks of paid family medical leave, and 18 weeks of paid parental leave. We also offer a 401(k) plan with up to 6% employer match that vests immediately. Additionally, we cover employee medical premiums at 100% (with up to 95% coverage for dependents depending on plan selection), and employee and dependents dental/vision at 100%. All employees have access to long-term disability and life insurance, fertility benefits, a home office stipend, and bonuses at the discretion of the Executive Director. Ample opportunities for personal & professional development. Candidates who do not meet all listed criteria should still apply, as our organizational structure focuses on providing mentorship and opportunities for professional growth. To apply for this position, please complete the application linked below. As part of your application, you will be asked to upload PDFs of your resume and cover letter. (Applications missing any of the required materials will be considered incomplete and not reviewed.) The priority deadline to apply for this role is October 15, 2026; we will review applications received after that date on a rolling basis. **More information regarding the background check: Candidates who reach the final stage of the hiring process will be required to satisfactorily complete a pre-offer background check. This may include identity verification, past employment and education verification, social media history, bankruptcy and civil court records, criminal records, and any other elements deemed relevant to the role and the security of the organization. Important notes Contact [email protected] if you require specific accommodations at any point in the hiring process. Keep an eye on your promotions/spam folders to avoid missed communication. A note on fair hiring and automated tech: To help our small team review applications efficiently and fairly, we use automated screening tools to assist with resume and response review. Every candidate flagged by our system is reviewed by a member of our recruiting team; we never rely on automated scoring alone to make hiring decisions. If you have questions about this process, or need an alternative application path as an accommodation, reach out to us at [email protected]. We are unable to provide status updates for each application we receive. If you reach out and do not hear back, please know it is not for lack of appreciation or interest, but simply for lack of staff capacity to respond to individual inquiries. The application will include a voluntary EEO survey so that we can monitor the applicant pool as a whole for representation and equal employment opportunities, and to evaluate our progress as an organization toward a diverse and inclusive workforce, which we believe is a pillar of a thriving democracy. The categories used by the EEO survey are limited and may not reflect your lived experience; please feel free to opt out of any of the questions. Your responses to this survey are entirely separate from your application materials, are not accessible to those responsible for hiring decisions, and will not affect your candidacy in any way.