Finance Associate

Position Summary

Organization: Leadership for Democracy and Social Justice

Position: Finance Associate

Hours: Full-time, exempt, generally, 9:00am-5:00pm ET. Some weekends and evenings may be needed.

Location: This position will be expected to work in-person in New York City, dependent on public health guidelines (currently a hybrid work schedule, with 3 days in the office, subject to change). The office is located on the City College campus, and this position will be part of the staff team of the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership.

Pay and Benefits: The salary range is $73,460 – $83,460 annually. This position will be an employee of the CUNY Research Foundation, which provides a comprehensive benefits package.

Position Description

Two schools at the City University of New York (CUNY) – the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership at City College of New York and the CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies – have established a national center to recruit, develop and connect diverse leaders for social change who can imagine and implement visionary solutions for the enormous challenges we face in the 21st century. The new Leadership for Democracy and Social Justice (LDSJ) sees a compelling opportunity in the abundant talent of an emerging generation of Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) leaders and will meet a vital need for a scaled initiative that prepares leaders early in their careers in social justice traditions, ideology, literature and history in order to achieve power in all sectors.

The flagship programs of LDSJ are intensive cohort programs for early and mid-career participants that will provide a broad, ecumenical curriculum to give leaders a grounding in the history and theory of social change, in addition to real-world practice and experience. Leaders in the cohorts will participate in paid internships, have options to connect to degree-granting academic programs, and have access to robust wrap-around services including mentorship, career services, and community building.

LDSJ is hiring a Finance Associate to support operations functions for the cohort programming including financial operations, logistics and events management, and other duties to ensure cohort participants’ needs are met and programs run smoothly. The ideal candidate will be excited about creating structures and systems for the burgeoning program and embrace the idea that responsive and accountable operations are critical to an overall positive and healing experience for cohort participants. This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a dynamic, responsive learning culture that seeks to meet the needs of social justice organizations and emerging leaders of color. This position reports to the Director of Development and Finance.

Core responsibilities

Financial management

• Serve as the primary liaison between LDSJ and the CCNY Central Finance team.
• Serve as the primary approver for electronic disbursements.
• Develop a partnership with the Colin Powell School team to ensure disbursements are received, approved, and sent to the Central Financial Accounting office for processing.
• Updating disbursement tracker timely that is utilized by LDSJ and the Colin Powell School.
• Ensuring complete and timely submission of paperwork for financial disbursements for Fellows’ stipends, consultant and faculty invoices, and speaker and trainer honoraria.
• Provide proper receipts and back-up for all disbursement requests and credit card reconciliation.
• Managing invoicing for organizations who are sponsoring Fellow participation and/or other programmatic offerings.
• Support our Director of Development and Finance in fundraising work including collecting and organizing current funder information, data entry, letters, attachments and reports requested by funders.
• Communicate in a thorough and timely manner to fellows, faculty, and trainers on operations logistics and be responsive to questions.
• Supervise a Finance Coordinator.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated commitment to social justice.
• Minimum 3 years experience in finance or similar role.
• A passion for building systems and infrastructure.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build rapport and trust with colleagues and clients.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, accuracy, thoroughness, efficiency, and timeliness in completing work.
• Proven track record of resolving conflicts and diffusing tense situations with diplomacy and tact.
• Ability to remain patient and supportive when working with challenging individuals, fostering a collaborative environment.
• A passion for effective operations as a means of communicating care and providing wellness to people.
• Enthusiasm for working at a public university.
• Demonstrated emotional intelligence, effectively managing one's own emotions and understanding those of others.
• Demonstrated commitment to equity based on race, gender and class; demonstrated cultural competency skills and ability to connect with people from historically marginalized identities.

How to Apply

To apply, please send your resume and cover letter (PDF) via the Movement Talent Opportunity Board application portal by clicking the "Apply To This Job" button:

https://recruitcrm.io/apply/17380126128570060944fIp

Deadline to apply: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, priority will be given to those applications received by February 24, 2025.

Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership

The Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership includes all of the social science departments at CCNY as well as most of the core leadership development and public service programs of the College. Graduating the most CCNY students annually, the Colin Powell School promotes the values of service and engagement. The School supports a faculty of more than 250 tenure, tenure-track, and adjunct professors dedicated to the highest standards of research and to the university’s democratic and public obligations; the School is committed to disseminating research in usable forms, especially that which furthers equality, prosperity, stability, and peace for all people—in Harlem, in New York, and around the world.

CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies

The CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies (SLU) offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs in Labor Studies and Urban Studies that are designed to meet the needs of working adults as well as traditional-age college students who seek to learn more about the challenges confronting poor and working class populations in the workplace and in the community. It also collaborates with other units of CUNY to offer a range of college-credit programs designed to give workers the academic and technical skills they need for professional advancement. Its faculty includes distinguished scholars in the social sciences as well as expert practitioners in government, labor, and public service. In addition to its academic programs, SLU sponsors research; organizes forums and conferences; and publishes a national journal, New Labor Forum: A journal of ideas, analysis, and debate.

EEO Statement

The Colin Powell School is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer. We are committed to equity and inclusion and strongly value the experiences of historically marginalized people and encourage them to apply. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.