Director of Finance and Operations

Massachusetts Advocates for Children

Job Description

Director of Finance and Operations 

Application Deadline: March 25, 2026

About MAC

Massachusetts Advocates for Children (MAC) is a non-profit legal aid organization working to remove barriers to education for low-income students, children with disabilities, immigrant children, and Black and Brown youth. During a time when civil rights in education are under political attack, MAC is a key leader in fighting to maintain and enforce longstanding education protections for these children in Massachusetts and achieve education equity. 

Our work is multi-level and is driven by a community-informed, ground-up advocacy model. We use a combination of direct legal advocacy for families, strategic litigation, legislative change, coalition leadership, community training, and a multilingual helpline that serves thousands each year. Our longstanding organizational commitment to racial equity guides both our internal practices and external advocacy, aligning our work with equity, justice, and inclusion and equipping us to identify structural racism internally and externally. 

To learn more about our mission and work, please visit MAC’s website or view a video about who we are.  

The Opportunity 

Reporting to the Executive Director and serving on the MAC leadership team, the Director of Finance and Operations is a newly created senior leadership role that powers the systems, practices, and culture behind our mission. This position brings together financial stewardship and operational leadership, and serving as MAC's internal anchor for both day-to-day organizational health and longer-term sustainability planning. 

You will be the Executive Director’s primary thought partner on finance and operations, managing the relationship with MAC's outsourced accounting firm, leading the annual budget process, and ensuring that our technology, facilities, HR administration, and internal systems all run with clarity and care. MAC is at an exciting moment of growth, having just moved to a new office with a strong, diverse, and motivated team deeply committed to our mission. 

We are looking for someone who has done this work before and is ready to step in and lead. If you are a seasoned finance and operations professional who is mission-aligned, digitally savvy, and energized by building equitable, well-run organizations, we want to hear from you. 

Leadership Scope 

  • Serve on the leadership team, partnering closely with the Executive Director on planning and priorities related to finance and operations. 

  • Act as MAC's internal thought partner on organizational sustainability including mapping long-term financial scenarios, surfacing risks and opportunities, and supporting multi-year planning. 

  • Supervise the experienced Office Manager and lead organization-wide operational initiatives. 

  • Serve as the internal change manager including facilitating and championing adoption of new tools, processes, and norms with accessibility, equity, and staff wellbeing at the center. 

  • Prepare and present operational and financial insights to staff, leadership, and the Board, including in partnership with the Board Finance Committee. 

  • Hold budget responsibility for core operations and vendor contracts in line with organizational policies and with oversight of the Executive Director. 

Key Responsibilities and Impact Areas 

1) Financial Operations & Organizational Sustainability 

  • Manage the day-to-day relationship with MAC's outsourced accounting firm, including responsibility for GL coding, review, accuracy; grant compliance; and identifying opportunities to optimize the partnership with firm.  

  • Lead the annual budgeting process in close collaboration with the Executive Director and accounting firm; partner with accounting firm in development of monthly and quarterly financial reports and narrative insights to be provided to the Board. 

  • Partner with the Executive Director and the Board's Finance Committee on organizational sustainability planning.  

  • Strengthen staff understanding of financial stewardship through clear guides and internal training. 

2) Operations Leadership 

  • Oversee and manage day-to-day organizational operations to ensure efficiency, alignment, and smooth functioning of the overall organization. 

  • Develop, implement, and refine internal policies, procedures, and systems to support productivity and organizational health. 

  • Partner with the Executive Director to support organizational planning and priority setting as related to operations. 

3) Technology, Data, & Security 

  • With support and in collaboration with MAC’s IT vendor and providers, oversee a reliable, secure technology environment (hardware, software, licenses, access, and backups) that supports hybrid work. 

  • Improve systems for collaboration and knowledge management. Champion user-friendly tools and training, with thoughtful, accessible rollout across a diverse team. 

  • Uphold data privacy and security practices aligned with legal and ethical standards — MAC's work requires a high standard of care for the families and communities we serve. 

  • Evaluate and implement technology improvements (including AI tools where appropriate) with the maturity to bring a diverse staff along at the right pace and in the right way. 

4) Office, Facilities, & Safety 

  • Lead and steward the relationship and communications with building management.  

  • Take measures to support a safe, welcoming, accessible, and productive office environment that fosters wellbeing. 

  • Oversee facilities, vendors, and supplies with support from Office Manager.  

  • Maintain clear protocols for safety, and incident response. 

5) Human Resources & Benefits Administration 

  • Manage vendor relationship with professional employer organization (PEO), which operates/maintains the employee benefits program. Manage annual renewals of the PEO in consultation with ED and Board.  

  • Support the development, implementation, and updating of HR policies, procedures, and employee handbook materials with Board Personnel Committee and Executive Director input. 

6) People Support, Culture, & Equity in Operations 

  • Supervise, coach, and support the Office Manager to ensure smooth administrative operations. 

  • Design operational practices that reflect MAC's racial equity commitments (e.g., transparent decision-making, accessible communication, inclusive procurement). 

  • Facilitate change thoughtfully, supporting staff through transitions in tools and processes. 

Qualifications 

We value a wide range of experiences and pathways. We also recognize that people from historically marginalized communities may not apply for positions if they do not have every qualification. If you believe you can thrive in this role, we encourage you to apply.  

This is a senior leadership position; we anticipate qualified candidates will have built the relevant skills over a meaningful number of years in similar roles. 

  • Demonstrated experience in a Director of Finance and Operations, Director of Operations, or comparable senior finance/operations role in a nonprofit or similarly complex environment. 

  • Strong financial literacy, including leading the annual budget process internally, preparing financial dashboards, and communicating financial insights to non-finance audiences including boards. 

  • Experience managing or partnering with outsourced accounting or finance firms, or equivalent in a large organization. 

  • Strong project and change-management skills; ability to implement new systems and thoughtfully bring diverse teams along. 

  • Clear, proactive communicator who builds trusting relationships across roles, generations, and identities. 

  • Digital savviness: comfort with core IT concepts, vendor management, and knowledge management platforms (e.g., SharePoint, Microsoft 365); ability to evaluate and implement new tools with good judgment. 

  • Understanding of data privacy and security practices as applicable in non-profit environment. 

  • Demonstrated commitment to equity, inclusion, and accessibility in operational and financial design and decision-making. 

  • Experience supervising, coaching, and developing staff. 

  • Professional maturity to work effectively in an intergenerational, multiracial, multicultural, disability-inclusive workplace. 

Location, Compensation & Benefits 

Location: Hybrid; at least two days per week in our new Boston office located in the NonProfit Center near South Station. Because this role oversees core operational and staff-support functions, there may be times when additional in-person time is required. We plan ahead whenever possible and have historically maintained a highly flexible and family-friendly work environment. 

Salary Range: $105,000–$120,000, established through market benchmarking and aligned with MAC's racial equity-informed internal compensation framework. 

Benefits: 

  • ***Pilot 4-day workweek*** (Fridays off at full pay. Read more here) 

  • Health insurance with 85% employer contribution 

  • Employer-paid life and short-term disability insurance 

  • 401(k) retirement plan with employer match  

  • Generous paid time off: 2 weeks vacation to start, 15 sick days, 11 holidays + 2 floating holidays, office closure from December 26–January 1, and 2 personal days 

  • Sabbatical eligibility after 7 years of service 

How to Apply 

Interested candidates should submit their application materials to Elsa Liu at eliu@massadvocates.org with “Director of Finance and Operations Application– [candidate name]” in the subject line. Applicants must submit both a cover letter and resume. Applications without a cover letter will not be considered. 

The hiring process includes a virtual interview, skills assessment, and in-person interview. Applications are due on March 25, 2026.  

MAC is committed to a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace. We strongly encourage applications from Black, Indigenous, and People of Color; bilingual and bicultural candidates; LGBTQIA+ people; and people with disabilities. We are an equal opportunity employer and prohibit discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, veteran status, marital status, age, or sexual orientation.