Vice President of Finance, FESI (Remote, DC Preferred)

About Carrington Talent Group:

Founded in 2019 by Catherine Carrington, Carrington Talent Group has built a reputation for delivering high-quality executive search results that prioritize success for both clients and candidates. We are proud to be managing this search on behalf of FESI and look forward to engaging with you throughout the process.

About FESI:

The Foundation for Energy Security & Innovation (FESI) was created to help accelerate innovative solutions in support of American energy security, prosperity, and leadership. We are the official congressionally chartered, nonprofit partner of the Department of Energy (DOE). Founded in 2022 under the CHIPS and Science Act, the Foundation is uniquely positioned to serve as a bridge between the DOE, industry, researchers and funders helping to accelerate the speed, scale and stability of American energy innovation. 

In partnership with DOE, National Laboratories, industry, and funders, FESI can engage in ways no other organization can. Our philanthropic capital strategy draws from corporations, foundations, individuals and family offices, nonprofits and think tanks, and global partners

FESI is in a rapid startup phase, building its team and launching strategic initiatives. We operate at the intersection of a mission driven foundation and a fast-moving startup. That means we pair purpose with speed, discipline with creativity, and scale with entrepreneurial energy. We embrace curiosity as a daily habit, keep things fun even when the work gets tough, and hold ourselves to high standards of integrity. Everyone shows up prepared. We put people first because that’s how the mission is successful. We’re still designing many of the systems, processes, and norms that will define the Foundation in the long term. Every team member is responsible for both strategic thinking and hands-on execution. 
 

Position Summary:

The Vice President of Finance is a rare opportunity for a senior finance leader who wants to do more than manage numbers—you’ll help build the financial architecture of an organization with a genuine mandate to shape America’s energy future.

Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, the VP of Finance leads the day-to-day financial operations, financial planning, and fiscal stewardship of the Foundation. You (in collaboration with an external Controller partner, whom the VP will supervise) will ensure that FESI’s financial systems, controls, and processes support mission delivery, operational excellence, and the organization’s role as a trusted philanthropic partner to the U.S. Department of Energy. You will also serve as an advisor to senior leadership on efforts to raise philanthropic resources and build a platform that catalyzes private and philanthropic capital alongside public funding.

The VP of Finance leads core finance functions—including fund accounting, accounts payable and receivable, budgeting, forecasting, reporting, and audit readiness—while also serving as a strategic financial partner to FESI’s cross-functional Programs, Advancement, and Commercialization Platform teams. This is both a strategic and execution-focused role within a high-growth startup environment.

In the near term, your priorities are establishing rigorous financial infrastructure from the ground up: implementing and managing fund accounting systems that track restricted and unrestricted capital with precision (including federal and donor funds), building clean audit-ready processes, and serving as the financial backbone of a growing organization.

You will be responsible for building a team of full-time, part-time, and consultant talent over time—and for being a steward of organizational culture and decision-making as the Foundation scales.

The ideal candidate for this role is a finance leader who combines technical depth with the judgment, communication skills, and strategic range to operate effectively at the intersection of government, philanthropy, and mission-driven enterprise. The right candidate will be energized by building—not just managing—and will thrive in an environment where the work is still being defined.
 

 Key Responsibilities:

Financial Operations

• Oversee all core finance operations, including accounts payable and receivable, cash management, payroll coordination, and expense reimbursement
• Lead and manage rigorous fund accounting across all revenue streams—including federal-adjacent philanthropic activity, restricted donor funds, and unrestricted operating capital—ensuring traceability, accuracy, and compliance at all times
• Maintain and continuously improve finance systems, workflows, and internal controls; current systems include Sage Intacct, Martus, and Bill.com
• Ensure timely, accurate processing of payments, invoices, and financial transactions
• Supervise finance staff and external bookkeeping or accounting partners as applicable
• Ensure timely, accurate reporting for the board, donors, partners, and regulators
   

Budgeting, Planning & Forecasting

• Lead the annual budgeting process in collaboration with the COO and leadership team. 
• Develop and maintain multi-year financial forecasts aligned with strategy and program plans
• Support ongoing budget management, variance analysis, and re-forecasting
• Provide decision-making financial insights to support program execution, advancement strategy, and commercialization timelines

Financial Strategy 

• Develop and oversee the organization’s financial strategy in alignment with mission, programmatic priorities, and commercialization activity.
• Leads implementation and day-to-day management of the Foundation’s investment strategy in accordance with the IPS (investment policy statement), including cash management, reserves, and any mission aligned or catalytic investment vehicles. 
• Serves as the primary internal expert on investment structures, risk, liquidity, and financial performance, advising the COO, CEO, and Board as appropriate. 
• Collaborates with the VP of Commercialization Platform to evaluate, structure, and execute mission aligned investment opportunities that support commercialization, deployment, or market activation, ensuring consistency with the IPS, financial controls, and risk parameters.
• Over time, advise senior leadership on philanthropic capital strategy, including blended and braided financing structures that combine government funding, philanthropic capital, and earned revenue
• Over time, ensures that investment activity (enterprise or program adjacent) supports organizational sustainability, protects public trust, and reinforces the Foundation’s role as a credible philanthropic partner to the U.S. Department of Energy.
   

Financial Stewardship & Compliance

• Ensure strong financial controls, audit readiness, and compliance with nonprofit accounting standards, GAAP, and all applicable regulatory requirements
• Manage compliance related to restricted and donor-advised funds, grants and awards, and DOE-adjacent philanthropic activities
• Track and report on multiple grants, donors, and fiscal reporting requirements with precision—maintaining clear documentation across all funding streams
• Partner with the COO to manage organizational risk and strengthen financial governance
• Prepare financial materials for board and committee review; support a culture of transparency and accountability at the leadership level

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

• Bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, business administration, or a related field; CPA or Certified Nonprofit Accounting Professional (CNAP) strongly preferred
• 10+ years of progressive financial management and leadership experience, preferably in nonprofit, philanthropic, or mission-driven organizations
• Strong knowledge of nonprofit accounting, fund accounting, and GAAP - with hands-on experience managing restricted and unrestricted funds across multiple grants and donor relationships
• Demonstrated experience working with boards, audits, and complex financial structures 
• Experience in public-private partnership finance: blending or braiding public and private capital from the nonprofit side of the house; candidates from community foundations, hospital foundations, or similar intermediaries are encouraged to apply
• Exceptional analytical, communication, and leadership skills; executive presence with the ability to build trust across government, philanthropic, and private sector stakeholders
• Comfort operating in ambiguity and designing systems and processes from scratch

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in energy technology scale-up, demonstration programs, or early market deployment environments.
• Demonstrated experience working with both private sector operators and public-sector decision makers.
• Experience working in or alongside foundations, nonprofits, or other mission driven intermediaries with complex capital structures.
• Strategic systems thinking: the ability to see the full financial picture while managing the operational details
• Market and commercialization fluency: an understanding of how capital flows through innovation ecosystems
• Strong judgment in politically and commercially complex environments
• Familiarity with mission-related investment (MRI) or program-related investment (PRI) structures is a signal of the strategic range we’re looking for, though not required at this stage

Compensation & Benefits

Base Salary: $175k - 200k (Washington, DC benchmark; national role adjusted for regional cost of labor for candidates based elsewhere).

Benefits: FESI offers a competitive benefits package: 

• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• 403(b) retirement plan with employer match
• Short- and long-term disability and life insurance
• Paid time off (15 days) and all federal holidays, plus the week between Christmas and New Year’s
• Flexible work schedule and hybrid options

Work Environment

This role is open to candidates based anywhere in the United States with preference given to candidates already located in Washington, DC. While remote eligible, the position will involve a significant presence in Washington, DC due to close collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy and other federal partners.

The VP of Finance should expect to be in DC for meetings, briefings, convenings, and relationship building, approximately a week a month, with flexibility for specific engagements as they arise. FESI will cover reasonable, job-related travel expenses. Relocation is not required for this position.