Vice President of Finance and Accounting, CommonLit
$170k
More information about location
Literacy eLearning platform
Be an early applicant
Literacy eLearning platform
101-200 employees
Be an early applicant
$170k
More information about location
101-200 employees
Company mission
To close the opportunity gap in literacy instruction and ensure that all students have the reading, writing, communication, and collaboration skills needed to unlock their potential.
Role
Who you are
- Master’s degree in accounting, finance, or a related field; CPA designation is highly preferred
- A minimum of 8 years work experience is required, with at least 5+ years of experience supervising finance staff
- Experience building, managing, and growing a finance function for a growth-stage organization is preferred
- Experience leading financial operations and strategy in an organization with a $25-$50 million annual budget preferred
- Strong knowledge of accounting principles, financial reporting, and regulations (GAAP)
- Mastery of financial and accounting software and reporting systems; expert in Microsoft Excel and other leading business intelligence/reporting applications
- Demonstrated leadership abilities and organizational skills, able to model maturity, dependability, integrity, and initiative
- Strong analytical and data analysis skills and ability to manage large volume data for generated reports to assist decision making at the company level
- Strong management skills, with ability to lead multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced and constantly evolving environment
- Strong skills in team building, mentorship, delegation, skill, and career development
- Outstanding communications skills, including oral, written and presentation including the ability to synthesize complex questions and professionalism when representing CommonLit to external partners
- Ability to maintain discretion and work with confidential and/or protected information
- This role involves prolonged periods in a stationary position at a desk and working on a computer
What the job involves
- CommonLit is seeking a Vice President, Finance and Accounting to serve as a strategic partner to our executive team and a steward of our non-profit’s financial health
- In this role, you'll lead long-term financial strategy and planning by owning our multi-year financial models, scenario planning, and capital allocation strategy, and translating our company vision into financial targets and actionable plans
- Partnering closely with the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Revenue Officer, and broader leadership team, you'll contribute to key decisions on pricing, growth investments, and market expansion, while delivering the data-driven insights and ROI analysis that shape how we allocate resources
- You'll also oversee org-wide budgeting and long-range forecasting with a sharp focus on the business drivers behind the numbers
- As Treasurer of the Board, you’ll be responsible for presenting on the company’s financial performance to the Board of Directors and external stakeholders
- Beyond strategic finance, the Vice President, Finance and Accounting will lead the organization's accounting and treasury functions end-to-end
- That includes overseeing day-to-day accounting operations, as well as guiding us through our annual audit, Form 990 submission, and any required state or federal filings
- You'll steward our cash management and investment approach, develop strategies to optimize working capital, and ensure compliance with accounting principles and company policies
- Just as importantly, you'll develop a high-performing team, providing mentorship and creating a collaborative environment where people can grow
- Strategic Finance
- Lead long-term financial strategy and planning
- Own multi-year financial models, scenario planning, and capital allocation strategy
- Translate company vision into financial targets and actionable plans
- Partner with Chief Executive Officer, Chief Revenue Officer, and executive team on key strategic decisions (pricing, growth investments, market expansion)
- Provide data-driven insights and ROI analysis to guide resource allocation
- Oversee budgeting, forecasting, and variance analysis with a focus on business drivers
- Budgeting and Financial Analysis
- Collaborate with leadership to develop and execute financial strategies aligned with the organization's overall goals and objectives; run scenarios based on the business landscape and economic conditions
- Analyze financial data to provide insights into the company's financial health, trends, and areas of concern; use insights to support strategic planning, budgeting and forecasting
- Assess the financial performance of the organization and identify opportunities for cost optimization and revenue enhancement
- Oversee the organization's annual budgeting process; develop a system for review, analysis, and prioritization of strategic pursuits and objectives to inform leadership's decision-making
- Present financial reports to leadership, the Board of Directors, and external stakeholders as required; serve as the Treasurer on the Board of Directors
- Accounting Oversight
- Lead the organization through the annual audit (and any other required state or federal filing)) and the submission of Form 990. Liaise between external auditors and the Board of Directors Finance Committee
- Oversee day-to-day accounting operations and the management of accounts payable, accounts receivable, general ledger, and payroll functions
- Oversee the preparation and distribution of accurate and timely financial statements, including balance sheets, income statements, budget to actuals and cash flow statements
- Ensure organization’s compliance with accounting principles, regulations, and company policies
- Treasury Oversight
- Oversee organization's cash management; steward the organization's monetary policy and investment approach under the governance of the organization's Finance Committee
- Develop and implement cash management strategies to optimize working capital and support operational needs
- Monitor cash flow and liquidity to ensure the company's financial stability and ability to meet financial obligations
- Review and approve banking transactions
- Team Leadership
- Provide guidance, mentoring, and professional development opportunities to team members
- Foster a collaborative and positive work environment that encourages growth and innovation
Application process
- Apply by: Friday, May 22, 2026 at 5 pm ET
Our take
The US Department of Education has reported that over 50% of US adults over the age of 16 lack proficiency in literacy. This figure is remarkable, and with educators still struggling to fill gaps in education, many fear it will rise. So CommonLit’s tailored literacy lessons may prove more critical than ever.
CommonLit is a non-profit edtech platform that provides research based reading lessons and resources for all literacy levels, grades 3-12. The curriculum is in use by over 20 million registered teachers and students worldwide, and 88,000 schools in the US alone - the majority of them low-income. It’s localizing many of its materials into Spanish too, to tap into the substantial Latin-American markets.
This kind of global reach and deep market penetration is a real coup for the business, especially given the highly competitive nature of the US edtech scene. Lalilo, OgStar Reading, and Simbi are among the many for-profit edtech startups looking to address the same issue, but they will struggle to compete with CommonLit's comprehensive free offering. Plus, CommonLit's non-profit status could mean it’s less vulnerable to the looming threat of the edTech bubble bursting. New products such as a Chat GPT detector for teachers exemplifies how CommonLit is keeping its finger on the pulse so as to maintain relevancy.
Steph
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
51% employee growth in 12 months
Company
Funding (2 rounds)
Oct 2018
$3.5m
GRANT
Oct 2016
$3.9m
GRANT
Total funding: $7.4m
Company benefits
- Health
- Dental
- Vision
- 401K
- Commuter benefits
- Company holidays
- Parental leave
- Sick leave
- Personal leave
Company HQ
Capitol Hill, Washington, DC
Leadership
Michelle Brown
(CEO)Graduated with a Master's in Education from Harvard, and subsequently spent time as a middle school reading and languages teacher.
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