Our Commitment to You
The NYCUDL is firmly committed to equal employment opportunity for all in all phases of employment, including the application process. We know that applying for a new job can be a daunting process. But we encourage all candidates with an interest in joining our organization to apply. You may be just the person we need. If you have any questions about your application or the interview process, please email us at jobs@debate.nyc.
NYCUDL Mission
The New York City Urban Debate League (“NYCUDL”) unlocks the transformative power of debate for New York City public school students to develop the next generation of informed, compassionate, and courageous leaders.
NYCUDL Description
The New York City Urban Debate League is a nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding access to competitive debate across New York City, with a focus on teaching underserved students. To advance this mission, the NYCUDL provides comprehensive support for students, educators, and schools—including year-round instructional coaching for educators, student workshops, over 35 annual debate tournaments, four weeks of Summer Debate Institute, and the development of original curriculum, including more than 100 lesson plans for educators each year. The League has experienced significant growth in recent years. Since the 2018–2019 school year, student participation has grown by nearly 80%, from 2,260 to just over 4,000 students annually. The number of participating schools increased by 60%, from 160 to 250, and the number of Title I schools served nearly doubled. With active partnerships in all five boroughs, the NYCUDL is proud to be the largest urban debate league in the country and remains deeply committed to teaching debate, fostering student voice, and supporting academic confidence and civic leadership across New York City.
Position Overview
The NYCUDL is seeking a Finance Manager to support day-to-day financial operations and partner closely with the Director of Finance & Operations.
This role is ideal for someone who is strong in accounting fundamentals and looking to expand into budgeting, analysis, and broader financial and operations management. The Finance & Operations Manager will help oversee internal and outsourced accounting processes, support budgeting and reporting, grants and compliance admin, and contribute to improving financial and operational systems and workflows.
This is a high-visibility role with significant growth potential, offering the opportunity to take on increasing responsibility over time.
Key Responsibilities
- Support day-to-day accounting operations, including accounts payable, accounts receivable (including pledges), and payroll
- Coordinate with internal staff and outsourced accounting partners to ensure timely and accurate processing
- Review transactions and reports for accuracy and completeness
- Assist in monthly and year-end close processes
- Help improve financial processes and tools used across the organization
- Support the annual budgeting process in collaboration with leadership and program teams
- Prepare regular financial reports, including budget-to-actual variance analyses
- Assist in developing monthly reporting packages for leadership
- Analyze financial data and highlight key trends or variances
- Assist in monitoring and forecasting cash flow
- Support financial planning and tracking of organizational spending
- Help ensure alignment between program spending and budget expectations.
- Support day-to-day organizational operations in partnership with the Director of Finance & Operations, helping ensure that internal systems, workflows, and processes run smoothly
- Help identify opportunities to improve operational efficiency, strengthen internal controls, and streamline cross-functional processes
- Coordinate with staff, vendors, and external partners to support organizational needs, timelines, and deliverables
- Assist with tracking key operational deadlines, renewals, and recurring organizational requirements
- Exercise sound judgment in managing day-to-day financial and operational tasks, identifying issues proactively and escalating as needed
- Support the coordination and tracking of grant reporting requirements and deliverables
- Assist with organizational administrative processes, including insurance renewals, compliance filings, and external reporting, such as charity ratings
- Help maintain organized records for grants, contracts, compliance materials, and key organizational documents
- Serve as a point of contact for HR-related processes in coordination with the Director of Finance & Operations and third-party HR provider
- Support payroll and employee-related administrative and financial processes
Qualifications
Required
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field
- 5–7 years of progressive experience in accounting or finance roles
- Strong familiarity with QuickBooks and Excel
- Experience supporting accounting processes such as AP, AR, payroll, or monthly close
- Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and work effectively in a dynamic environment
- Strong communication skills and ability to collaborate across teams
Preferred
- Experience in nonprofit accounting or environments with restricted funding
- Interest in growing into a broader finance leadership role
- Experience with NYCDOE procurement, MTAC, and government contracting is highly desirable
Why This Role
- Opportunity to grow into a senior finance and operations role over time
- Work closely with leadership and gain exposure to organizational strategy
- Contribute to a mission-driven organization serving over 4,000 NYC students annually
- Help build and improve systems in a growing nonprofit environment
Work Week
Employees are expected to work in-person, 5 days a week (a majority of Mondays & Fridays are remote in practice), including Saturdays when needed (not more than 6 throughout the school year). The expected work week is 40-50 hours. Comp time is offered for a full day of weekend work, with some stipulations.
Compensation
- Salary range: $95K –$110K, commensurate with experience
- Health & Wellness: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with no employee contribution for individual plans.
- Commuter Bonus: Monthly subway pass (OMNY/MetroCard) provided
- Time Off: 21 days of total annual leave (10 vacation, 5 sick, 5 personal, and your birthday), plus additional wellness benefits
Equal Opportunity & Growth
The NYCUDL is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in its employment decisions, in accordance with state and federal law. We are committed to a diverse workplace and to supporting our staff with ongoing career development opportunities.