about the job
The greatest waste of our time is the waste of talent. There are millions of people who once had the ambition to do great things with their career, but got stuck in jobs that don’t make the world better.
The School for Moral Ambition (SMA) helps people turn their ideals into action. We run fellowships, community programs, and campaigns that empower talented people to work on the world’s most pressing problems. From ending factory farming to fighting the tobacco industry and advancing tax fairness.
We believe that moral ambition — the drive to be one of the best, but measured by different standards of success — can become a cultural force. We’re not driven by guilt, but by enthusiasm: we’re simply excited about making the world a wildly better place.
You can read our founding principles here.
about the role
We’re looking for a Finance & Compliance Lead to professionalize and oversee our financial, compliance, and legal systems across our Dutch, Belgian, and US foundations. After our first two years of rapid growth, we’ve outgrown our part-time setup and are ready to take the next step in professionalization. You’ll be the anchor of financial clarity for a growing international organization — ensuring that our ambition is matched by a solid financial and legal backbone.
You’ll work closely with our Operations Director (Ruben), Executive Director (Jan-Willem), and the Finance Committee of the Board (Edmond Hilhorst and Mustapha Abdellati). You’ll also collaborate with our People Ops Lead (Catarina) on payroll, and with our Financial Administrator (also Catarina) on bookkeeping and accounts payable/receivable, as well as with external accountants and legal advisors in each country.
This is both a strategic and hands-on role: you’ll combine financial leadership with practical implementation and continuous improvement.
Key responsibilities
- Financial planning & budgeting – Maintain and evolve SMA’s annual and quarterly budgets across all entities. Strengthen the coherence of our global financial model and ensure consistent treatment of grants, donations, and other income streams.
- Financial reporting – Prepare clear and reliable monthly reports for the Alignment Team and board, ensuring consistency and transparency across countries.
- Systems & processes – Optimize and align our financial systems (MoneyBird, QuickBooks, Monitr, etc.) in collaboration with our financial administrator. Streamline workflows between bookkeeping, reporting, and payroll, and document procedures for clarity and accountability.
- Risk, compliance & legal coordination – Oversee SMA’s financial and legal compliance across jurisdictions. Coordinate with external legal and accounting partners on contracts, governance, and regulatory filings.
- Audit & governance – Prepare for audits and ensure a smooth, well-documented process. Liaise with accountants, auditors, and legal advisors to maintain high professional standards.
- Strategic finance & impact readiness – Contribute to multi-year planning and ensure SMA’s financial systems can support future growth, international expansion, and impact reporting.
- Capacity building – Strengthen financial literacy and compliance awareness within the team, helping colleagues make well-informed financial decisions.
What We’re looking for
- Ideally 3+ years of experience in a finance leading or controller role, but we’re open to candidates with fewer years who’ve already managed significant financial responsibility and are ready to grow quickly.
- Experience (or strong aptitude) in financial reporting, forecasting, and improving systems.
- Analytical and structured thinker who values clarity, integrity, and smart automation — and enjoys translating complexity into simple, usable systems.
- Alignment with SMA’s principles and an eagerness to (learn to) work in a self-managing environment using tools like Holacracy and GTD.
- Above all: someone who combines professionalism with curiosity: motivated to build and improve, even when things are still a little messy.
- Bonus: experience in cross-border or multi-entity environments.
- Bonus: understanding of nonprofit finance or foundation accounting, or curiosity to learn it fast.
NB: You should already have the right to work in the Netherlands (we’re not able to sponsor visas for this role).
What we offer
- A role at the heart of one of Europe’s most ambitious nonprofits, with the opportunity to shape our international financial foundation (NL, BE, US).
- A self-managing environment with clear roles, autonomy, and structure. We care about documentation, scalability, and automation, in line with the Action principle in Moral Ambition.
- Hybrid work setup and an office in the center of Amsterdam, including a daily vegan lunch.
- Full coverage of your public transportation costs between home and work, 25 days of paid holiday per year.
- €65.000–€80.000 annual salary based on 40hrs/week, depending on experience, plus a basic pension plan.
We value talent and a can-do attitude above traditional credentials. Even if you don’t meet every requirement, and especially if you think we might oversee an aspect that might make you a good fit, we welcome you to challenge us and apply. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and non-traditional career paths. If you have any questions or uncertainties about the role, reach out to Ruben directly.
Application process
- Application (20–31 Oct 2025)
Fill out the online form. No need for a long motivation letter, just answer a few focused questions. - First-round interviews (1–10 Nov)
Shortlisted candidates will have a 30-minute online conversation with our Operations Director. - Second-round interviews (10–15 Nov)
You’ll meet our People Ops Lead and Executive Director in two short conversations (30 minutes each). - Trial day (15-20 Nov)
We will invite the last 2 or 3 selected candidates to join us at our offices for a half day of trial collaboration. You’ll work on actual tasks together with us so we both get a deeper understanding for our match. We will reimburse you for your time and travel expenses. - Final interview (20/21 Nov)
You’ll meet a member of our Board Finance Committee for a 30-minute conversation. - Decision & offer (by 25 Nov)
We aim to make our final decision and offer by 25 November 2025.
