The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) is seeking a Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”) to lead its global financial strategy and operations. This executive role involves overseeing finance functions across multiple international locations, supporting both non-profit and for-profit entities, and ensuring compliance with legal and tax requirements. The CFO also oversees Global Procurement, Real Estate, Facilities and Security.
- Organization Overview: Established in 1931, GIA's global headquarters are based in Carlsbad, California. GIA has revenues exceeding $300M in 2025 and employs approximately 3,000 people across the world. It has laboratories that grade diamonds and gems in 9 locations – Carlsbad, New York, India, Thailand, South Africa, Botswana, Dubai, Hong Kong, and Japan. It provides education in gemology, jewelry design and manufacture, through campuses in Carlsbad, New York, Hong Kong, India, United Kingdom, Thailand, and Taiwan. GIA also provides research in gemology and instrumentation with facilities in Carlsbad, Las Vegas, New Jersey, New York and Thailand.
- Role and Reporting: The CFO reports directly to the President and CEO. The role is an officer position with significant interaction with GIA’s Board of Governors. The CFO will have a day-to-day, ongoing impact on company operations, helping us to analyze, strategize, and grow our financial position and operations.
- Key Responsibilities: Responsibilities include overseeing all finance functions including Financial Reporting, Accounting and Control, Investments and Treasury, Financial Planning and Analysis, Budgeting, Tax, Insurance; and international finance operations. The role is also responsible globally for Real Estate, Facilities, Security and Procurement.
- International Scope: International finance experience is critical to the role. The CFO advises on finance and accounting of its affiliates, manages multi-country audits, tax matters, including multi-currency transactions, including dividends and royalties. The position oversees finance staff in multiple countries.
- Financial Reporting, Planning and Analysis: The role includes responsibility for financial reporting internal control, audit oversight, tax reporting, and maintaining relationships with external auditors, financial institutions (banks and investments) and tax advisors.
- The role monitors and evaluates the progress of the Institute toward meeting its financial goals; and adjusts objectives, work plans, schedules, and commitment of resources and prepares detailed reports for board meetings and GIA’s management team.
- Oversees oversight all financial reporting including Board financial reports, annual audit results and US and foreign tax reports. Provides monthly financial information to management teams and the Board of Governors.
- Monitor business performance with tracking tools, establish corrective measures as needed,
- Oversees and directs the preparation and issuance of the corporation's annual financial reports. Ensures business activities are financially managed so as to be prudent, effective, efficient, and legally compliant with non-profit regulations as well as ensuring that GIAs for profit entities that are compliant with all appropriate tax and other statutory requirements.
- Coordinates development of annual operating, capital, and program budgets, as well as reporting for the same. Collaborate with senior managers to efficiently develop budget proposals, provide access to project finance information.
- Develops and implements the best practices and tools to ensure a well-controlled yet flexible organization that has strong fiscal management, project coordination, cross-team communications, and workflows.
- Ensure compliance with national and local financial requirements by studying existing and new legislation and tax laws and taking appropriate action.
- Financing, Treasury Management, and Investments: The CFO manages the investment funds of GIA, its investment policies, oversees its retirement plans, insurance and banking relationships. The role:
- Manage investment of surplus funds, preservation of Institute assets and oversees 401(k) and 457(b) retirement plans.
- Oversees and maintains responsibility for the administration of the Institute's retirement, insurance, and risk management programs.
- Directs the treasury function in activities such as custodian of funds, securities, and assets of the organization.
- Establishes and maintains contacts with financial institutions that manage the institute’s investments and cash.
- Ensuring cash flow is compatible with operations.
- Performs risk management through analysis of company liabilities and investments and evaluating and managing capital and reserve structures.
- Support Business Growth and Cost Structure: Supports analysis of new revenue and business partnering opportunities, economic trends, analyze internal operations, and identify areas for cost reduction and process enhancement.
- Procurement: Oversees the Director, Global Procurement which actively manages all external contracts with third party vendors, including working with IT and other functions. Spend encompasses direct and indirect expenditures, operational and capital, at both domestic and international levels.
- Global Real Estate, Facilities & Security: Oversees all global real estate, facilities, and security with Vice President responsible for these areas reporting to the CFO. Projects include, among others, lease renegotiations, construction of new facilities and other property projects.
- Supervisory Role: The CFO directly manages six direct reports and approximately 40 U.S. based finance employees, plus international finance staff and others in procurement, facilities, and security, through either direct or matrix management, with authority over hiring and performance management.
- Qualifications, Skills, and Attributes: Candidates should have experience in financial reporting, international tax knowledge, working with boards, managing insurance programs and investments, polished presentation skills, and be willing to travel. The following key attributes are important to the role:
- CPA or equivalent; Prefer “Big four” training / experience.
- Minimum ten years’ experience outside the accounting profession working in mid-market organizations; including working with operations on business and corporate development initiatives.
- Ideally not-for-profit experience as well as for-profit experience.
- Significant international experience; ideally to include India.
- Financial reporting experience.
- International tax knowledge and ability to understand complex tax challenges, interaction of corporate taxes and withholding taxes; and different financial operating models. Be able to use such knowledge for tax planning.
- Experience of working with and presenting to a Board.
- Experience of managing investments; banking; insurance; cash management; foreign currency.
- Exceptional verbal, written, and visual communication skills. Be a “polished presenter” and experience of presenting on multiple topics and projects.
- Excellent leadership skills, with steadfast resolve and personal integrity
Other Requirements
- Travel: International and domestic travel will be required for this role.
- Language Skills: Ability to read, analyze, and interpret common scientific and technical journals, financial reports, and legal documents. Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from customers, regulatory agencies, or members of the business community. Ability to effectively present information to executive management, board of governors.
- Mathematical Skills: Ability to work with mathematical and financial concepts. Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations.
- Reasoning Ability: Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. The ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
Salary range: $350k - $500k
An Equal Opportunity Employer
All employment decisions are made without regard to unlawful considerations of race, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, or any other legally protected status. Reasonable accommodations are available upon request.
Disclaimer: This job description indicates in general terms, the type and level of work performed as well as the typical responsibilities of employees in this classification and it may be changed by management at any time. Other duties may also apply. Nothing in this job description changes the at-will employment relationship existing between the Company and its employees.
