Location: Arlington, VA HQ
Work Days in Office: 5 days
Position Type: Full-time
FLSA Status: Exempt
Who We Are:
Spirit of America is a mission-driven organization operating at the intersection of national security, global partnerships, and real-world impact. We work alongside U.S. troops and diplomats in complex environments worldwide, delivering fast, targeted support that advances American interests and helps people secure a free and better life.
Our model is entrepreneurial, responsive, and built for action. We operate in dynamic, often austere environments where speed, accountability, and sound judgment are essential and where strong financial stewardship directly enables mission success.
Role Overview:
The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) is a strategic and operational leader responsible for the financial strength, integrity, and agility of Spirit of America. Reporting to the CEO, the CFO is a member of the Leadership Team and leads a high-performing finance team (currently 4 professionals) direct reports.
This role is central to enabling Spirit of America’s ability to operate globally with speed, accountability, and impact. The CFO ensures that financial systems, controls, and strategies accelerate mission impact and success.
The CFO will build and lead a finance function that fully supports global operations, establishing systems and processes that enable effective mission execution in complex environments. Equally important, the CFO will serve as a strategic thought partner to the CEO and Leadership Team, translating entrepreneurial vision into disciplined financial strategy, scalable operating plans, and measurable outcomes.
Who You Are:
You are a mission-driven financial leader who combines strategic insight with a hands-on, solutions-oriented approach. You understand that finance is a core enabler of mission success and take ownership of ensuring systems, processes, and decisions support agile execution in the field.
You bring deep experience in international nonprofit finance and overseas assistance operations, including budgeting, tracking, and disbursing funds in support of programs operating in complex regulatory and security environments. You are equally comfortable advising the Board as you are navigating real-time operational challenges, and you build clear, effective systems that allow teams to operate efficiently and with confidence.
You develop practical, compliant solutions for financing international operations and proactively solve problems to ensure funds move where they are needed—without disruption. You are a trusted partner to program teams, a strong operator, and a leader who brings clarity, discipline, and accountability to the organization.
Key Responsibilities:
Strategic Finance & Organizational Planning
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Advise the CEO, President, and Leadership Team on financial strategy, risk, and organizational growth
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Lead long-term financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and scenario analysis aligned with strategic priorities
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Translate organizational strategy into clear financial plans, operating models, and measurable outcomes
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Monitor financial performance and provide actionable insights to support decision-making and resource allocation
Board Engagement & External Relations
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Lead development of Board financial materials, including dashboards, forecasts, and narrative insights
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Serve as a trusted advisor to the Board and Finance/Audit Committee on financial health, risk, and strategy
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Manage relationships with auditors, banks, and financial partners
Financial Operations, Treasury & Controls
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Oversee all core financial functions, including accounting, payroll, budgeting, forecasting, and reporting
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Ensure accuracy, transparency, and integrity of financial systems and records
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Establish and maintain strong internal controls while enabling operational agility
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Lead treasury strategy, including liquidity management, cash positioning, and banking relationships
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Manage financial risk related to liquidity, currency, and global operations
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Align financial planning with revenue strategy in partnership with Development and the CEO, ensuring clear visibility into funding pipelines, restrictions, and use of funds
Global Program Finance & Payments
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Build and lead financial systems that fully support international program operations
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Establish and manage real-time tracking of program funding commitments, obligations, and expenditures
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Own execution of global payments, ensuring compliance and reliability across multiple disbursement pathways
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Proactively resolve payment and funding challenges to ensure uninterrupted program delivery
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Ensure financial and tax compliance across multiple jurisdictions
Risk Management, Compliance & Audit
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Develop and oversee enterprise risk management (ERM) framework across financial operations
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Ensure compliance with nonprofit accounting standards and all regulatory requirements
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Oversee sanctions, AML, OFAC, and anti-diversion controls
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Lead audit processes, Form 990, and all required filings and registrations
Systems, Data & Operational Excellence
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Implement and optimize financial systems to enable real-time visibility and decision-making
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Drive process improvements to increase efficiency, clarity, and responsiveness
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Ensure integration across finance, CRM, and operational systems
Leadership & Organizational Integration
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Lead and develop a high-performing finance team (4–5 direct reports)
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Foster a culture of accountability, responsiveness, and mission alignment
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Partner across the organization to embed finance as a core enabler of operations
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Contribute to organizational design, scalability, and institutional strength
Crisis & Contingency Leadership
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Lead financial response during crises, disruptions, or geopolitical shifts
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Ensure continuity of funding and financial operations in high-risk environments
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Develop contingency plans to maintain operational resilience
What Success Looks Like
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Program teams are fully supported by finance—they are not managing budgets themselves
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A clear, reliable system exists for tracking funding commitments in real time
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Overseas payments are executed efficiently, legally, and without delay—even in complex environments
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Payment challenges are solved with ownership and urgency—not escalated without action
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Financial reporting is accurate, timely, and decision-useful
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Strong audit outcomes and full compliance are consistently achieved
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Financial strategy enables growth, sustainability, and increased mission impact
Required Qualifications
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10+ years of senior financial leadership experience at the CFO or equivalent level in international nonprofit environments (for-profit experience a plus)
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CPA and MBA strongly preferred
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Extensive experience supporting overseas assistance operations, including budgeting and financial tracking
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Demonstrated ability to build systems for tracking program funding commitments and expenditures
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Experience managing financial operations across multiple entities, jurisdictions, and asset types
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Proven experience managing international payments and disbursements, including multiple compliant pathways
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Strong understanding of global regulatory environments, sanctions compliance, and financial risk management
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Excellent analytical, organizational, and communication skills
Key Professional Attributes
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High judgment and discretion with sensitive financial and organizational matters
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Executive presence and credibility with CEO, Board, and external stakeholders
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Ability to balance speed and control in high-stakes environments
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Clear, direct communicator who simplifies complex financial concepts
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Calm under pressure; decisive in ambiguous, fast-moving situations
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Strong operator who leads from the front—takes ownership and solves problems
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Builds trust quickly across diverse teams (program, development, operations)
Benefits
Benefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance, and 403(b) contribution match to 4%.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Spirit of America is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are based on merit and business needs without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, veteran status, disability, or other protected characteristics in accordance with applicable laws.
