Scion Executive Search has been retained to identify the incoming Chief Financial Officer on behalf of our client, Akin, a growing and evolving statewide nonprofit dedicated to helping children and families across Washington state strengthen and grow together. Akin accomplishes this mission by building a brighter future together, rooted in family.
The ideal candidate will bring a rare combination of strategic leadership, financial sophistication, operational discipline, and people development, serving as Akin's chief financial strategist, a trusted advisor to executive leadership, an effective partner to the Board, and a mentor to a talented finance team. This full-time, hybrid opportunity is located in Seattle, Washington.
ABOUT AKIN:
Akin exists to support and strengthen families in Washington state through a broad range of tailored child and caregiver services. With the primary focus on families with young children, its programs and services are built upon more than a century of experience in fostering nurturing environments and driving systemic improvements for families. Akin’s core values include 1) advocating for and alongside families, 2) cultivating relationships that foster belonging, 3) committing to their work and their communities, and 4) believing in audacious change and intentional transformation. To learn more, visit https://akinfamily.org/.
POSITION OVERVIEW:
The Chief Financial Officer (CFO), in partnership with the President & CEO and Board of Trustees (BOT), serves as Akin's senior financial leader and strategic advisor, responsible for financial stewardship, business planning, forecasting, budgeting, financial reporting, capital planning, and organizational sustainability. As a key member of the executive leadership team, the CFO provides the financial insight, analysis, and guidance necessary to support informed decision-making, organizational resilience, and long-term mission success.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
Executive Leadership & Strategic Partnership
- Serve as a trusted thought partner to the President & CEO and Executive Leadership Team, partnering on operational and strategic priorities and providing recommendations informed by financial analysis, forecasting, scenario planning, cost allocation, and revenue and expense analysis.
- Participate as an integral member of the Executive Leadership Team, contributing to organizational strategy, workforce planning, operational excellence, and long-term sustainability.
- Provide financial modeling, scenario planning, and strategic analysis to support organizational growth, innovation, emerging opportunities, and major business decisions.
- Support the development of multi-year financial plans aligned with organizational strategy and long-term sustainability goals. .
- Help evaluate new revenue opportunities, healthcare initiatives, service line expansion opportunities, and strategic partnerships.
Financial Infrastructure & Organizational Transformation
- Assess, strengthen, and continuously improve financial systems, controls, policies, procedures, reporting practices, and operational workflows to support organizational effectiveness, scalability, and informed decision-making.
- Establish, develop, and maintain scalable financial infrastructure, standardized operating procedures, internal controls, documentation, and accountability mechanisms across all finance functions to support organizational growth, operational excellence, and informed decision-making.
- Lead efforts to improve data quality, financial transparency, balance sheet integrity, forecasting capabilities, and organizational confidence in financial information.
- Evaluate organizational financial workflows and identify opportunities to improve efficiency, consistency, cross-functional collaboration, and overall operational excellence.
Financial Management & Stewardship
- Lead all aspects of accounting, budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting, cash flow management, treasury operations, and financial planning.
- Oversee annual budgeting, long-range financial planning, multi-year forecasting, and scenario modeling to support strategic planning, workforce planning, organizational sustainability, and major business decisions.
- Monitor organizational financial performance against budgets and strategic objectives, proactively identifying emerging risks, trends, opportunities, and corrective actions.
- Ensure timely, accurate, and meaningful financial and management reporting, including the preparation and communication of monthly and annual financial statements for federal and state funders, foundations, executive leadership, and the Board of Trustees.
Risk Management, Compliance & Audit
- Ensure legal, regulatory, contractual, and nonprofit compliance requirements are met across all financial functions.
- Ensure compliance with all applicable accounting standards, legal and regulatory requirements, contractual obligations, tax filing requirements, and nonprofit financial reporting standards across all functions.
- Serve as the primary liaison to external auditors and oversee annual audits, financial reviews, tax filings, and related compliance activities.
- Strengthen internal controls, risk management practices, and organizational accountability across all financial functions.
Multi-Entity & Complex Funding Management
- Provide strategic oversight of Akin's operating entity, Foundation, and future affiliated entities, ensuring effective financial management, reporting, governance, and fund allocation practices across multiple legal entities.
- Develop financial structures that provide effective oversight over complex funding streams, including federal and government contracts, grants, philanthropic funding, Medicaid reimbursement programs, other public funding sources, and affiliated entities.
- Partner with organizational leaders to evaluate, model, and support future growth opportunities, service line expansions, partnerships, new business initiatives, and evolving organizational structures.
- Develop sustainable financial strategies that maximize organizational resources, strengthen financial stewardship, and support long-term mission impact.
People Leadership & Team Development
- Lead, mentor, coach, and develop a high-performing finance team while fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, professional growth, continuous improvement, and operational excellence.
- Develop and manage direct staff, including finance leaders and other assigned business functions, while creating an environment where team members are empowered, engaged, and equipped to contribute at their highest level.
- Assess organizational structure, role alignment, workforce capabilities, and succession needs to ensure the finance function is positioned for long-term success.
- Build organizational capacity through coaching, cross-training, knowledge transfer, leadership development, and succession planning across key finance and accounting functions.
Board Engagement & Governance
- Build confidence and trust through clear, accurate, transparent, and audience-appropriate financial communication with the Board, executive leadership, and key stakeholders.
- Serve as strategic advisor and principal staff liaison to the Finance Committee, Audit Committee, Foundation leadership, Board of Trustees, and other assigned Board committees.
- Develop and present Board-level financial reporting, forecasts, dashboards, operating results, strategic analyses, and recommendations tailored to diverse audiences.
- Regularly engage Board Trustees and Finance Committee regarding financial performance, forecasts, trends, strategic initiatives, risks, opportunities, assumptions, and key performance indicators.
QUALIFICATIONS
- MBA, Master's degree, CPA, CMA, or equivalent combination of education and experience preferred.
- 12+ years of progressive financial leadership experience, including executive-level responsibility for budgeting, forecasting, treasury management, financial planning and analysis, reporting, compliance, and organizational strategy.
- Demonstrated experience leading financial transformation, infrastructure development, process improvement, or organizational turnaround initiatives.
- Significant experience managing complex funding structures, including grants, contracts, reimbursement-based revenue, governmental funding, and multi-entity organizations.
- Demonstrated success serving as a strategic advisor to CEOs, executive leadership teams, and governing boards.
- Experience presenting financial information to Boards of Directors, Finance Committees, and executive leadership teams.
- Strong understanding of financial systems, technology platforms, reporting tools, and operational best practices.
- Exceptional analytical, strategic thinking, communication, and relationship-building skills.
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:
In addition to a competitive base salary of $250,000 to $275,000, Akin also provides a comprehensive benefits package which includes access to robust health, vision, and dental insurance; 401(k) with up to 3% employer contribution; Employee Assistance Plans (EAP); Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA); Health Savings Account (HSA); Voluntary Long-Term Care Plan; Voluntary Life & Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) Insurance; short-term disability insurance; Critical Illness, Hospital, and Accident Insurance; Financial Wellness & Identity Protection; Voluntary Long-Term Care; and 14 days of vacation accrued in the first year, 12 days of sick pay accrued per year, 2 Employee Appreciation days, as well as 14 observed paid annual holidays per year.
APPLICATIONS AND NOMINATIONS:
Akin has retained the services of Scion Executive Search, a national executive search firm specializing in nonprofit recruitment, to assist in conducting this important search. For immediate consideration, please apply with your resume and cover letter, formatted in Microsoft Word, via: https://scionexecutivesearch.com/job/14731.
