NWIRC is seeking a Chief Financial Officer who brings financial discipline, strategic judgment, and a strong commitment to public stewardship. This role is ideal for a leader who can strengthen systems, guide decisions, and help sustain the organization for the future.
As CFO, you will do more than report the numbers. You will help shape the financial strategy that supports NWIRC’s mission, long-term sustainability, and organizational vision.
Mission & Meaning
This is a visible leadership role with meaningful impact. The CFO will ensure NWIRC has the financial strength, compliance discipline, and operating systems needed to serve manufacturers and the region effectively.
The CFO will lead financial planning, run future scenarios, evaluate funding and revenue options, and recommend strategies that support sustainability. This role partners closely with the President & CEO, Board, staff, funders, auditors, and agency representatives.
What You’ll Do
Key responsibilities include:
· Lead financial strategy aligned with mission, funding realities, sustainability, and long-term vision.
· Oversee financial operations, including reporting, month-end close, financial statements, cost accounting, budgeting, and cash flow management.
· Ensure compliance with federal, state, local, grant, regulatory, contract, and funder requirements.
· Guide grant financial management, including budgets, deliverables, reporting, invoicing, audits, monitoring, and closeout.
· Strengthen controls and systems that protect the organization, reduce risk, and improve decision-making.
· Run planning scenarios for funding changes, revenue options, program growth, cash flow, staffing, and organizational risk.
· Recommend revenue strategies that sustain the organization and support the vision set by the President & CEO and Board.
· Support organizational resilience through audits, continuity planning, policy development, legal and contract oversight, insurance, purchasing, and operational problem-solving.
What You Bring
We are looking for a leader with sound judgment, strong technical capability, and the ability to translate complexity into clear recommendations.
Ideal qualifications include:
· Significant experience in nonprofit finance, grant-funded operations, or highly regulated funding environments.
· Strong knowledge of federal grant compliance, Uniform Guidance, Single Audit requirements, nonprofit GAAP, and internal controls.
· Fluency in budgeting, forecasting, scenario planning, revenue modeling, cost allocation, reporting, and cash flow management.
· Experience overseeing financial audits, SEFA preparation, program reporting, and auditor or funder relationships.
· Experience coordinating with outside professional partners, including audit, legal, insurance, payroll, benefits, and HR service providers where appropriate.
· The ability to communicate clearly with financial and non-financial audiences.
· Confidence partnering with executives, staff, Boards, auditors, and external agencies with credibility, tact, and follow-through.
Helpful differentiators include experience with federally funded manufacturing or workforce programs, grant-heavy nonprofit environments, system improvements, and credentials such as a CPA or advanced certification.
Who You Are
The successful candidate will bring integrity, steadiness, curiosity, and sound judgment.
You see both the numbers and the mission behind them.
You can test scenarios and explain the tradeoffs.
You can recommend revenue strategies with discipline.
You bring calm to complexity.
You challenge decisions when risk is real.
You lead with integrity, accountability, and sound judgment.
Why NWIRC
NWIRC offers a leadership opportunity where finance, compliance, strategy, and operational discipline are connected. The work is meaningful, visible, and tied directly to the organization’s mission.
In this role, you will:
· Serve as a strategic partner to the President & CEO, Board, and leadership team.
· Shape decisions through financial stewardship, compliance discipline, forecasting, scenario planning, and revenue recommendations.
· Strengthen an organization that supports manufacturers and contributes to the region’s economic vitality.
This is a role for a financial leader who wants to leave the organization stronger than they found it.
Call to Action
Ready to lead with purpose?
If you are looking for a senior financial leadership role where expertise, judgment, and mission meet, NWIRC would welcome your interest.
Equal Opportunity Statement
NWIRC is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering a workplace that values diversity, inclusion, and respect. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, and local laws. All employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit, and business need.
