This is a rare opportunity to join a startup nonprofit as it moves from early formation into its next stage of growth. With foundational systems underway and significant opportunity ahead, the organization is seeking a CFO who is energized by building, refining, and scaling systems in a fast-moving, mission-driven environment. The right candidate will be comfortable moving between strategy and execution, creating structure without overbuilding, and helping the organization develop the financial and operational discipline needed to scale.
This role will be responsible for strengthening financial strategy, capital stewardship, controls, reporting, budgeting, forecasting, compliance, and audit readiness, while also overseeing the broader operational infrastructure that enables the organization to scale responsibly. The CFO will manage internal finance and operations talent, direct outsourced partners across accounting, HR, IT, payroll, recruiting, audit, tax, and other back-office functions, and make thoughtful decisions about what should be built internally versus externally supported.
Responsibilities:
Financial Strategy, Capital Stewardship, and Organizational Design
- Lead overall financial strategy, ensuring strong stewardship of philanthropic, public, and future multi-source funding.
- Refine and scale financial architecture required to support a high-growth, high-accountability global funding platform.
- Develop and oversee budgets, forecasts, scenario plans, and capital deployment models.
- Lead treasury, liquidity, and cash flow strategy in partnership with leadership and the Treasurer.
- Build and lead a high-performing finance and operations function, including direct oversight of the Controller and Operations Manager, while effectively leveraging project-based support and outsourced consultants where appropriate.
- Design and manage team structure, responsibilities, and external partnerships to ensure we have the right capabilities, capacity, and expertise at each stage of growth without overbuilding prematurely.
- Translate financial strategy into practical institutional design decisions that phased growth.
Financial Systems Architecture and Scalable Infrastructure
- Assess and strengthen systems, controls, and reporting structures required for responsible scale.
- Determine build vs. outsource decisions based on efficiency, cost, and control.
- Design and refine a scalable finance operating model.
- Ensure systems are prepared for future complexity and donor scrutiny.
Outsourced Financial Ecosystem Design and Oversight
- Select and oversee external partners for accounting, audit, tax, ERP, FP&A, and related functions.
- Ensure external providers are aligned, well-managed, and quality-controlled.
- Evaluate timing for scaling internal capabilities versus maintaining partnerships.
Compliance, Controls, and Risk Management
- Maintain strong internal controls, audit readiness, and compliance aligned with U.S. Government requirements and nonprofit standards.
- Strengthen governance, audit, and oversight mechanisms supporting transparency and accountability.
- Design and oversee enterprise risk management frameworks.
- Partner with Compliance, Risk, and Contracts' teams to ensure strong institutional safeguards.
Contract Approval & Cross-Functional Coordination
- Partner with cross-functional teams to ensure financial structures support compliant execution.
- Oversee financial review frameworks for major contracts, grants, and funding structures.
- Assess financial and operational implications of major decisions and partnerships.
- Balance speed, accountability, and risk in oversight processes.
Leadership, Board Partnership, and Strategic Advisory
- Serve as a strategic advisor to the CEO, leadership team, Treasurer, and Board.
- Provide financial reporting, dashboards, and analysis to support decisions.
- Guide leadership on financial implications of growth and structural decisions.
- Support long-term planning for funding complexity and global expansion.
Qualifications
- 15+ years of progressive experience in finance, financial strategy, or nonprofit leadership.
- Active CPA license.
- Experience in senior leadership roles such as CFO or Deputy CFO.
- Strong knowledge of U.S. Government funding rules, 2 CFR 200, and nonprofit standards.
- Experience scaling financial infrastructure in complex or high-growth environments.
- Expertise in budgeting, forecasting, treasury, and audit readiness.
- Experience managing outsourced financial systems and partners.
- Experience in global health, development, or complex mission-driven environments preferred.
- Experience with public-private funding models or large-scale philanthropy preferred.
- Strong communication skills, translating complex finance into practical decisions.
