Organization Overview: Little City
For more than 65 years, Little City has empowered children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, behavioral health needs, and their families to live lives of greater independence, purpose, and belonging. Founded in 1959 by a group of visionary parents, the organization has grown into one of the Midwest's leading providers of disability and behavioral health services while remaining committed to ensuring every individual has the opportunity to learn, work, build meaningful relationships, and thrive.
Today, Little City serves more than 900 individuals and families annually through 20+ integrated programs and services spanning education, residential living, employment, foster care and adoption, behavioral health, recreation, clinical services, and community-based support across eight Illinois counties. At the heart of the organization is its 56-acre campus in Palatine, a vibrant community that includes specialized schools, residential neighborhoods, employment and vocational programs, therapeutic recreation, horticulture, and an award-winning arts center—creating one of the nation's most comprehensive environments for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Today, Little City is entering one of the most transformative periods in its history. With a $65 million operating budget, the organization is executing an ambitious strategic plan focused on expanding programs across Illinois, evaluating regional growth opportunities beyond the state, strengthening philanthropy and strategic partnerships, and leveraging technology, AI, and integrated data systems to improve outcomes. For the Chief Financial Officer, this is a unique opportunity to help shape the financial strategy and infrastructure that will support the organization's next era of growth and impact.
Role Summary: Chief Financial Officer
The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) is a key member of Little City's executive leadership team and a trusted strategic partner to the Chief Executive Officer as the organization embarks on its new strategic plan. Reporting directly to the CEO, the CFO will help shape and execute Little City's next phase of growth by providing strategic financial leadership on expansion initiatives, new programs and services, capital investments, and other transformational opportunities. Working within a highly collaborative executive team, this leader will help translate the organization's ambitious vision into a sustainable financial strategy.
The CFO will provide sophisticated financial planning and analysis to support executive decision-making, developing long-range forecasts, scenario models, and business cases that guide investments across the organization. As Little City evaluates strategic partnerships, geographic expansion, and potential mergers and acquisitions, the CFO will bring the analytical rigor and business acumen needed to assess opportunities, manage risk, and ensure financial sustainability while supporting the organization's mission.
Beyond strategy, the CFO will lead the continued evolution of the Finance and Information Technology functions, overseeing a team of approximately nine professionals while strengthening systems, processes, and cross-functional collaboration. This leader will build a proactive, customer service-oriented finance department that serves as a valued partner to program and operational leaders. Success in this role requires intellectual curiosity, adaptability, and the ability to navigate a complex organization with diverse service lines, multiple funding sources, and significant government reimbursement while continuously identifying opportunities to improve communication, efficiency, and organizational effectiveness.
Key Responsibilities Include:
Executive Leadership & Strategic Partnership
- Serve as a trusted strategic advisor to the Chief Executive Officer and executive leadership team, providing financial insight and business counsel that supports enterprise-wide decision-making.
- Partner with the CEO and executive team to implement Vision 2030 by aligning financial strategy with organizational priorities, growth initiatives, and long-term sustainability.
- Present financial analyses, organizational performance, and strategic recommendations to the Board of Directors and Board committees to support informed governance.
Financial Strategy & Stewardship
- Lead the organization's financial strategy, including annual budgeting, long-range financial planning, forecasting, treasury management, investments, and cash flow oversight.
- Develop financial models, scenario analyses, and investment recommendations that guide executive decision-making on strategic initiatives and capital investments.
- Ensure the integrity of financial reporting and compliance with GAAP, nonprofit accounting standards, government regulations, grant requirements, and audit standards.
- Oversee the annual audit, IRS Form 990, tax filings, financial policies, internal controls, and enterprise risk management practices that safeguard organizational assets.
Organizational Growth & Revenue Strategy
- Lead financial analysis supporting Little City's strategic expansion across Illinois and into neighboring markets, including Wisconsin and Indiana.
- Partner with program and development leaders to evaluate private-pay opportunities, grant funding, philanthropy, and other revenue diversification strategies that strengthen long-term sustainability.
- Develop business cases and investment analyses that help executive leadership prioritize opportunities and allocate organizational resources effectively.
Financial Operations & Technology
- Provide executive oversight of the Finance and Information Technology functions, ensuring systems and infrastructure effectively support organizational operations.
- Expand the use of Sage Intacct to improve financial workflows, reporting, visibility, accountability, and decision-making across the organization.
- Strengthen revenue cycle management by ensuring services are billed accurately, payments are received timely, and outstanding receivables are proactively managed.
Government Funding & Compliance
- Provide strategic oversight of the organization's diverse funding portfolio, including Medicaid, DHS, DCFS, HUD, school district contracts, grants, philanthropic funding, and other revenue sources.
- Monitor changes in reimbursement methodologies, funding requirements, and regulatory policies, advising leadership on financial implications and organizational strategy.
- Ensure compliance with contractual obligations, grant requirements, and federal, state, and local regulations while maximizing reimbursement opportunities.
- Partner with operational leaders to strengthen financial performance across programs while maintaining compliance with funding and reporting requirements.
Leadership & Competency Expectations
While no single candidate will bring every competency, strong candidates will offer the following capabilities and qualities:
Strategic Business Partnership
Looks beyond the financial statements to understand the business. Asks the right questions, challenges assumptions, and helps executive leaders evaluate competing priorities through both a financial and operational lens. Demonstrates sound business judgment when weighing mission impact, organizational capacity, financial risk, and long-term sustainability.
Visionary Growth & Financial Strategy
Thinks several steps ahead when evaluating organizational growth. Brings experience assessing expansion opportunities, developing investment strategies, evaluating acquisitions or affiliations, and building financial models that help leaders understand the implications of different paths before committing resources.
Transformational Leadership
Recognizes opportunities to strengthen an organization beyond the numbers. Evaluates existing workflows, financial processes, reporting structures, and technology to identify where greater efficiency, transparency, and scalability can be achieved. Leads change thoughtfully, balancing innovation with practical implementation and organizational readiness.
Collaborative Leadership
Believes Finance should be a trusted resource- not simply a control function. Invests time in understanding the goals and challenges of program, operations, development, and administrative teams while building credibility through responsiveness, transparency, and practical problem-solving. Creates an environment where financial information is accessible, useful, and supports better decision-making throughout the organization.
Learning Agility & People Development
Thrives in complex environments by asking questions before offering answers. Quickly learns new business models, funding mechanisms, and operational nuances while remaining open to different perspectives. Develops teams through coaching, delegation, and mentorship, creating a culture where people are empowered to grow, take ownership, and continuously improve.
Location
This position is based at Little City's headquarters, located at 1610 West Colonial Parkway, Inverness, Illinois. Little City's strong preference is for a candidate residing in the Chicagoland area who can work a hybrid schedule of three days onsite and two days remotely each week.
The organization recognizes that exceptional candidates may require greater flexibility.
Candidates residing in the Chicagoland area with a longer commute may be considered for a primarily remote arrangement with an expectation of being onsite approximately once per week. Exceptional candidates residing in Wisconsin or Indiana will also be considered, with an expectation of traveling to the Inverness campus approximately once per month.
