The Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District (NICTD), operator of the South Shore Line Railroad, is seeking an experienced financial executive leader to serve as Chief Financial Officer (CFO). The CFO is the District's senior financial executive and a principal advisor to the President and General Manager, executive leadership team, and Board of Trustees. The CFO is accountable for the integrity, transparency, efficiency, and long-term sustainability of NICTD's financial operations and for aligning operating and capital resources with the safe, reliable delivery of South Shore Line service.
This is both a stewardship and transformation role. The CFO will maintain disciplined governmental accounting, grant, audit, treasury, debt, payroll, procurement, and internal-control practices while leading the modernization of financial systems, data, workflows, and management reporting. The successful candidate will understand the operational and financial realities of a public railroad, including collectively bargained labor, around-the-clock service, federally funded capital programs, multiple governmental funding partners, and public accountability.
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Executive Mandate:
· Give the President and General Manager and Board timely, candid, decision-ready analysis - not simply historical financial reports.
· Protect public funds and funding eligibility through reliable controls, compliant records, accurate reporting, and prompt correction of audit or grant findings.
· Lead the District's transition from operating primarily under a business plan to preparing, adopting, and managing against a formal annual operating and capital budget, supported by a multi-year financial forecast.
· Modernize the finance function through an enterprise roadmap for core financial, payroll, timekeeping, procurement, grants, budgeting, asset, and reporting systems, with disciplined change management and uninterrupted business continuity.
· Develop a capable, accountable finance organization with documented processes, cross-training, succession depth, service standards, and measurable performance.
Preferred Qualifications:
· CPA, CPFO, CGFM, CMA, or comparable professional credential.
· Master's degree in accounting, finance, business administration, public administration, or a related discipline.
· Senior financial leadership experience in passenger rail, public transit, freight rail, aviation, infrastructure, or another safety-critical 24/7 operation.
· Working knowledge of FTA and/or FRA funding, Uniform Guidance, NTD reporting, grant reimbursement and closeout, capital project controls, municipal debt, and public procurement.
· Successful experience improving underdeveloped processes or legacy systems while maintaining payroll, payments, reporting, and audit readiness.
Schedule: The anticipated normal hours of service are during the daytime, Monday through Friday. The specific work schedule will depend on the needs of the service.
Salary and Benefits: The salary for this position is $159,650 annually. Vacation, holidays, health, dental, and supplemental pension plans apply to the assignment. Relocation benefits available. Details are available during the interview process.
How To Apply: You must visit our jobs page to apply. It can be found HERE.
If you cannot click the link, enter the following web address to your browser:
https://mysouthshoreline.com/careers
A cover letter outlining the reasons why you are interested in working as the Chief Financial Officer and why you believe you are best qualified is encouraged but not required.
Questions: Contact Joseph Cieniawski, Chief Human Resources & Labor Relations Officer, at (219) 874-4221, ext. 268, with questions about this opportunity.
Apply early for best chance for consideration; the District reserves the option to close this position prior to the stated application deadline.
All interested employees must submit resumes by Friday, October 31, 2026.
NICTD is an Equal Opportunity Employer
