Position Overview
The Chief Financial Officer provides financial leadership, stewardship, and long-term sustainability for Community Access and its property-owning and real estate development affiliates.
Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer and working closely with the Board of Directors’ Finance and Audit Committee, the CFO is a principal strategic partner in strengthening the economics of the existing programmatic services and housing portfolio, managing financial risk across a growing development pipeline, and ensuring that financial decisions advance Community Access’ commitment to human dignity and the rights of residents.
The CFO is the organization’s principal in-house financial leader and directs an outsourced financial services provider, which performs core accounting and related fiscal functions. Success requires setting financial direction, integrating financial work with organizational priorities, active oversight and accountability for the external provider’s work, responsiveness to colleagues across the organization, and the ability to communicate financial issues clearly to staff, senior leaders, government partners, and the Board.
Key Responsibilities:
Strategic Financial Leadership
- Serve as a trusted advisor to the CEO, Senior Management Team, Board, and Finance and Audit Committee on financial strategy, organizational performance, capital planning, growth, and risk.
- Translate complex financial information into concise, decision-ready analysis and clear recommendations.
- Anticipate emerging financial, operational, and regulatory issues; surface them early with practical options and a recommended course of action.
- Support long-range planning and scenario analysis, including the financial implications of new programs, real estate initiatives, agency and real estate reserves, partnerships, and changes in public funding.
- Partner closely with Real Estate Development on delivering against an ambitious housing unit goal, project feasibility, pipeline forecasting, milestone-based cash requirements, timing of development outlays, and risk visibility.
- Lead financial planning to move the existing housing portfolio toward property-level self-sufficiency and, over time, generate unrestricted revenue to support programs; address rent arrears, vacancies, rising insurance premiums, unanticipated operating costs, and properties unable to sustain customary management fees.
- Analyze and manage inter-organizational due-to/due-from balances and cash movements between Community Access and its affiliated entities, improving transparency, controls, and liquidity planning.
- Partner with Property Management and Real EstateDevelopment to assess long-term operating assumptions, reserves, preservation needs, and affordability over 15–30-year property lifecycles.
Financial Stewardship, Controls, and Risk
- Ensure the financial integrity and sustainability of Community Accessand its affiliated entities.
- Oversee nonprofit and affiliated-entity budgets, forecasts, cash flow, treasury, investments, lines of credit, insurance renewal negotiations, audits, tax filings, and required financial and regulatory reporting; clarify the distinction between nonprofit operating results and any broader consolidated or affiliated-entity reporting.
- Maintain effective internal controls, fiscal policies, approval structures, and risk-management protocols.
- Ensure timely, accurate, and transparent reporting to management, the Board, funders, lenders, investors, auditors, and government partners.
- Collaborate with key stakeholders to develop dashboards, property-level KPIs, cash-flow forecasts, and accessible reporting tools that support timely decisions on rent collections, arrears, vacancies, insurance costs, operating pressures, and agency and affiliate liquidity.
Leadership of the Outsourced FinanceFunction
- Provide strategic direction and active, hands-on oversight to the outsourced financial services provider, including controller, assistant controller, treasury, contract administration, and accounting functions; own outcomes and resolves service issues rather than referring internal stakeholders back to the provider.
- Establish clear priorities, deadlines, service expectations, and accountability for deliverables.
- Resolve barriers, escalate concerns when necessary, and ensure that outsourced work is fully integrated with Community Access's operational and strategic needs.
- Maintain a clear division of responsibility between the CFO, the outsourced provider, and internal leaders while retaining ultimate accountability for the finance function.
Execution and Organizational Accountability
- Own key financial and organizational commitments from assignment through completion, with clear milestones, responsible parties, and deadlines.
- Prioritize competing demands, distinguish urgent from important work, and ensure that critical deliverables do not quietly stall.
- Communicate delays, dependencies, and risks early, together with a proposed recovery plan or decision request.
- Create dependable management rhythms that support follow-through, including financial calendars, status tracking, and timely escalation.
- Build effective working relationships with program and property leaders to ensure that finance supports both contracted service delivery and resident-centered housing operations.
Board Relations &External Stakeholder Leadership
- Serve as the principal management liaison to the Finance and Audit Committee and support effective Board oversight.
- Prepare and present clear, accurate financial materials, including development milestone cash-flow projections and property-level risks, so the Board clearly understands the timing, magnitude, and implications of financial and real estate decisions.
- Translate evidence about housing operating costs into a persuasive, credible financial case for city and state government funders and policymakers.
- Build and maintain trusted relationships with auditors, banks, investment advisors, lenders, investors, government agencies, insurers, and other financial partners.
- Represent Community Access with credibility, sound judgment, and transparency.
Cross-Functional and People Leadership
- Partner with Real Estate Development, Property Management, Programs, Development and Communications, Human Resources, and other departments to align financial strategy with mission and operations.
- Provide senior managers with useful analysis and guidance that strengthen budget ownership and decision-making.
- Oversee office services, procurement and purchasing, accounts payable processing and vendor management, as well as the participant account escrow coordinator; ensure effective coordination with the outsourced finance provider when/where responsibilities overlap.
- Contribute fully to the Senior Management Team and to an organizational culture of professionalism, responsiveness, equity, accuracy, and accountability.
The Leader: The successful candidate will be an accomplished financial executive who combines technical depth with strong judgment, organizational leadership, and the abilityto create momentum in a complex, mission-driven environment.
Preferred Experience & Qualifications
- A minimum of 12–15 years of progressive financial leadership experience, including at least 5 years in a Chief Financial Officer, Senior Vice President of Finance, or comparable executive finance role in a complex nonprofit, affordable housing, real estate, healthcare, human services, or comparably regulated organization.
- Experience in organizations with a complex real estate portfolio would be highly beneficial.
- Knowledge of nonprofit accounting, government grants and contracts, affordable housing finance, real estate affiliates, tax-credit structures and property tax exemption programs (including Article XI and 420-c),Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC)compliance and investor reporting, NYC HPD/HDC and NYS HCR regulatory agreements, construction-to-permanent loan conversions, and replacement reserve and escrow administration required.
- Experience with human services and behavioral health funding sources, Medicaid and managed care billing, and HUD Continuum of Care (CoC) grants strongly preferred.
- Demonstrated responsibility for budgeting, forecasting, cash management, treasury, audit, tax compliance, internal controls, investments, and Board reporting.
- Experience working with outsourced financial service providers, shared-service structures, or other matrixed operating models.
- Experience supporting a Board and Finance or Audit Committee and communicating with external auditors, banks, lenders, investors, and government funders.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills and a demonstrated record of leading complex work to timely completion.
- Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field required.
- Master's degree (MBA, MPA, or equivalent) preferred.
- CPA or equivalent depth of financial training and experience stronglypreferred.
Skills & Approach
The profile below is intended to distinguish the leadership qualities essential to success from the baseline technical qualifications of the role.
Strategic Partner
- Thinks beyond the finance department and understands how financial choices advance or constrain mission, operations, people, and growth.
- Provides candid, independent advice to the CEO while remaining collaborative and solutions oriented.
- Brings a point of view and a recommendation, not only information or identification of problems.
Disciplined Executor
- Demonstrates consistent ownership and follow-through. Creates clarity about priorities, next steps, accountability, and deadlines.
- Operates with an appropriate sense of urgency while preserving rigor, accuracy, and sound controls.
Sound and Timely Judgment
- Makes well-reasoned decisions in conditions of complexity or incomplete information.
- Knows when additional analysis will materially improve a decision and when it will only delay progress.
- Escalates consequential risks promptly and distinguishes matters requiring CEO or Board involvement from those the CFO should resolve independently.
Proactive and Transparent Communicator
- Surfaces relevant information early, including uncomfortable facts, conflicts and delays in matters under review.
- Communicates complex financial issues in plain, respectful language to the Board, senior managers, and staff, including at all-staff convenings; is approachable and willing to address day-to-day questions and operational details in a timely manner.
- Closes loops, confirms decisions, and ensures that stakeholders understand ownership and next steps.
Leader Through Influence
- Effectively directs an outsourced finance team and works across organizational boundaries.
- Sets high standards, gives clear feedback, and holds partners and staff accountable while maintaining productive relationships.
- Build credibility through competence, consistency, integrity, and respect.
Executive and Board Presence
- Inspires confidence with the CEO, Board, auditors, lenders, investors, and public-sector partners.
- Is well prepared, concise, composed, and responsive in meetings.
- Frames financial information around the decisions and governance responsibilities of the audience.
Mission and ValuesAlignment
- Strategic leadership, models respectful communication, professionalism, flexibility, responsiveness, and racial equity.
- Demonstrates a deep personal commitment to Community Access’s mission, human dignity, and the rights, agency, and well-being of tenants and program participants, including people living with mental health concerns and people exiting homelessness.
- Understands that strong financial stewardship is integral to mission impact.
Compensation:
- Base alary range for the Chief Financial Officer position is $250,000to $275,000
- Benefits include:
- Comprehensive medical and dental plans;Health and Wellness Reimbursement Accounts, EAP;
- 403b contribution; life insurance
- Retirement Plan, employee with employer match
- Pre-tax savings plan (Medical and Transit)
- College savings plan (including MSW Program Scholarship)
- Flexibility
- Three weeks (+) of vacation, five personal days, 12 sick days, 11 paid holidays
- Paid Family Leave; Short-Term Disability insurance
- Summer Flex Hours
- Work Anniversary
Languages:
- Bilingual candidates are encouraged to apply.
Location:
- This is a hybrid position with three days per week in our Community Access Main Office and two days working remotely.
