Chief Financial Officer Job Description
Organization Size: ~$100M Annual Budget
Mission Area: Policing / Public Safety
Reports To: Chief Executive Officer
Direct Reports: 3 (Senior/Staff Accountant, Accounts Payable accountant, and Accounts Receivable/Grants accountant)
The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) serves as a strategic member of the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) and is responsible for the overall financial stewardship, planning, compliance, reporting, and risk management of the organization. The CFO oversees all financial operations associated with approximately $100 million in annual funds managed across multiple accounts, foundations, grants, investment vehicles, and restricted funding sources.
The CFO provides leadership for accounting, financial reporting, budgeting, treasury management, audit coordination, tax compliance, grant financial administration, and New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) transactions. This role serves as the primary financial advisor to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Board of Trustees, Board Finance Committee, and affiliated foundation boards. The CFO directly supervises 3 finance team members and ensures the organization's financial practices support mission achievement while maintaining the highest standards of fiduciary responsibility and regulatory compliance.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Financial Leadership
- Serve as a trusted strategic advisor to the CEO, ELT, and Board of Trustees.
- Develop and implement long-term financial strategies that support organizational sustainability and growth.
- Evaluate financial risks and opportunities related to programs, investments, grants, capital projects, and new initiatives.
- Provide financial analysis and recommendations for major organizational decisions.
- Ensure alignment of financial resources with organizational priorities and strategic objectives. Heavily involved in oversight of the day-to-day accounting function.
Financial Management and Oversight
- Direct all accounting, financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, cash management, and treasury functions.
- Oversee the administration and monitoring of up to $100 million in annual funds across multiple accounts and funding sources.
- Maintain internal controls, accounting policies, and financial procedures.
- Ensure accurate and timely monthly, quarterly, and annual financial reporting.
- Monitor cash flow, liquidity, reserves, investments, and debt obligations.
- Oversee banking relationships and financial service providers.
Board and Executive Reporting
- Prepare and present financial statements, analyses, forecasts, and key performance indicators to the Board of Trustees and Board Committees.
- Support board decision-making through clear interpretation of financial trends, risks, and opportunities.
- Attend Board, Finance Committee, Audit Committee, and other governance meetings as required.
- Provide financial reporting and support to multiple governing boards and committees.
Nonprofit Accounting and Compliance
- Ensure compliance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), nonprofit accounting standards, donor restrictions, and regulatory requirements.
- Oversee preparation and filing of Form 990 and related tax filings.
- Maintain compliance with federal, state, local, and grantor requirements.
- Develop and enforce organizational financial policies and procedures.
- Ensure accurate tracking and reporting of restricted, unrestricted, and temporarily restricted funds.
Audit and Foundation Oversight
- Lead annual audits and financial reviews for the organization and two affiliated foundations.
- Serve as primary liaison to external auditors, tax advisors, and regulatory agencies.
- Coordinate preparation of schedules, documentation, and audit responses.
- Ensure implementation of audit recommendations and continuous process improvements.
- Present audit results and management responses to boards and committees.
Grant Financial Administration
- Oversee the financial management of government, corporate, and private foundation grants.
- Ensure compliance with grant agreements, reporting requirements, and cost allocation methodologies.
- Monitor grant expenditures and reimbursement activity.
- Collaborate with program leadership to ensure accurate budgeting and financial reporting.
- Support grant proposal development through budget preparation and financial analysis.
New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) Management
- Oversee financial management, compliance, reporting, and monitoring of two New Markets Tax Credit transactions (one of them unwinds on December 30, 2026).
- Coordinate with legal counsel, NMTC investors, community development entities, lenders, and compliance consultants.
- Ensure compliance with NMTC regulations, reporting requirements, and transaction covenants.
- Monitor ongoing financial performance and compliance obligations related to NMTC structures.
Team Leadership
- Lead, coach, and develop a finance team of 3 professionals.
- Establish performance expectations and professional development goals.
- Foster a culture of accountability, customer service, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
- Ensure appropriate segregation of duties and workflow management within the finance function.
Risk Management and Internal Controls
- Identify and mitigate financial, operational, and compliance risks.
- Maintain internal controls to safeguard organizational assets.
- Oversee insurance coverages and risk management programs.
- Ensure compliance with organizational policies and regulatory requirements.
- Support enterprise risk assessment and business continuity planning efforts.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or related field required.
- Master's degree in Business Administration, Accounting, Finance, Public Administration, or related field preferred.
- CPA preferred.
- Minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible financial leadership experience.
- Minimum of 5 years in a senior financial management role.
- Significant experience within nonprofit organizations or mission-driven institutions.
- Experience managing organizations with annual budgets or assets exceeding $50 million preferred.
- Demonstrated experience with board reporting and governance support.
- Experience overseeing annual external audits and regulatory compliance.
- Experience with grant accounting and fund accounting.
- Experience with New Markets Tax Credits, tax-credit financing structures, or other complex financial transactions preferred.
Knowledge and Skills
- Expertise in nonprofit accounting principles, GAAP, and fund accounting.
- Strong understanding of financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and cash management.
- Knowledge of federal grant compliance requirements and nonprofit tax reporting.
- Ability to communicate complex financial information to non-financial stakeholders.
- Exceptional analytical, strategic thinking, and problem-solving skills.
- Strong leadership, supervisory, and relationship-management abilities.
- Proficiency with accounting systems, financial reporting tools, and Microsoft Office applications.
Core Competencies
- Strategic Leadership
- Financial Stewardship
- Board and Executive Communication
- Regulatory Compliance
- Risk Management
- Mission-Focused Decision Making
- Team Development
- Analytical Thinking
- Integrity and Accountability
- Process Improvement
- Hand-on Problem Solving
Success Measures
- Maintaining accurate, timely, and transparent financial reporting.
- Achieving clean annual audits for the organization and affiliated foundations.
- Ensuring full compliance with grant, NMTC, tax, and regulatory requirements.
- Providing strategic financial leadership that advances the organization's mission.
- Strengthening internal controls and financial sustainability.
- Building an effective, high-performing finance team.
- Delivering insightful financial guidance to executive leadership and the Board of Trustees.
