Main areas of focus: Fiscal Management, Long-Term Planning, Compliance & Risk Management

Location: Remote – U.S. only

Eligibility: At this time, we are only considering candidates who are eligible to work in the United States without the need for company sponsorship now or in the future.

JOB HIGHLIGHT

The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) will lead charity: water’s finance function during a period of growth, investment, and organizational transition. With an annual revenue budget of ~$100M, the CFO will ensure strong financial stewardship while advancing long-range planning, forecasting, and financial insight in service of the organization’s mission and long-term sustainability.

JOB SUMMARY

charity: water is seeking a Chief Financial Officer to oversee the organization’s finance function and provide strategic financial leadership across the organization. Reporting to the President and serving on the Executive Team, the CFO will lead long-range financial planning, board communication, and provide enterprise-level financial decision support, while also ensuring excellence in accounting, compliance, and risk management. The CFO will oversee financial operations for both the US and the UK entities. This role requires a leader with nonprofit accounting expertise who can both stabilize and evolve the finance function—strengthening core accounting and audit readiness while building forward-looking FP&A capabilities that support executive and board-level decision-making.

YOU’LL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR…

Organizational Leadership, Long-Range Planning & Board Engagement

Lead enterprise-level long-range financial planning, multi-year forecasting, and scenario modeling to inform strategic choices, investment pacing, and risk tradeoffs
Serve as a primary financial partner to the President and Executive Team, providing clear insight into financial performance, sustainability, and strategic options
Prepare and present financial results, forecasts, and long-term outlooks to the Board, and manage relationships with the Board’s Finance and Audit Committees
Translate complex financial information into clear narratives that support strong governance and confident decision-making
Support major strategic initiatives through rigorous financial analysis, due diligence, and “what-if” modeling
Review business results and help direct resources toward initiatives that most effectively advance mission impact and operating efficiency

Financial Management & Stewardship

Lead all finance and accounting functions, including nonprofit accounting operations, FP&A, treasury, cash management, financial controls, compliance, and financial risk management
Oversee annual and long-term budgeting processes, ensuring alignment with organizational strategy and operational realities
Oversee the development and maintenance of integrated financial models and performance metrics that support monthly and quarterly reporting, forecasting, and decision-making
Oversee the modernization of financial systems and planning processes, including a transition to the social-impact version of NetSuite and improvements to budgeting and forecasting tools to support long-term planning and decision-making
Ensure accurate, timely, and transparent financial reporting in accordance with nonprofit accounting standards
Oversee audit processes, insurance coverage, and regulatory compliance, ensuring the organization is appropriately protected as it scales domestically and internationally
Partner closely with Revenue Operations to incorporate revenue forecasts into integrated financial plans, while maintaining clear role definition and accountability

Team Leadership & Development

Lead and develop a team across Accounting and FP&A, fostering a culture of clarity, accountability, and excellence
Set clear priorities and expectations for the finance function that support both near-term execution and long-term planning
Coach and mentor team members, supporting professional growth and capability development
Guide the finance team through periods of transition, ensuring continuity while strengthening systems and processes over time
Build strong cross-functional partnerships while maintaining appropriate financial rigor and ownership

YOU MUST HAVE…

15+ years of senior financial leadership experience, including significant experience within nonprofit organizations
Demonstrated, hands-on experience leading nonprofit accounting functions, including audit, compliance, and GAAP reporting for nonprofits
Proven experience leading long-range financial planning, forecasting, and board-level financial communication
Strong strategic and analytical skills, including financial modeling, scenario analysis, and risk assessment
Track record of building and leading effective finance teams
Global perspective and experience supporting international operations strongly preferred
Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or a related field required; MBA a plus
Preferred experience with Netsuite

YOU’LL BE SUCCESSFUL IF...

You're a strategic thinker

You have the strategic prowess and social intelligence required to help build scalable models that leverage charity: water's brand, assets, relationships and opportunities to meet disruptive growth goals.

You’re a great communicator

You can turn data and numbers into eﬀective and compelling messages. You are concise and operate with poise, dignity and reliability in both your personal and professional worlds. You are great at sharing insights, but what you love to do is apply real context to findings so that stakeholders understand what it means for them and also how it impacts the organization

You’re a leader

You are skilled at accomplishing things through other people. You can run multiple work streams that extend far beyond your immediate team. You can provide guidance for peers, subordinates and partners.

You have a team ethos and you love working with people

You thrive in a creative, inventive, fast-paced startup environment, with people who are passionate about their work and mission. You're excited to work cross-functionally with other departments and enjoy bringing people together to achieve a goal. People enjoy working with you because they know they can trust you. You find joy in mentoring team members so they can maximize their eﬀectiveness.

You value precision

You’re meticulous. You know accuracy is important regardless of whether anyone is watching, and you strive for excellence in every detail.

You’re a hard worker

You thrive in a fast-paced environment with people that are constantly looking to innovate, enjoy challenges and demand excellence.

HIRING TIMELINE

This role was posted on January 9th, 2026 and will remain open for approximately 90 days.

SALARY RANGE

This is an exempt role with a range of $260,000 - $280,000 a year.

BENEFITS & PERKS

Unlimited PTO

Summer Fridays

6-week paid sabbatical leave after 5 years of employment

Annual bonus potential through The Pool

401k plan + employer match

Medical covered at 85% + Dental/Vision contributions

FSA + dependent day care FSA

Employer-paid life insurance, STD, LTD

16-week paid maternity and paternity leave for new parents

Stipends for Home office, Professional Development, and a You-do-You Perk

TSA Pre-check reimbursement

2-4 annual travel requirements that foster team alignment, connection and in-person collaboration

ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW

At charity: water, we believe that water changes everything. We work with local implementing partners to fund sustainable solutions that provide clean and safe drinking water to people around the world. Since 2006, with a diverse team of world-changers and an unstoppable community of supporters, we’ve brought clean water to more than 20 million people worldwide. With the makings of a mid-size tech startup, we’re reinventing charity through endless innovation, contagious passion, beautifully crafted stories, and a powerful brand that inspires a new kind of generosity.

At charity: water, we value every background, identity, and experience. We believe that a diverse team, informed by different cultures and perspectives, makes us stronger. We are committed to doing the work and challenging each other to be an organization in which everyone is respected and heard. We commit to providing genuine opportunities for all people to thrive. And we will continue to embed diversity, inclusion, belonging, and equality in everything we do.

Note, charity: water will never ask you for your credit card or financial information during the interview process. Should you receive a message requesting this information, please mark the email as spam and report here.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.

charity: water Jobs

Chief Financial Officer (Remote)