*Please include cover letter with resume when applying. Email: jobs@wpaonline.orgAbout Us

In 1845, Abigail Hopper Gibbons, Quaker abolitionist and prison reformer, founded The Women’s Prison Association (WPA). Established in response to the overcrowded and inhumane conditions in New York jails, WPA sought to support incarcerated women, who at the time were considered “unredeemable.” It was the first organization dedicated to the rights and rehabilitation of system-involved women.

Today, decarceration is our North Star. Based in New York City, WPA strives to make the incarceration of women obsolete. We operate on a gender-responsive, trauma-informed model of support that provides the essential services justice-impacted women need to remain in their communities, heal, and thrive.

WPA is at an exciting and pivotal moment in its evolution. In 2025, the Board approved a bold and transformative 5-year strategic plan centered around three impact goals:

1. Creating a comprehensive, high-quality service model, prioritizing housing support and essential care for justice-impacted women.

2. Weaving a robust community support network so that justice-impacted women receive the opportunities, services, and gender-responsive care they need.

3. Shifting public opinion and justice system practices and policies so that community-based support, and not incarceration, is the default response to contact with the criminal legal system.

We are in the early stages of strategic plan implementation and organizational restructuring. The CFO is a key partner to the executive leadership team in helping to lead the organizational restructuring, including assessing our business model and financial management function.

Position Summary

Reporting to the President and Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Finance Officer (CFO) is a key member of the executive leadership team responsible for overseeing WPA’s fiscal health. The CFO is also a key thought partner to the CEO and the Board of Directors, providing a strategic financial vision for the organization.

WPA uses an outsourced professional accounting and financial management services firm. The CFO is responsible for managing WPA’s relationship with its outsourced financial management services provider to ensure timely and accurate financial management by the provider, including maintaining WPA’s financial books and records, managing cash flow and performing the following functions: accounts payable, accounts receivable, budget development, financial grants management, audit process coordination, 990 filing and other tax-related regulatory functions, banking and other financial management functions. Additionally, the CFO will conduct an analysis and a feasibility assessment of WPA’s financial needs, and make recommendations for strengthening and building out the Finance Department to meet the organization’s current and future financial stewardship obligations.

The CFO will also provide operations oversight. They will help strengthen property management and facilities operations of WPA’s transitional and supportive housing portfolio. They will also directly supervise the operations manager, the information systems associate, and WPA’s outsourced information technology services to enhance operational effectiveness and organizational infrastructure.

The ideal candidate will have outstanding finance and business acumen, along with a proven ability to build a financial team and infrastructure from the ground up. They must also be a proven leader with the ability to manage and lead teams effectively. They will also be dedicated and skilled at fostering strong relationships within and between teams. The CFO will continuously optimize systems and processes to help staff work more efficiently and effectively.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) will be responsible for evaluating the organization's financial performance against the annual budget and long-term objectives. This role involves providing actionable and strategic recommendations on finance and operations based on thorough financial analysis, projections, cost identification and allocation, and revenue and expense analysis. Additionally, the CFO will identify and mitigate potential financial risks. It is crucial for the CFO to synthesize financial data and metrics into a clear narrative that explains past performance, current conditions, and future possibilities.

Financial Management

· Provides strategic financial management for WPA, including financial planning, analysis, and reporting.

· Manage financial reporting to the Board’s finance and investment committees and support the work of these committees.

· Partners with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Executive Team to assess financial performance against annual budget and long-term objectives, providing actionable, strategic recommendations based on financial analysis and projections, cost identification and allocation, and revenue/expense analysis.

· Collaborate with the Chief Impact Officer and the development team to ensure timely, accurate performance of all contract and grants management responsibilities.

· Identify potential financial risks and implement controls to mitigate these risks while optimizing opportunities for growth.

· Conduct analysis and a feasibility assessment of WPA’s financial needs, and make recommendations for strengthening and building out the Finance Department to meet the organization’s current and future fiscal goals.

· Collaborate with the Chief Program Officer to ensure continued clear and effective communication between program staff and the fiscal team.

· Ensure a strong system of oversight and administration for all funding sources, including government contracts, private grants, and foundation funding, through accurate and detailed record keeping and grant reporting.

Operations

Lead, develop, and manage the performance of finance and operations staff, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, and operational excellence.
Develop and manage capital budgets and systems for capital reserve management and growth.
Assess the staffing models of the residential facilities, identify areas of improvement in the organizational infrastructure to enhance efficiency and effectiveness. Ensure essential functions within the identified roles, support operational and programmatic needs, optimize resource allocation, and foster a culture of collaboration and accountability across departments.
Manage adherence to all regulatory requirements.

Strategic Plan Implementation

· Serve as an essential thought partner to the CEO, executive team, and partners throughout the organization in implementing the organization’s strategic plan.

· Partner with the CEO, CPO, and CIO to develop organization-wide metrics to assess the success and progress of our impact as we develop the operations infrastructure to support our strategy.

· Provide strategic operational guidance and operational planning support as new initiatives are developed and implemented

· Other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Exceptional strategic financial and business acumen, with the ability to interpret and apply understanding of key financial indicators to support high-quality decision-making. Demonstrated experience leading complex nonprofit financial operations, forecasting, and strategic financial planning.

• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in finance and business management.

• Strong analytical and financial modeling and forecasting skills as well as knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) for nonprofits; if coming from the for-profit sector, significant nonprofit board experience or the equivalent is required.

• Experience managing contracts and grants from New York City and New York State government agencies.

• Demonstrated commitment to WPA’s mission of serving communities, families, and individuals impacted by the criminal legal system.

• An intersectional analysis of racial, gender, and socioeconomic dynamics of underserved communities, with a particular familiarity with issues facing systems-involved women.

• Exceptional strategic thinking and problem-solving skills, with the intellectual depth and maturity to work with executive leaders, staff, and vendors across WPA.

• Proven track record of strong change management, with demonstrable experience in methodically tracking progress and plans to achieve short- and long-term goals.

• Deep experience leading and managing diverse teams, serving as a coach and mentor to staff in a range of functional areas, particularly around giving constructive feedback, developing supervisory skills, assessing, and supporting the professional growth of staff.

• Deep experience developing strong partnerships in government and with non-profit organizations across a variety of sectors.

• Outstanding organizational and project management skills with overall execution orientation and close attention to detail.

• Strong emotional intelligence skills.

• Joy and a sense of humor.

For background information about the Women’s Prison Association (WPA), see our website at www.wpaonline.org.

Please email your resume, cover letter, and salary requirements to jobs@wpaonline.org. Please include "Chief Finance Officer” in the subject line of your email.

Women's Prison Association Jobs

Chief Financial Officer