Job  Board

POSITION SUMMARY

Reporting to the President and CEO, the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) serves as a key member of the Executive Leadership Team and strategic thought partner to the CEO, helping shape the Foundation's future through financial leadership, enterprise-wide perspective and sound business judgment. The CFO is responsible for stewarding the Foundation's financial resources while aligning financial strategy, investments, risk management, planning and operational priorities with the organization's mission and long-term objectives. This leader plays a critical role in evaluating opportunities, navigating complexity and ensuring the Foundation has the financial strength, flexibility and infrastructure needed to sustain and expand its community impact.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Leadership

1. Serve as strategic advisor to the President & CEO and Executive Leadership Team on enterprise priorities and long-term financial sustainability.
2. Develop financial strategies that support the Foundation's mission, strategic plan and continued growth.
3. Contribute to development of the Foundation’s strategic goals and objectives as well as overall management of organization.
4. Provide strategic leadership in the development and implementation of sound accounting policies and performance measurement systems for the Foundation.
5. Assess key operating strategies from an accounting and overall business standpoint and advise the CEO and senior leadership on developing the most effective action plans.
6. Foster financial understanding throughout the organization by making finance accessible to non-financial leaders.
7. Meet with donors and prospects in conjunction with philanthropic services team as needed.
8. Help create an increasingly collaborative, transparent and solutions-oriented culture.

Accounting, Audit, Finance, Tax, Treasury & Reporting

1. Lead all aspects of financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, accounting, treasury, tax, audit, compliance and financial reporting.
2. Ensure strong and effective accounting functions of the Foundation through robust governance, controls, effective systems and timely reporting.
3. Manage treasury functions including cash management and banking relationships.
4. Oversee fund administration including gift acceptance and distribution compliance.
5. Deliver accurate and timely key internal and external financial reports.
6. Develop strategies and plans for key projects and initiatives.
7. Facilitate accurate and timely delivery of all special information requests from donors.
8. Partner with external auditors, legal counsel and investment advisors.

Board Responsibilities

1. Support the Board of Directors and Finance Committee through high-quality financial reporting and strategic analysis.
2. Serve as primary finance liaison to the client foundation boards of the F. R. Bigelow and Mardag Foundations.
3. Staff Audit and Finance Committee as well as other ad hoc committees as needed.
4. Effectively support and collaboratively work with committee chairs and members to develop annual committee work plans, meeting topics and agendas and provide appropriate leadership.
5. Ensure structure and processes abide by the Foundation’s governing documents and policies.
6. Serve as a trusted advisor in complex organizational and fiduciary decisions.

Budgeting

1. Oversee strategic leadership and guidance for annual budgeting process ensuring alignment to the strategic plan.
2. Continual evaluation of the business model, developing robust budgeting scenarios and contingencies while seeking opportunities to generate or use resources to move the organization forward toward the achievement of its goals.

Compliance and Risk Management

1. Lead the enterprise risk management and compliance process ensuring safeguarding of assets, appropriate risk management and operational effectiveness.
2. Ensure compliance with complex nonprofit and IRS regulations, investment regulations, GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles), FAS (Financial Accounting Standards) and all related audit requirements.
3. Manage the annual audit process and facilitate the Audit and Finance Committee meetings.
4. Facilitate related disclosure requirements.
5. Ensure accurate and timely preparation of all required tax filings including 990s, 990-Ts, 1099s, gift annuity filings and Secretary of State and Attorney General reports.
6. Manage organizational compliance with applicable tax and accounting laws and regulations. Monitor and implement regulatory changes as appropriate.
7. Assess new gift platforms for fit, value and ability to administrate.
8. Ensure processes and procedures are well documented, communicated and implemented.
9. Coordinate and facilitate all internal control audits and ensure that recommendations are appropriately addressed.

Investments

1. Serve as a key partner to the CIO ensuring transparent communication, coordinated planning and clarity on portfolio strategy, liquidity, innovative impact investing strategies, regulatory reporting and enterprise financial planning.
2. Support governance and oversight of the invested assets and work closely with the CIO to integrate investment insights and the Foundation’s financial position.

Information Technology

1. Provide leadership to the IT team and oversight of the overall IT plan, design, test, implement and maintain effective accounting and fund administration software.
2. Ensure data integrity for all financial systems.
3. Ensure continuous improvement of the organization’s financial operating systems, including strategic and effective use of technology to improve financial processes. 
4. Leverage automation and emerging technologies (including AI) to improve efficiency and elevate human work.
5. Embed security, compliance and data integrity standards across all technology platforms.

Operations

1. Oversee grants administration function to ensure workflows run smoothly across the organization.
2. Oversee cross-functional efforts to evaluate and optimize new initiatives and opportunities, and efforts to evaluate and optimize existing operations, processes and systems.
3. Oversee identification and optimization of enterprise project management tools, processes, methodologies and continuous improvement efforts.

Team Leadership

1. Provide leadership, direction and management of accounting and finance, information technology and operations leaders and teams to ensure positive and collaborative environment resulting in creation of a high performance and continuous improvement culture which values the contribution of each team member.
2. Actively participate in recruitment, selection, training, coaching and ongoing evaluation of staff.
3. Ensure adequate cross-training is implemented and maintained for all critical functions.
4. Conduct individual and team performance assessments; facilitate and support growth, training and development of team members.

IDEAL CANDIDATE PROFILE

Summary

The ideal candidate is a mission-driven and enterprise-minded executive who combines exceptional financial expertise with strategic vision, intellectual curiosity and operational acumen. They bring significant experience leading complex financial functions, investments, business planning and risk management within sophisticated organizations, ideally in the philanthropic, nonprofit, financial services or other mission-driven sectors. The successful candidate demonstrates the ability to think broadly about organizational success while remaining grounded in practical execution, sound judgment and measurable outcomes.

Equally important, the ideal CFO is a highly collaborative and emotionally intelligent leader who builds credibility and trust across a diverse range of stakeholders, including colleagues, Board members, donors, community partners and external advisors. Using the organization's purpose as a compass for decision-making and leadership, this individual demonstrates cultural competence, an informed perspective on diversity and the ability to engage effectively with people whose backgrounds and lived experiences differ from their own. The successful candidate leads through influence, cultivates high-performing teams, and fosters an inclusive culture characterized by transparency, accountability, trust and continuous improvement.

Skills, Experiences, Qualifications

In addition to demonstration of the Leadership Competencies above, key skills and experiences desired include:

1. Extensive senior leadership experience, including 10+ years of progressively responsible roles in accounting, audit, tax and financial reporting within complex, multi‑stakeholder organizations and experience leading multiple functional domains simultaneously.
2. Demonstrated success in modeling and implementing complex financial and operational plans, using long-term goals and annual objectives as a framework including experience performing research and analysis on various financial topics.
3. Demonstrated experience serving on, staffing and/or leading board committees including audit and finance.
4. Technology savvy, with proven ability to lead enterprise modernization efforts and oversee complex technology environments. Familiarity with emerging technologies, including AI and advanced analytics and the ability to assess adoption risks and opportunities.
5. Demonstrated success designing, implementing and optimizing enterprise operating models, systems and workflows that support organizational growth and strategic priorities; ability to assess organizational capacity and implement processes that improve efficiencies, scalability and effectiveness.
6. Working knowledge of institutional investing, endowment management and complex asset structures with the ability to serve as a strategic partner to investment professionals, committees, auditors, attorneys and advisors. Experience supporting investment related decision making through financial modeling, risk analysis, governance and scenario planning is preferred.
7. Expertise in leading the compliance and risk function for an organization; employs a solutions-orientation mindset while appropriately managing