Chief Financial Officer, Action for Boston Community Development

Action for Boston Community Development

Seeks Chief Financial Officer

About ABCD

Action for Boston Community Development (“ABCD”) is a nonprofit human services organization that each year impacts 100,000 residents with the tools and resources needed to transition from poverty to stability and from stability to success. To fulfill this purpose, ABCD uses a comprehensive approach, through its local neighborhood based services center network to systematically address the range of barriers faced by households in poverty, from day-to-day crises to longterm needs for jobs and education. As one of the nation’s largest members of the Community Action Network created with the passage of the Economic Opportunity Act in 1964, highlights of ABCD’s work include:

• Health– ABCD’s Health Services Department keeps residents and communities healthy through public health and wellness programs, including Title X family planning. Through its community provider network, tens of thousands of people in Greater Boston and beyond access sexual reproductive health services each year.
• Children’s Services – ABCD’s children services begin before babies are born through its national Head Start program. Programs range from teaching to health screenings to family supports which aim to help caregivers find time to work or go to school and build a better life.
• Energy – ABCD offers many heating and energy services to income eligible residents of Boston, Brookline, Newton and the Mystic Valley cities and towns of Malden, Medford, Everett, Melrose, Stoneham, Winchester, and Woburn. ABCD helps residents stay warm in winter, cool in summer, and even assist residents go green!
• Workforce Development – ABCD offers educational and career training programs to help people achieve their employment and career goals. Whether clients want to pursue a career in early childcare, financial services, healthcare, information technology, the restaurant industry, or several other fields, ABCD likely has a pathway to pursue.

ABCD has a staff of 850 and an annual operating budget of approximately $325 million. The Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”) will lead an experienced fiscal team, including a highly knowledgeable controller who will step reassume that role after serving as the organization’s CFO for several years.

Position Overview

Reporting directly to the President and CEO and serving as a pivotal member of senior leadership, the CFO is responsible for providing the agency’s fiscal leadership. The CFO oversees a team of 12 who collectively manage all financial functions including accounting, in-house payroll, financial operations, state and federal requirements, insurance, and risk management; support for grants management and reporting and donor record-keeping; budgeting and reporting; and support for the human resource function where needed.

Specific Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• • Serve as a thought partner to the President and CEO to ensure decision making is well-informed by fiscal considerations and to provide creative, yet realistic, scenario planning and financial analysis, all with the goal of ensuring resources are optimally used to achieve ABCD’s mission.
  • Participate actively in the senior leadership team and strategic activities and initiatives.
  • Attend board meetings and serve as a liaison to the board’s Finance Committee to provide fiscal and operational insight.

Accounting and Fiscal Oversight

• • Working in partnership and collaboration with ABCD’s controller and other fiscal staff:
  • Establish and implement policies and procedures for all financial management functions, ensuring appropriate controls and compliance with generally accepted accounting practices (GAAP) and other applicable state and federal regulations.
  • Oversee the process for identifying and evaluating opportunities for improved financial operations, recordkeeping, and reporting.
  • Maintain appropriate financial procedures and internal controls for cash, banking activities, and investments to ensure adequate liquidity as well as sound investment decisions and performance.
  • Develop and maintain a comprehensive cost allocation plan and recordkeeping system, ensuring compliance with donor requests, federal and state regulations, generally accepted accounting practices, and contractual requirements.
  • Ensure all assets are maintained and accounted for, including an inventory of all fixed assets.
  • Lead the external audit process, serving as the primary interface with the independent auditors and ensuring accuracy of financial statements, including Form 990.
  • Manage and supervise the financial side of the human resource function, including payroll processing.

Budgeting and Financial Reporting

• • Oversee the organization’s budget planning process, collaborating with the fiscal staff and program leadership to develop annual income and expense projections.
  • Provide comprehensive monthly reporting of financial results against budget and provide recommendations for actions necessary to maintain the fiscal health of ABCD.
  • Work with departmental leadership to develop, track, and report key performance indicators and trends.
  • Work with the relevant departments to support donor/grant solicitation and reporting, including monitoring contributed funds to ensure all donor restrictions are met.

Staff Management

• • Manage, review, and mentor ABCD’s fiscal staff, providing appropriate professional development opportunities.
  • Set comprehensive goals for performance and growth for employees within the CFO’s direct areas of responsibility.
  • Build a positive team environment, ensuring that all fiscal staff act with a customer service attitude in support of all ABCD employees.

Other Responsibilities

• • Represent the organization to external financial partners such as banks, insurance companies, and benefit companies.
  • Support administration to procure adequate insurance coverage, including workers’ compensation, property, and liability coverage.
  • Develop and negotiate overhead rates with federal agencies.

Profile of the Ideal Candidate

Credentials:

• A minimum of ten years of senior fiscal leadership, or equivalent experience, preferably at a social service agency at ABCD’s scale and complexity.
• Bachelor’s degree in accounting or related field.
• CPA, other accounting certification, and/or MBA would be advantageous.

Skills and Qualities:

Strategic Financial Leadership

• Deep understanding of nonprofit accounting, government and private grant funding and reporting, the regulatory environment, and compliance.
• Strategic financial thinker who understands the external environment and financial trends.
• Strong financial systems knowledge with exposure to Financial NXT being ideal.
• Track record of ensuring timely monthly closings and clean annual audits.

Operational Excellence & Accountability

• Able to design and implement financial policies, systems, and procedures.
• Skilled at analyzing departmental needs, promoting process improvement to create efficient and accountable structures, and facilitating change management.
• Organized, hands-on/roll up the sleeves leader who can manage multiple moving parts and pivot quickly and be adaptive in a startup-like, fast-moving environment.

Team Leadership & Development

• Experience training, cultivating, and building finance staff.
• Skilled at delegating effectively and holding staff accountable to agreed upon goals.
• Able to lead through influence and gain buy-in when change is required in an environment that may be resistant to change and where silos will be encountered.
• Inspired to work with highly diverse staff who exhibit varying degrees of financial acumen.

Collaborative and Mission-Aligned Communication

• Approachable, understanding, and supportive leader with strong communication and interpersonal skills who can communicate financial information clearly to non-finance staff.
• Excited to serve as a collaborative thought partner to leadership and program directors with the ability to integrate finance within ABCD’s broader programmatic goals.
• Displays a passion, appreciation, and alignment with ABCD’s mission and culture.

Compensation and Benefits:

This is a full-time, salaried, exempt position with a starting salary range of $185,000 to $210,000 commensurate with experience and qualifications. ABCD also offers a highly comprehensive and generous benefits package which includes health insurance (80% paid by ABCD), dental, group life and disability, 403b plan with an extremely generous employer contribution, and significant paid time off. This on-site position is housed at ABCD’s headquarters on Tremont Street in Boston.

Additional Information and Application Process

At ABCD, employees are as diverse as the individuals and families served. ABCD staff are community advocates, educators, students, mentors, volunteers, and businesspeople. At ABCD, your passion can influence those around you. It inspires, motivates, and drives staff, shaping the way they work and creating positive change in lives both in communities and at the agency. ABCD is the organization it is because of the people who believe in its mission, and for nearly 60 years, ABCD has continued its practice of developing innovative and successful programs. Many ABCD employees have started at the agency as volunteers or interns or landed their first job out of school. And many stay for five, ten or more years because ABCD recognizes talent and dedication, and it does its best to cultivate its staff.

ABCD is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, age, sex, religion, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, gender identity or expression, or any other basis protected by local, state, or federal law. To apply, candidates must include a resume and a cover letter, both in PDF format, which describe how qualifications and experience match the needs and mission of ABCD. A background check will be required of finalists. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Upload required documents to: https://eostransitions.applicantpool.com/jobs/.

This executive search is being conducted by Eos Transition Partners consultant, John Tarvin. All submissions will be acknowledged and are confidential, and any questions can be submitted to John at: jtarvin@eostransitions.com.