Chief Financial Officer

Summary

Description

Chief Financial Officer
Graham Windham
https://www.graham-windham.org/

Graham provides life-changing tools and resources for children, young adults, and families who face some of the most difficult obstacles caused by poverty, racial injustice, and lack of access to educational opportunities, living wage employment, quality healthcare, and affordable housing. Graham collaborates with communities and strong partners to create and implement innovative strategies so everyone can lead healthy, joyful, and successful lives. Graham’s vision is centered on Community Alternatives to Harmful Systems, including:
 

• Developing alternatives to foster care that eliminate harm
• In partnership with community, providing support for family wellbeing
• Helping youth and families lead healthy, prosperous lives
• Advancing our thriving One Graham culture

Graham Windham has pioneered programs for New York City’s children, families, and communities since 1806. With an annual operating budget of $63 million and a staff of 500, Graham Windham serves over 4,500 youth and their families at 12 community-based sites in Harlem, Brooklyn, and the Bronx. Graham Windham is recognized for its innovative approach to program development and its organizational vision. Their programs include:
 

• Graham SLAM is an innovative strategy developed to provide young people in the foster care system, as well as those at risk for entering foster care, with long-term, consistent, and comprehensive support from high school, through college or vocational school, and all the way to a living-wage career. Learn more here.
• Beacon and Cornerstone Programs are school and community-based initiatives serving over 1000 elementary and middle-school children with tutoring in English/language arts, science, and math, as well as other activities such as art, drama, journalism, fitness and sports.
• Foster Care is provided to children and youth in the Bronx, Harlem, and Brooklyn. Foster parents play a crucial role in their lives and can help these children thrive in the world.
• Mental Health services address a range of issues, including behaviors that interfere with school success, as well as child and adolescent depression, anxiety, and ADHD. The program also helps children, youth, and families address and heal the trauma associated with maltreatment.
• Family Support & Empowerment helps parents set goals and achieve them to build on strengths, acquire skills and achieve personal growth and family stability.
• Health Homes Care Management supports children with complex needs who have experienced trauma or chronic illness. 
• The Graham School, an intensive elementary, middle, and high school (K-12) serving approximately 300 day-students referred by school districts across the New York Metropolitan area. Learn more here.
• Taking Care of Business provides entrepreneurial training, coaching, and small business microgrants.

Graham Windham is at the forefront of its field and reaches more children and families than ever. Under the leadership of President and CEO, Kimberly Hardy Watson, the organization is poised for a bright future. Headquartered in Brooklyn (near Borough Hall) and with multiple program locations across New York, the organization is supported by a strong and engaged Board of Directors, an inspired senior leadership team, major foundations, and government grants.
Learn more about Graham’s approach, Graham’s Vision 2029 and President and CEO Kimberly (Kym) Watson.

The Role
With the retirement of its longstanding Chief Financial Officer, Graham Windham seeks a strategic and motivated individual to join the leadership team as its next CFO. This position sits on the Executive Council and is responsible for all finance, budget, audit, accounting and treasury functions, and provides high level financial guidance to Graham’s senior leadership and Board.  

This individual be a thoughtful and transparent leader who will reinforce a clear set of values consistent with Graham’s organization-wide culture of inclusion, accountability and celebration. The CFO will be a motivating leader of people capable of developing the team and is someone committed to leading with Graham Windham’s organizational pillars (Respect, Grow, Thrive and Lead) to secure the necessary investment of resources to achieve the organization’s strategic vision. 

Scope and Responsibilities

Graham’s CFO will play a critical leadership role, ensuring that all components of the organization’s financial operations are strategically, thoughtfully and effectively led. The CFO will partner with the senior leadership team to develop financial strategies and systems aimed at achieving our child, family and community-focused mission and strategic vision, and to manage financial risk. This individual will also provide am accounting of the financial position to the Board of Trustees, and Board committees responsible for budget, audit and investment performance.    

Specific Responsibilities
 

• Collaborate with the President and CEO and Board to set annual goals; develop a finance strategy that supports Graham Windham’s short- and long-term growth plans. Develop and maintain multi-year financial models and scenario plans to support strategic decision-making and risk mitigation.
• Graham’s culture as described by its senior leaders

  Work collaboratively and advise the CEO and members of senior leadership on financial planning, budgeting, cash flow, investment priorities, and policy.

• Provide strategic direction and leadership of Finance efforts, working across the team to build skills, establish shared priorities, and a clear vision for execution.
• Serve as the management liaison to the Finance & Investment, and Audit & Risk committees of the Board; effectively communicate and present financial information at committee & Board meetings.
• Manage the finance team; identify needs and provide mentorship to achieve success; provide opportunities for team building and individual growth; evaluate performance.
• Oversee an accounting and record keeping system that accommodates multiple revenue sources and ensures consistent reporting of financial activity for use with internal leaders and funders.
• Ensure compliance with relevant financial regulations, state and city requirements, and funder-specific rules.
• Partner with the Development department to align financial planning with fundraising strategies, support grant budgeting and reporting, and ensure financial transparency with donors and stakeholders.
• Provide guidance and proactive insight to the senior management team as the organization assesses options for earned revenue.
• Assume leadership of the organization’s operating and capital project budgets timelines, forecasting, risk management and reporting.
• Oversee banking and treasury functions to manage cash flow.   
• Closely oversee the annual audit process, preparation of financial statements for external auditors.
• Ensure effective finance operations, systems and integration. Lead the optimization of financial systems and tools to improve efficiency, accuracy, and reporting capabilities.
• Partnering with IT and Programs, ensure strength of systems for documenting claims, billing and collection.
• Lead financial reporting to senior leadership, the Board, funders, regulators, and financial partners.
• Manage insurance portfolio, serving as the liaison with brokers, overseeing claims processes, conducting research, and ensuring adequate coverage through the Community Value Assessment (CVA) process.
• Implement internal audits and spot checks to detect weaknesses and ensure compliance, payroll integrity, and adherence to fiscal policies.
• Oversee risk management, including facilities oversight, worker safety reviews, and compliance with OSHA and other regulatory standards.
• Represent the organization in targeted advocacy and policy development initiatives aimed at improving the financial conditions and ground rules under which Graham and partner human service organizations operate.
• Understand nonprofit and general finance trends; keep abreast of important developments within the local, regional, and national funding landscape.

Key Selection Criteria
The successful candidate will be an accomplished finance leader with exceptional communication, management and people leadership skills; a collaborative leader who will inspire creativity, transparency, growth and excellence.

Specifically, the successful candidate will possess:

• A minimum 10 years of progressively responsible experience (with at least 3 years in a leadership and management position); experience leading finance efforts for organizations of comparable size and complexity.
•  A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with a preference for a degree earned in accounting, finance or economics.
• Experience with a range of revenue types, including government, earned revenue, and philanthropic support.
• Clear and thoughtful communication, someone who will lead change through engagement, influence, and a strong service orientation.
• Experience working closely with nonprofit leadership and a nonprofit Board of Directors.
• A strong systems and data orientation; demonstrated experience leading financial systems improvements and integration efforts.
• An ability to work effectively with the organization’s leadership, and to be a leader in cross-team collaboration.
• An effective interpersonal, presentation, and communication style and a demonstrated ability to engage transparently and openly across an organization.
• A proven capacity to work inclusively with program leadership, and collaboratively with Quality Management, Development, Technology, and Human Resources leaders. 
• Experience building, coaching, and thoughtfully supervising a finance department.
• Experience with MIP and related systems.
• Willingness to work occasional evenings and weekends.

Personal / Professional Attributes

• Passion for the work of Graham Windham combined with the communication skills and interpersonal style that inspires enthusiasm and understanding.
• Enthusiasm, intellectual curiosity, optimism, commitment to excellence.
• Creative, strategic, proactive and analytic thinking skills.
• Collaborative and results-oriented approach to setting and meeting goals.
• Excellent relationship management and interpersonal skills: the ability to work effectively with Graham Windham leadership, volunteers, and staff; superior judgment and diplomatic skills.
• Strong communication skills.
• Attention to detail as well as a high level of organization; an ability to handle multiple tasks well.
• High emotional intelligence, a sense of accountability, integrity and a sense of humor.

Compensation
Graham Windham offers eligible employees a comprehensive benefit package including medical, dental & vision coverage, paid time off, holiday pay, retirement savings plans (defined contribution pension and 403 (b) thrift), and much more. We expect salary for this role to be in the range of $250,000.

Applications
Please direct all recommendations and applications to bshallcross@dhrglobal.com.
 

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