Finance Chief Finance Officer
Job Description
Open Position: Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at OneGoal
About OneGoal
OneGoal transforms postsecondary advising and support so that every student can define their own future. Together with our partners, we’re building a movement to close the opportunity gap. We work side-by-side with partner schools and districts to build their knowledge and capacity. The result is more equitable and effective support for all students. Our unique approach, honed over 15 years, prioritizes strong human relationships. And it’s proven to deliver real student impact. 81% of OneGoal high school graduates enroll in a postsecondary institution, and 73% of those students persist one year after high school graduation. An independent study by the University of Chicago found that OneGoal students are about 40% more likely to earn their postsecondary degrees than students from similar backgrounds.
To learn more about OneGoal, please visit https://www.onegoalgraduation.org/.
Role Overview
The inaugural Chief Financial Officer (CFO) is a pivotal leader in advancing OneGoal toward its strategic goals of financial sustainability and operational excellence. The CFO will spearhead the transformation and rebuilding of the finance team, cultivating a culture of innovation, efficiency, and strategic thinking to align financial operations with OneGoal’s ambitious growth and mission impact. OneGoal has over 250 employees with an annual operating budget of approximately $40m and $70m of net assets. The CFO will be responsible for enhancing financial processes, systems, and controls, emphasizing operational efficiency and strategic foresight to support our growth and mission. This role requires a blend of professional expertise, strategic leadership, and a profound mission fit, offering a unique opportunity to make a significant impact.
The ideal candidate is a finance and accounting expert who embodies a blend of unwavering vision and flexibility, possessing the insight to create and inspire the adoption of new processes and technologies. They are a strategic thinker with a pragmatic approach, ready to delve into specifics and set a precedent through action. As an accessible and cooperative leader, they prioritize fostering robust relationships within and beyond the organization. Additionally, this CFO should deeply understand the complexities inherent in a matrixed organization, skillfully navigating interdepartmental relationships and collaborative processes.
This remote position reports directly to the CEO. The CFO will manage 2-3 direct reports, including a newly hired controller, and oversee an overall vertical of 11 staff members. The organizational and reporting structure of this team will be at the discretion of the incoming CFO, who will also be supported by a fractional executive assistant.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Financial Leadership
- Evaluate organizational performance against the $40m annual budget and strategic vision, acting as a crucial partner to the CEO and department leaders.
- Lead transformative initiatives to automate and streamline financial processes, systems, and controls within the first six months, focusing on achieving operational efficiency and scalability to support OneGoal’s expansion.
- Operationalize a new financial model balancing philanthropy and earned income within the first year, integrating it into planning and decision-making.
- Spearhead the strategic financial planning process to align with OneGoal’s mission and overarching objectives, ensuring the financial soundness of strategic plans.
- Create and enhance tools and systems for delivering crucial financial and operational insights to the CEO, along with recommendations to improve strategy and operations.
- Innovate, adapt, and implement financial models to support OneGoal’s growth while ensuring compliance and best practices in financial management.
- Manage critical external relationships and vendors, including auditors, the Board Treasurer, the Finance Committee, and banking partners. Oversee the investment portfolio, coordinate with consultants on public funding, and liaise with outside legal counsel to ensure strategic alignment and compliance.
- Manage long-term budgetary planning and cost control in alignment with strategic plans to support organizational expansion and innovation, while ensuring effective internal controls and budget management across departments including External Affairs, Operations, Human Assets, and Programs.
Team Management
- Steer the finance team towards strategic partnership within the organization by guiding a new controller and mentoring the team to foster a culture of transparency, accountability, and collaboration.
- Strategically expand and refine the finance and accounting team, ensuring the right mix of staff and skills to match the organization’s growing complexity and scale.
- Foster a culture of continuous improvement and innovation within the finance team, encouraging the adoption of new technologies and processes to enhance efficiency, accountability, and strategic partnership across the organization.
- Lead the finance and accounting team in transitioning to advanced usage of financial management systems such as Paylocity, Airbase, NetSuite, and Expensify, ensuring the team is adept at leveraging these tools for optimal operational effectiveness.
Revenue Management
- Partner with the Chief External Affairs Officer (CXO) and Chief Program Officer (CPO) in strategic planning sessions, offering financial insights that inform program development, expansion strategies, and fundraising efforts.
- Streamline financial models and controls to support 6 regions and a national team, aligning each region’s budget with its fundraising goals.
- Oversee revenue reconciliation, encompassing philanthropy (restricted and unrestricted donations) and fee-for-service, ensuring accuracy and compliance.
- Educate and collaborate with the development team on accepting gifts, focusing on the nuances of different revenue streams.
- Engage with key donors, facilitating strategic partnerships and enhancing fundraising outcomes.
Operations
- Manage the Director of Operations to oversee all aspects of business and facilities operations, including office management, lease agreements, business registrations and filings, and insurance policies across all regions.
- Partner with the COO to enhance operational efficiency and adopt financial best practices throughout the organization.
- Provide expert advice to the Human Assets Team on strategic financial planning, focusing on headcount and budget allocations to optimize organizational growth and stability.
- Lead efforts to foster a culture of cross-functional collaboration within the finance team, incorporating change management and efficiency as core practices.
- Oversee the finance department’s handling of payroll and 401k plans, ensuring cohesive alignment between payroll processes, benefits, and compensation strategies.
Org-wide Collaboration
- Partner with cross-functional teams to efficiently allocate resources, guaranteeing robust financial support for programmatic and development initiatives.
- Influence org-wide financial acumen by offering training and support to staff on budget management, systems, and processes utilizing financial reporting.
- Serve as an accessible mentor and resource for all internal staff, offering guidance and support across the organization.
- Champion diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, ensuring that DEI principles are deeply integrated into all aspects of strategic planning to foster an inclusive and equitable workplace.
Experience and Qualifications
What you’ve accomplished (required):
- 10+ years of relevant experience, including 5+ years in a senior-level leadership role
- Possess deep expertise in finance and accounting, with a strong preference for candidates who have a CPA or equivalent
- Experience as a senior leader in a fast-paced and scaling environment
- Demonstrated success managing strategic and financial planning, as well as organizational development
- Demonstrated success in growing and developing a high-performing team
- Experience with public funding – experience with state and district contracts and partnerships
- Change management, especially through the lens of implementing a new financial model
- Navigating conflict and challenges across teams- cross-team collaboration and problem-solving
Skills you have developed and knowledge you have:
- Comfort and skill working in virtual environments with remote team members
- Experience with financial and accounting software (e.g., Paylocity, Airbase, NetSuite, Expensify)
- Proven ability to think strategically and implement financial strategies that support organizational growth and mission alignment
- Exceptional ability to build strong partnerships across the organization, with a personable and approachable demeanor
- Deep commitment to educational equity and the mission of OneGoal, with the ability to influence and drive change towards achieving organizational goals
OneGoal Team
Guided by a clear set of core values and beliefs, you will join an impressive group of more than 190 OneGoal staff across the country who believe in the untapped potential within students. The OneGoal team challenges themselves and others to regularly ask, “Is there a better way?” You believe in an inclusive and culturally competent society and the essence of our commitment to diversity and inclusion. OneGoals believes that in order to create the change, each person on the team brings a remarkable and diverse set of experiences, skills and characteristics that individually and collectively, contribute to the radical change needed to move us towards a more equitable and just nation.
Salary And Benefits
The salary range for this position is $200,000 – $225,000. OneGoal offers competitive compensation based on the market for nonprofits our size. The benefits package* includes: over eight weeks of paid time off (or 43 business days), between vacation days, wellness time, and holidays; paid medical or parental leaves should you have need; medical, dental, vision, short-term and long-term disability, and life insurance; as well as a 401(k) with a 3% match.
OneGoal believes in compensating staff members fairly in relation to each other, their qualifications, and their impact on behalf of the organization, and takes internal and external equity seriously. Given the commitment to equity, OneGoal does not negotiate salary offers; instead each salary offer is determined carefully using external and internal benchmarking. You will have an opportunity to discuss salary in more detail after you begin the hiring process.
*OneGoal reserves the right to change benefits at any time according to business need.
Location
This role is a remote role, with a strong preference for Chicago. (Open to candidates in Atlanta, Bay Area, Houston, Boston, New York. Exception for the right candidate outside these regions)
