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Chief Financial Officer

Boston, MA

About Big Brothers Big Sisters of Massachusetts Bay:

The Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) mission is to serve as many children as possible with its proven, research-based model that provides children facing adversity with transformative, professionally supported, long-term, 1-to-1 mentoring relationships with caring adult volunteers so that they can thrive. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Massachusetts Bay (BBBSMB) is the largest BBBS affiliate and the largest mentoring organization in New England. It is among the top 1% of BBBS affiliates nationwide and a recognized leader and innovator. The organization has impacted the lives of thousands of children—their families and their adult mentors—in its 70-year history.  It is driven by the estimated 50,000 children who are growing up in under-resourced families and communities in Eastern Massachusetts, and who, without the time and caring attention of adult role models, will have to “beat the odds” to fulfill their potential. The organization currently serves more than 10,000 children (“Littles”), their guardians, and their adult volunteer “Bigs.”

BBBSMB is in the second year of its new Operation GO BIG! initiative to grow service by 80% to serve 5,000 children annually with greater outcomes and greater sustainability while bringing cost to serve down by 25%. In 2017, the organization completed a successful 5-year initiative to strengthen its foundation – fundraising diversification, maintaining or deepening program quality while scaling, expanding volunteer recruitment, and continuing the development of the Board and volunteer leadership – and grew service and revenue by more than 50%. The balance sheet is strong, the donor base is growing, and the organization is innovating in a variety of areas, especially with technology. This next phase of scale is exciting with the possibility of non-linear growth through smart expansion of current programs, launching new program models, leveraging technology, geographic expansion and innovating operating processes.

The Opportunity:

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Massachusetts Bay (BBBSMB), seeks a Chief Financial Officer (CFO). This executive will not only be strategic in orientation and a strong financial leader but will bring the drive and enthusiasm to provide oversight of the organization’s human capital and technology. The ideal executive will be responsible for directing all aspects of the organization’s financial and administrative operations as well as for leading and supporting operational innovation in the overall organization. Reporting to the President & CEO, the incoming CFO will be a credible financial leader and thought partner who collaborates to problem solve in an effort to optimize all business processes and create first rate outcomes for all of the constituents who are served.

The CFO is an integral member of the agency’s senior leadership team. The ideal candidate is a pivotal influencer in the agency’s culture and lives the organizational beliefs and values. The CFO will provide support for the organization’s vision through all financial, administrative, HR, IT, and facilities operations. In collaboration with the senior leadership team members, the CFO will focus on establishing and implementing internal systems, measures and processes to drive operational efficiency, effectiveness, and guide continuous improvement. Responsible for directing all aspects of the organization’s financial and administrative functions, the successful CFO will also drive and support operational innovation for the entire organization. Alongside the CEO, this position will develop a sustainable and scalable vision for operational excellence, lead the Finance, HR, and IT teams, and work with the senior leadership team to address critical and complex challenges that lead to greater organizational effectiveness and community impact and a stronger employee experience.

The CFO will develop strategy formulation, perform modeling and scenario planning, present financial implications and risks for strategic options, and collaborate with the Chief Service Delivery Officer to identify business model adaptations/innovations that can enable growth and deliver greater effectiveness and/or efficiency. This role oversees not only finance but also HR and HR strategy, facilities, IT and technology strategy, KPIs, data and analytics, operational effectiveness and efficiency, risk management, strategic planning and budgeting. Currently, there are at least four direct reports.

Additionally, the CEO’s role is becoming more external, and the organization needs more internal leverage to drive the business forward. Given this emphasis, the CEO seeks an administrative executive who will roll up their sleeves to direct day-to-day operational and administrative functions while being a strategic business partner and growth advisor. The ideal candidate will be a CFO who provides leadership and value to the organization as both the fiduciary steward and a transformative operational leader.

As the financial ambassador of the organization, the ideal candidate facilitates meetings and communications with the Finance & Audit Committee of the Board of Directors. Reporting on and educating the agency’s internal and external constituents, the successful candidate will keep all apprised of the agency’s budgets, financial and operational performance. This executive will manage the agency’s investments by working with the investment firm and Board of Directors. BBBSMB upholds diversity, equity and inclusion as important values of the organization. Consequently, individuals of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

Candidate Profile:

The ideal candidate is mission-driven and motivated about ensuring that this 70-year -old organization is as innovative as a start-up in a highly competitive sector. The successful candidate will be a strategic professional and a strategic business leader. Having the passion and focus to learn the business while understanding and supporting the catalysts for growth and helping to drive and support innovation is vital to the CFO role. The CFO candidate is an executive who actively seeks a role that includes not only operational reach but also human capital management, technology support for operations and organizational efficiencies. Curious about scaling and innovating a high-touch, human service business, the successful candidate will be passionate about the fundamental business of ensuring that the relationship between a child and an adult is the critical vehicle for driving outcomes and about finding solutions to extend the organization’s reach to as many children in Eastern Massachusetts as possible.

Importantly, the incoming CFO will be a sincere and approachable people person who can effectively engage with multiple stakeholders. High energy and an open-mind as well as superb communication skills are critical to this role. The successful CFO will be a partner who collaborates and enjoys spending time walking around the office connecting with colleagues with the goal of gaining a greater understanding of the organization’s challenges and opportunities through interacting and sharing versus working behind their desk.

The model candidate has a sense of humor and is fun to work with. They have a strong track record of managing and mentoring people. Furthermore, they are passionate about marrying the best practices of for profit and nonprofit management. Essentially, the ideal candidate is tri-lingual—a finance person who is able to effectively communicate with non-finance people, a finance/administrative person who can speak to the mission of the organization while effectively communicating with a forward-thinking board of directors and external stakeholders.

The incoming CFO will exemplify the following professional and personal qualities, skills and characteristics:

Ongoing Curiosity and Understanding of the Business

Knows the business model and the mission-critical technical and functional skills needed to deliver quality service and impact; cognizant of various types of business propositions with a critical understanding of how businesses operate in general; is a quick study and learns new methods and technologies easily.

Creating the New and Different

Is able to come up with the next great breakthrough and knows how to direct the implementation of this strategy; is creative, a financial visionary, and can manage innovation; is an effective strategist full of ideas and possibilities; sees multiple futures; has broad interests and knowledge; can both create and bring exciting ideas to market; comfortable speculating about alternative futures based on the data that is available.

Focus

Transitions seamlessly between the “big picture” and minutiae. Prioritizes the mission-critical from the nice to dos; quickly senses what’s the next most useful thing to work on; focuses on the critical few tasks that add value and puts aside or delays the rest.

Managing the Work Process

Is an effective process, workflow, and systems designer; is good at figuring out what to measure to track progress; sets up systems that can almost manage themselves; is a master at the effectiveness and efficiency of work systems; can quickly diagnose and fix a workflow problem; always looking for incremental process improvement.

Relationship Building Skills

Warm, friendly, and interpersonally agile; easy to approach and talk to; relates well to all kinds of people; makes a pleasant first impression and builds solid relationships.

Being Open and Receptive

At ease and relaxed; easy to talk to and get to know; listens attentively; is transparent; has a positive sense of humor; deals calmly with stress and gives people a chance to catch up.

Core Competencies

  • Financial Strategist & Analyst
  • Ongoing Curiosity About the Business
  • Master of Productivity
  • Planning and Execution
  • Creative and Innovative
  • Solutions-oriented
  • HR Oversight
  • People Oversight
  • Emotional Intelligence
  • Impact and Influencer/Diplomacy Skills
  • Board liaison experience
  • Organizational Skills
  • Technological Oversight
  • Mission Driven
  • Exceptional Communication Skills
  • Values the Human Services Industry
  • Servant-Leadership
  • Relationship Builder
  • Strategic and Visionary Financial Thinker
  • Collaborative Style
  • Effective listener
  • Engenders Immediate Trust

The primary responsibilities of the CFO will include, but are not limited to:

  • Provide day-to-day management and supervisory oversite of Finance, Human Resources, and Informational Technology teams, including direct supervision of four direct reports;
  • Engage members of the Senior Leadership team to facilitate collaboration, ensuring all financial, IT and HR solutions support BBBSMB’s strategy and mission;
  • Implement areas of productivity into all stages of operations and facilitate cross-functional communication, enabling adaptability between teams and departments while fostering an inclusive environment;
  • Assure the development of individual and departmental plans and budgets are consistent with the strategic plan and overall budget;
  • Lead, motivate, develop, and inspire a continuously evolving workforce of employees in both office-based and virtual roles;
  • Ability to think creatively and strategically, to build consensus and collaborate with others, as well as to articulate and implement HR, IT, and financial programs that reflect and promote organizational goals and priorities.
  • Lead BBBSMB’s support services in a growth-oriented atmosphere and contribute to the achievement of the organization’s mission and sustainability; and
  • Establish and enforce sound business and financial systems policies, procedures and internal controls; ensure the accuracy of accounting and financial procedures in compliance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and nonprofit best practices.

Experience and Qualifications:
With a minimum of 7 years of relevant experience, the ideal candidate will have the following professional and personal qualities, skills and characteristics:

  • Exceptional time-management skills and an ability to seamlessly juggle multiple competing priorities;
  • Keen administrative and operational leadership with a razor-sharp focus on efficient, sustainable, and scalable growth;
  • Strong operational experience and track record of inspiring leadership across all career levels in a rapidly changing workforce;
  • Proven record of success in overseeing organizational growth, talent recruitment, development, performance management, and retention by actively attracting and investing in high-potential talent;
  • Strong knowledge of human resource functions, operational workflow, and technology integration in an increasingly virtual workforce;
  • Excellent managerial, organizational, and communication skills, including the ability to work collaboratively with internal and external constituents and develop cross-functional teams;
  • Experience building and managing HR and/or IT teams strongly preferred;
  • Commitment to diversity and inclusion and a proven record of promoting it;
  • Highly proficient excel skills required.

Education:
Ideally, this candidate would have a first degree and potentially a second degree. However, education does not take the place of robust/relevant work experience.

Undergraduate degree required; and
MBA, CPA or relative advanced degrees are considered attractive.

Location:
This position will be located in Boston, MA and regional (Massachusetts-based) candidates are highly preferred. While a strong office presence is required, BBBSMB respects flexible work/life balance.

Contact:
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Massachusetts Bay (BBBSMB) is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We go beyond accepting difference to celebrating, supporting and thriving on it for the benefit of our organization and the communities we serve. We encourage all to apply because we believe a diversity of voices leads to better discussions, decisions, and outcomes for everyone. Through this policy, BBBSMB strives to establish and maintain an equitable and accessible work environment that is inclusive and supportive of a workforce that reflects the rich diversity of our country and the people we serve.

Big Brothers Big Sister Massachusetts Bay has engaged Maureen Alphonse-Charles and Koya Leadership Partners to lead this search. To express your interest in this role, please submit a compelling cover letter and resume here. All inquiries and discussions will be considered confidential.

About Koya Leadership Partners:
Koya Leadership Partners is a national retained executive search and human capital consulting firm that works exclusively with mission-driven organizations, institutions of higher education and social enterprises. We deliver measurable results, finding exceptionally talented people who truly fit the unique culture of our client organizations and ensuring that organizations have the resources and strategies to support them. For more information, visit www.koyapartners.com