About the Role
The Chief Financial Officer is responsible for the financial leadership, stewardship, and long-term sustainability of Community Access and its affiliated entities. This senior organizational leader will serve as a principal strategic partner to the CEO, working closely with the Board of Directors’ Finance and Audit Committee.
Responsibilities
- Serve as a trusted advisor to the CEO, Senior Management Team, Board, and Finance and Audit Committee on financial strategy, organizational performance, capital planning, growth, and risk.
- Translate complex financial information into concise, decision-ready analysis and clear recommendations.
- Anticipate emerging financial, operational, and regulatory issues and surface them early with practical options and a recommended course of action.
- Support long-range planning and scenario analysis, including the financial implications of new programs, real estate initiatives, agency and real estate reserves, partnerships, and changes in public funding.
- Partner with Real Estate Development to evaluate project feasibility, organizational risk, and long-term financial sustainability.
- Ensure the financial integrity and sustainability of Community Access and its affiliated entities.
- Oversee annual budgets totaling $78 million, forecasts, cash flow, treasury, investments, lines of credit, insurance renewal negotiations, audits, tax filings, and required financial and regulatory reporting.
- Maintain effective internal controls, fiscal policies, approval structures, and risk-management protocols.
- Ensure timely, accurate, and transparent reporting to management, the Board, funders, lenders, investors, auditors, and government partners.
- Build Dashboards, KPIs and other reporting tools that enhance agency decision-making.
- Provide strategic direction and active, hands-on oversight to the outsourced fiscal services provider, including the controller, assistant controller, treasury, contract administration, and accounts payable functions.
- Establish clear priorities, deadlines, service expectations, and accountability for deliverables.
- Resolve barriers, escalate concerns when necessary, and ensure that outsourced work is fully integrated with Community Access's operational and strategic needs.
- Maintain a clear division of responsibility between the CFO, the outsourced provider, and internal leaders while retaining ultimate accountability for the finance function.
- Own key financial and organizational commitments from assignment through completion, with clear milestones, responsible parties, and deadlines.
- Prioritize competing demands, distinguish urgent from important work, and ensure that critical deliverables do not stall.
- Communicate delays, dependencies, and risks early, together with a proposed recovery plan or decision request.
- Create dependable management rhythms that support follow-through, including financial calendars, status tracking, and timely escalation.
- Serve as the principal management liaison to the Finance and Audit Committee and support effective Board oversight.
- Prepare and present clear, accurate, and appropriately concise financial materials that frame decisions, risks, and recommended actions.
- Build and maintain trusted relationships with auditors, banks, investment advisors, lenders, investors, government agencies, insurers, and other financial partners.
- Represent Community Access with credibility, sound judgment, and transparency.
- Partner with Real Estate Development, Property Management, Programs, Development and Communications, Human Resources, and other departments to align financial strategy with mission and operations.
- Provide senior managers with useful analysis and guidance that strengthen budget ownership and decision-making.
- Supervise the Purchasing and Entitlements functions, establishing clear priorities, accountability, and staff development expectations.
- Contribute fully to the Senior Management Team and to an organizational culture of professionalism, responsiveness, equity, accuracy, and accountability.
Requirements
- Senior financial leadership experience in a complex nonprofit, affordable housing, real estate, healthcare, human services, or comparably regulated organization.
- Demonstrated responsibility for budgeting, forecasting, cash management, treasury, audit, tax compliance, internal controls, investments, and Board reporting.
- Experience working with outsourced financial service providers, shared-service structures, or other matrixed operating models.
- Experience supporting a Board and Finance or Audit Committee and communicating with external auditors, banks, lenders, investors, and government funders.
- Knowledge of nonprofit accounting, government grants and contracts, affordable housing finance, real estate affiliates, tax-credit structures and property tax exemption programs (including Article XI and 420-c) required.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills and a demonstrated record of leading complex work to timely completion.
- Understanding and appreciation of, and commitment to the philosophy and mission of Community Access.
Skills
- Financial strategy
- Organizational performance
- Capital planning
- Risk management
- Financial analysis
- Forecasting
- Cash management
- Treasury
- Auditing
- Tax compliance
- Internal controls
- Investment management
- Board reporting
- Nonprofit accounting
- Government grants and contracts
- Affordable housing finance
- Real estate finance
- Tax-credit structures
- Property tax exemption programs
- Communication skills
- Leadership
- Problem-solving
- Strategic planning
- Scenario analysis
- Project feasibility evaluation
- Financial integrity
- Budget management
- Financial reporting
- Dashboard creation
- KPI development
- Vendor management
- Contract administration
- Accounts payable
- Stakeholder relations
- Team management
- Cross-functional collaboration
- Staff development
Location
- NYC
Work Type
- Full-time
Experience Level
- Senior financial executive
- Senior financial leadership
Education Level
- CPA or equivalent depth of financial training and experience strongly preferred
About the Company
- Founded in 1974, Community Access is a pioneer of supportive housing and social services in NYC for people with mental health concerns.
- The organization leads advocacy efforts promoting human rights, social justice, and economic opportunities.
- Community Access operates through a model where people are experts in their own lives.
- Programs are spread across 25 locations with over 1200 units of supportive housing in three boroughs.
- Services include the Howie the Harp Advocacy Center, Peer-driven Crisis Respite Center, Assertive Community Treatment (ACT), and the Intensive Mobile Team (IMT).
- Administration establishes strategic and annual goals in line with the organization's vision, mission, and values.
- CA’s outsourced fiscal services provider (BTQ Financial) provides accounting, contract administration, accounts payable, and treasury services.
Equal Opportunity
- Community Access is an Equal Opportunity Employer. M/F/D/V.
- Women, People of Color and Members of the LGBT community are strongly encouraged to apply.
- We are dedicated to a workforce where at least 51% of our employees identify as having a personal experience using mental health services.
