Chief Financial Officer

Job Type
Finance/Accounting/Lending
Organization
HomeStart, Inc.
Contact Name
Alyssa Smith
Contact Email
smith@homestart.org
Address

105 Chauncy Street Suite 502
Boston, MA
United States

Job Description

HomeStart Overview:

Founded on the principle that every person deserves a safe and healthy place to live, HomeStart has been ending and preventing homelessness in Boston for over 25 years. HomeStart serves hundreds of people each year in the Greater Boston Area and has permanently housed more than 14,000 individuals living on the street and in shelters, provided stabilization support for more than 1,000 households, as well as prevented more than 4,000 families from experiencing homelessness by way of eviction. HomeStart is uniquely positioned to dramatically reduce homelessness. Our clients include single parents and their children, victims of domestic violence, veterans, and persons with disabilities. All of them are living at or below the poverty line.

We are a team of >80 dedicated professionals representing a rich diversity of professional skills and lived experience. At HomeStart, we don’t just accept difference - we celebrate it, support it, and thrive on it for the benefit of our team and the communities we serve. With a strongly-held belief that having a home restores a person’s dignity and offers the stability necessary for making other life changes, HomeStart is a powerful advocate for both ending and preventing homelessness in the City of Boston and is expanding its work across Massachusetts and is preparing to expand its work in markets across the nation.

To learn more, please visit www.homestart.org.

 

Position Overview:

HomeStart is currently seeking a thoughtful and thorough Chief Financial Officer to partner with the leadership team to allow the organization to reach the next level of impact. Reporting to the Executive Director, the Chief Financial Officer will be responsible for managing all of HomeStart, Inc.’s financial matters.

The Chief Financial Officer is responsible for all financial matters of HomeStart and will report to and work closely with the President/Executive Director. In addition, the individual will be a business partner with the senior management team related to program and operational matters. The Chief Financial Officer will oversee all contractual compliance and accounting matters for government contracts and private grants and will be involved in a hands-on manner in these areas. The individual must be able to adapt to a changing environment and thrive in an autonomous and deadline-oriented workplace while managing a small finance staff. The successful candidate will understand financial drivers of the HomeStart business, will focus on finance/accounting process improvement, and will be a hands-on operational manager who is both comfortable with details as well as able to lead the financial strategy of HomeStart.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

The Chief Financial Officer will play an integral leadership role at HomeStart. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions and will fulfill the following responsibilities:

Accounting and Administration:

● Direct the preparation of all financial statements, including income statements, balance sheets, shareholder reports, tax returns, and governmental agency reports

● Develop annual budget, financial business plans, and forecasts and ensure the availability of funds as needed

● Develop and monitor program and departmental budgets and support the managers’ understanding and management of their budgets

● Compare projections to actual figures and budgeted expenses to actual expenses; make or oversee any necessary adjustments to future projections and budgets

● Review the planning process and suggests improvements to current methods

● Oversee the integrity of HomeStart’s financial procedures and participate in improving/modifying procedures as needed as well as corporate policy development as a member of the senior management team

● Analyze operations to identify areas in need of reorganization or optimization

● Study long-range economic trends and projects their impact on the future growth of the organization

● Develop and utilize forward-thinking, predictive models and activity-based financial analyses to provide insight into the organization’s operations and business plans

● Ensure government contract compliance, proper internal controls, and accounting procedures – daily – generally happens pre-audit and pre-990 because questions; could add to yearly or biyearly process for formal review

● Develop the new budgets and monthly review existing budgets for new and renewed contracts

● Analyze variances to budget and recommend actions to stay on plan – both time sheet oriented and other contract budgets

● Oversee the monthly close process, oversee/co-perform monthly contract invoicing process - this includes balancing/identifying all potential available sources of billing for expenditures and needs between contracts (as well as identifying fundraising needs) and projecting contract overage/underage and communicating relevant needs to program teams

● Organize timesheets for billing every month and review all time sheets bi-weekly to assure that each program is reporting appropriate hours for contracts and assure that time-off inputs are correct and perform payroll function to support team if our Controller is out or unable to complete

● Ensure accurate and timely completion of annual audit, required tax filings, and 990 as needed defined by auditors with multiple steps

● Focus on improving the process and efficiency of all accounting areas Relationships:

● Oversee the accounting department, ensure proper maintenance of the Sage accounting system, and supervise the Director of Finance and her management of two team accountants

● Liaise with and prepare reports for the Board of Directors and Finance Committee – to prepare for bi-monthly Committee and Board meetings, FY budget meetings, and audit reviews and to develop short- medium-and long-term financial plans and projections

● Works with the Executive Director, Finance Team, and Program Leadership to coordinate planning and establish priorities for the planning process

● Manage bank relationships, financing strategies, and activities

● Direct, consult, and counsel all organization employees, board members, volunteers, grantors, and community members in all financial aspects of HomeStart.

● Provide leadership with organizational decision-making, strategy, program, and administrative operations and be able to have earnest conversations about the incorporation of DEI principles in the work

● Provide monthly SAGE reports to Development/Fundraising Team for donor database and availability and/or decision participation around reconciliations between SAGE and donor database as well as (re)classification around potential donor restrictions

● Ensure timeliness, accuracy, and usefulness of financial and management reporting for federal, state, and city funders, foundations, and HomeStart’s Board of Directors Experience/Skills/Qualifications:

● 10 to 15 years of increasing responsibility with CFO/Controllership experience

● CPA preferred

● A minimum of three years of progressively responsible work experience managing the accounting functions and accounting staff in a non-profit agency, or equivalent experience

● Previous experience with accounting software such as Abila MIP, Sage, Great Plains, or similar accounting software

● Advanced knowledge and utilization of Excel, strong computer literacy including use of MS Office 365 & Google suite of software, and proficiency in database and accounting computer application systems

● Thorough knowledge of budgeting and accounting practices, processes, and procedures of nonprofit organizations

● Demonstrated ability to organize, direct and coordinate operations in personnel supervision, the recruitment and retention of key personnel, and budget management

● Critical to success in this role, the Chief Financial Officer will have a demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with others and have excellent written and verbal communication skills

● Excellent organization, analytical skills, and consistent attention to detail

● Ability to interact professionally with staff, Board members, volunteers, and other related agencies Physical Demands:

● Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.

● Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times.

● Must be able to access various departments of a given location.

 

Compensation:

$115,000 annually, competitive benefits package including health insurance, dental insurance, voluntary supplemental benefits, 401(k), vacation, sick time, and paid holidays.

Application Instruction

How to Join Our Team:

Please email a resume and a cover letter including salary requirements. Materials should be addressed to Alyssa Smith at smith@homestart.org. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

 

HomeStart is an equal opportunity employer and as such, we do not discriminate against any team member or candidate because of race, creed, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, or any other basis protected by law. We encourage all to apply because we believe a diversity of voices leads to better discussions, decisions, and outcomes for everyone.