Chief Financial Officer

Recruitment for the Chief Financial Offer position at New Visions is being led by Isaacson, Miller. Interested applicants must submit a complete application through Isaacson, Miller to be considered for this role. Inquiries, nominations, referrals, and CVs with cover letters should be sent via the Isaacson, Miller website: https://www.imsearch.com/open-searches/new-visions-public-schools/chief-financial-officer.

Summary

New Visions is seeking a strategic Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to join the Senior Management Team. Reporting directly to the President, the CFO sets the organization's financial direction, builds the models New Visions plans against, and serves as the senior finance voice with our Board, our auditors, and our funders.

How New Visions is funded has changed over time. Alongside New York City Department of Education contracts and philanthropy, we now build technology that a broad range of other public and nonprofit organizations rely on, and we provide professional development to clients within and outside New York City. Those revenue streams arrive on different cycles and carry different costs, which makes planning more complex. The CFO builds the picture that lets us plan well: forecasting revenue across all three streams, projecting the costs that come with growth in each, and testing how it holds together over a multi-year horizon.

The CFO's core responsibilities are multi-year planning and forecasting, financial strategy, government contract and grant oversight, and leadership of a six-person Finance Unit. Day-to-day accounting operations, including the monthly close and audit preparation, are owned by an experienced Associate Director of Accounting who reports to this role.

Core Duties and Responsibilities:

Strategy and Leadership

• Build multi-year financial models incorporating revenue diversification, scenario analysis, and cost structures across multiple programs.
• Develop financial models that support earned-revenue initiatives, product lines, and program expansions, including pricing for shared infrastructure maintained on behalf of partner institutions.
• Analyze funding trends and identify opportunities to optimize the organization's revenue mix across city contracts, philanthropy, and earned income.
• Partner with program and development leaders to translate program design into scalable, fundable business and financial models, and hold those assumptions to genuine scrutiny, drawing on external advisors where specialized expertise is warranted.
• Serve as the internal leader on resource allocation, directing budget to effectively support the organization's operations, programs, and infrastructure.
• Ensure the long-term financial stability and proper use of the organization's assets through sound fiscal management.
• Lead, coach, and develop the Finance team, building professional capacity, accountability, and organizational alignment.
• Assess and improve financial systems and data infrastructure to promote data fluency and automation, and to strengthen decision-making across the organization.
• Establish and maintain strong relationships with key constituents, including budget offices at city agencies and other clients.

Budgeting and Financial Management

• Lead the annual budget process and midyear forecast for all New Visions programs.
• Own indirect cost methodology and allocation across departments, and build the financial fluency of department leaders so they understand their own unit economics.
• Oversee the annual operating budget, manage effectively within it, and report accurately on progress made and challenges encountered.
• Drive the financial oversight and relational strategy necessary for navigating intricate and, at times, delayed payments on government contracts, ensuring compliance, minimizing risk, and securing timely revenue.
• Provide analysis of complex situations, prepare formal presentations, and present to senior management, the Board of Directors, and the Audit Committee on the overall financial health of the organization.
• Manage the administration of New Visions' grant programs, including application, award, and monitoring functions, and work with the Development Unit to prepare budgets for funding applications.
• On a monthly basis, provide accurate and timely financials, reports, and analysis that support the operations and business plans of NVPS programs.

Accounting Oversight

• Provide leadership and guidance to the accounting team, which is led day to day by the Associate Director of Accounting.
• Oversee annual audits, regulatory, compliance, and tax filings.
• Oversee the preparation and communication of monthly and annual financial statements.
• Ensure the integrity of internal controls and accounting procedures, and that they are documented and periodically reviewed.
• Oversee cash flow planning and ensure availability of funds when needed.

Education and Experience:

We will seriously consider candidates stepping up from a deputy role. If you have been the number two in a larger or more complex finance operation and are ready to lead one, we encourage you to apply.

• 8+ years of progressive financial leadership experience, including senior responsibility within a nonprofit or government-funded organization.
• Demonstrated experience building multi-year financial plans, forecasts, and scenario models, not only annual budgets.
• Demonstrated success leading financial strategy for an organization of comparable scale and complexity. New Visions operates on a $37mm annual budget with 155 staff.
• Fluency with restricted funding and indirect cost rates. Experience managing NYC and NY State government contracts, including budgeting, billing, compliance, and audit preparation, strongly preferred.
• Proven track record overseeing audits.
• Experience pricing earned revenue, fee-for-service work, or licensed products in a mission-driven organization is valued.
• MBA, CPA, or comparable credential is valued; neither is required.

Required Skill Set and Knowledge Base:

• Ability to translate financial concepts for non-financial stakeholders, including program leads, board members, and senior leadership.
• Ability to think strategically, anticipate future consequences and trends, and incorporate them into the organizational plan.
• Capacity for managing and leading people in a complex and changing environment.
• Strong technical and data fluency skills, including experience managing complex implementations of financial management software.
• Strong relationship-building skills, with an ability to prioritize, negotiate, and work with a variety of internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Supervisory Reports:

• Associate Director of Accounting, who supervises 2 accounting staff
• Budget Manager

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to traverse an office environment to attend meetings and interact with colleagues
• Ability to operate a computer and other relevant technology, such as phones, screens, printers, and tablets
• Ability to carry up to 10 pounds (such as for a laptop and carrying case)

The ideal candidate must be able to complete all physical requirements of the job with or without a reasonable accommodation.

Disclaimer:

The statements herein are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by the employee in this position. These statements are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of a person in this position.

Pay Range

$200,000 minimum – $266,000 maximum

This is the range in which we are hiring for this role. Placement within it reflects depth of directly relevant experience. The full salary band for this position extends beyond the hiring range, which provides additional room to support growth and recognition as individuals develop within the organization. Compensation is reviewed annually. 

Our offices are currently operating in a hybrid model, with staff expected to work in person several days per week. Additional details will be shared if selected for an interview.

Application Process

Screening of complete applications will begin immediately and continue until the completion of the search process. Inquiries, nominations, referrals, and CVs with cover letters should be sent via the Isaacson, Miller website: https://www.imsearch.com/open-searches/new-visions-public-schools/chief-financial-officer.