Smile Train

Chief Financial Officer

Position Summary

The CFO is responsible for overseeing the financial operations of the organization in order to ensure that it functions effectively and efficiently. This includes managing and safeguarding the organization’s financial resources, as well as monitoring its adherence to the governing documents (e.g., the bylaws and charter). In addition, the CFO, along with the Finance department as a whole, is responsible for coordinating the execution of the executive committee’s investment policies (including due diligence and management), coordinating the organization’s annual audit on behalf of the Audit Committee, and implementing the financial policies and procedures prescribed by the Board (including the management of all reporting requirements and implementation of all internal controls). This role reports directly to the Chief Executive Officer and oversees a team including a VP of Finance, a Director, managers, and accountants.

Responsibilities:

Oversight of the Finance Department and its related functions:

• Implement overall fiscal policies.
• Develop, assessment and approval of internal control policy and procedures.
• Monitor the organization’s cash flow and conduct cash flow forecasting to satisfy operational needs.
• Maintain working relationship with the organization’s programs and business line managers.
• In conjunction with the IT Department, monitor the high-level operation of the Sage MIP accounting system (e.g., responsibility for authorization of patches, updates, enhancements, and modifications).
• Review and approval of complex transactions or approval of payments that exceed the threshold authorized for the VP of Finance.
• Interact with Human Resources to ensure effective implementation of payroll and benefit programs.
• Provide oversight of the annual audit.
• Collaborate with other departments during the development of programs and processes that may directly impact accounting processes.
• Work with grants and fundraising leadership to develop efficient grant-making, fundraising and payment reconciliation processes as well as exploring synergies of the accounting & grants management systems.
• Monitor tax and legislative developments relating to nonprofit organizations and private foundations and monitor compliance with IRS regulations & Treasury Department guidelines.
• Oversight of the financial reporting and budgeting process.
• Provide oversight of the budgeting process.
• Review quarterly reports and monthly activity for distribution to senior leadership and the Board, including budget and variance information.
• Participate in and present financial information at the trustee and Board meetings.
• Understand reporting responsibilities related to U.S. & international fundraising, grant-making and contractual expenditures.

Assist in maintaining organization compliance with bylaws and charter:

• Maintain a working knowledge of the charter and bylaws through in-depth analysis of its requirements and ongoing communication with the Legal Department.
• Review financial reports to assess by-law & charter compliance and restrictions for use as a decision-making tool and for the compliance audit.
• Arrange and prepare for the compliance activities in conjunction with the In-House Counsel.
• Participate in decision-making and research requests to verify organization adherence to charter and regulatory mandates.
• Analyze revisions to charter and bylaws.
• Provide solutions and suggestions relating to questions arising from the trustees and staff relating to charter issues.

Other Responsibilities:

• Work with In-House Counsel to maintain relationships with global entities and assist in implementation of efficient processes for accounting, internal control, and grant-making systems.
• Work closely with global personnel to verify that each organization is in compliance with its charter and to assess any effects of one organization on the charter of another.
• Assist in procedural development for fundraising and grants supported by international entities.

Goals and Objectives

In the first 12-18 months, the CFO will be expected to focus on the following:

• Listen and learn: develop an understanding of Smile Train and its working culture and values by building relationships and becoming a known and approachable ally.
• Earn the reputation as a competent, credible, and respected leader of the Finance Team. Maintain high performance standards, service quality and financial integrity. Assess the financial organization's capacity, capabilities, and financial controls. Ensure stability across the team and maintain a culture of transparency, service, and responsiveness.
• Develop a strong relationship with the various operational departments.
• Be seen as a holistic finance executive, understanding operational impacts of financial decisions, with the ability to present multiple financial options in order to educate the team.
• The CFO will need to quickly understand and embrace the strategic imperatives of Smile Train, as well as be responsible for implementing a metrics-driven approach to financial business planning.
• Ensure the finance team is appropriately staffed with the skills/competencies needed to support ongoing growth.
• Identify opportunities to introduce systems and technologies that will make the organization more efficient.
• Serve as a subject matter expert on financial matters.

Candidate Qualifications

Education/Certification

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting or finance required. A master's degree or CPA highly preferred.

Knowledge and Work Experience

• Minimum 10+ years of accounting/finance experience, including senior leadership experience, ideally in a non-profit setting.
• Previous experience in implementation and/or administration of an accounting management database.
• Experience or high-level of comfort with Sage MIP accounting system is a plus.
• Comfortable interacting with, and providing support to, all levels of the organization including CEO and other senior leadership.
• Comfortable working in a highly collaborative environment.
• Able to keep focused and navigate periods of organizational change.
• High degree of diplomacy and cultural sensitivity required, with past experience working in a globally-focused environment preferred.

Skills and Attributes

• Humble, collaborative, and inclusive. Comfort with ambiguity, predisposition toward action.
• Deep commitment to and belief in equity. Treats all with dignity and respect.
• Highly respected and credible financial leader with impeccable integrity.
• Ability to pivot as needs arise, while maintaining momentum on other key priorities.
• Track record of supporting and building initiatives that promote diversity, access, and inclusion.
• Forward thinking: able to see the big picture, but also willing to roll up sleeves and dig into the details when necessary.
• Open, collaborative, and adaptable, with a willingness to listen and a balanced approach to decision making.
• Proponent and demonstrated competency as it relates to harnessing technology in regards to efficiencies, communications, reporting, etc.
• Operates with a sense of accountability across all disciplines and creates a culture where it is expected of all, especially in terms of meeting deadlines, responsiveness, time-sensitive decision making, performance evaluations and all necessary reporting.
• Strong grasp of details, consistently ahead of the curve when it comes to interpreting data, seeing trends, and anticipating superiors’ inquiries. Able to quickly process new information and point to areas requiring deeper investigation.
• Values based leader with demonstrated respect and sensitivity to cultural/social differences.
• Delivers appropriate information to stakeholders in an ongoing, timely fashion and maintain productive collaborative relationships with all internal and external customers.
• Ability to deal with uncertainty and ambiguity and manage when results may not be readily apparent.
• Ability to communicate and explain complex financial issues to non-financial professionals and to interact well with all levels within the organization.

The Community

New York, New York

New York City is the most populous city in the United States with an estimated 2019 population of 8,336,817 distributed over about 302.6 square miles (784 km²) in all five boroughs. Located at the southern tip of the State of New York, the city is the center of the New York metropolitan area, the largest metropolitan area in the world by urban landmass. New York City has been described as the cultural, financial, and media capital of the world, significantly influencing commerce, entertainment, research, technology, education, politics, tourism, art, fashion, and sports. Home to the headquarters of the United Nations, New York is an important center for international diplomacy.

Whether walking, biking, or using public transportation, New York City offers countless options to enjoy free time. There are many opportunities to pursue cultural endeavors in the "city that never sleeps," from readings and concerts to museums and theater. Some of these activities include:

• Concerts, lectures, and other cultural options.
• Dining experiences at restaurants from almost every culture and ethnicity in the world. You can learn more about these via apps such as Yelp and Seamless.
• Plays and musicals at New York’s world-theatre scene and tours of world-renowned arts institutions along the Museum Mile including:

• The Africa Center
• Cooper-Hewitt National Museum of Design
• The Guggenheim
• The Jewish Museum
• Metropolitan Museum of Art
• Museo del Barrio
• The Museum of the City of New York
• The Neue Galerie

• Parks and outdoor spaces throughout all five boroughs, including beaches and riverfront esplanades.
• Music and nightlife for all styles and tastes.
• Religious and spiritual institutions representing most organized faith and belief systems.

Procedure for Candidacy

Smile Train values diversity and is committed to equal opportunity for all persons regardless of age, color, disability, ethnicity, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status or any other status protected by law.

The material presented in this leadership profile should be relied on for informational purposes only. This material has been copied, compiled, or quoted in part from Smile Train documents and personal interviews and is believed to be reliable. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this information, the original source documents and factual situations govern.

All images and logos used in this leadership profile were attained from Smile Train and/or are owned by Witt/Kieffer Inc. via Getty Images.