Healthy Learners is on a mission to improve the health of children through school-based health. Our simple yet powerful model moves the healthcare entry point to where children already are – their schools – by training and equipping the people children already trust and are with nearly every day – their teachers. With our flagship program in Zambia, we partner with the country government and local communities to bring our school health model. Today, we have served over 1,000,000 students, and with the Zambian government as a full partner, we’re on track to reach 2.5 million children by 2028.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

Healthy Learners has experienced rapid growth – growing from $4M to $14M in the last three fiscal years – and is on a trajectory for future growth and scale. At this exciting time, we are seeking a highly strategic Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to drive the organization’s long-term financial health and sustainability. Reporting to the CEO, this hire will sit on the executive team, supervise a high-functioning finance team, and lead financial strategies that support the current and future needs of the organization. Specifically, the CFO will:

Drive Strategic Finance and Organizational Growth

• Provide visionary financial leadership to guide the organization through growth and scale, ensuring long-term sustainability, operational excellence, and alignment of financial strategy with mission and impact.
• Serve as a thought partner to CEO and organizational leadership, contributing to overall organizational direction and helping shape and drive the vision for scale.
• Build robust financial models and forecasts that inform executive decision-making, scenario planning, and long-term sustainability.
• Develop compelling, data-driven investment cases that attract and align government partners, institutional donors, and catalytic funders around Healthy Learners’ scale-up plans.

Oversee Financial Stewardship and Governance

• Provide rigorous financial oversight and stewardship, including audits, annual budgeting, risk management systems, and funding readiness.
• Partner with the board’s treasurer and finance committee, providing timely and insightful financial reporting and serving as a thought partner on key fiscal decisions.
• Partner with the Development & Communications team, translating program plans into donor-ready budgets and providing timely financial data for proposals, reports, and stewardship.
• Ensure restricted-funds are tracked and reported in full compliance with grant and donor requirements.
• Manage and oversee Healthy Learners’ treasury and reserves—maintaining prudent cash-management practices, safeguarding multi-currency liquidity, and using low-risk instruments to protect and optimize program funds.
• Define and implement clear financial authority and delegation matrices across teams to support accountability and clarity in decision-making.
• Promote a culture of accountability and compliance with financial policies and procedures, serving as an accessible resource in communicating the “why” behind financial decisions and policies.

Lead Operational Excellence and Team Development

• Lead and mentor a high-performing 5-member finance team, fostering a culture of ownership, transparency, and excellence.
• Identify and implement efficiencies that streamline operations and support scale without compromising quality or compliance.
• Establish and refine procurement systems that support compliance, cost-effectiveness, and mission-aligned growth across geographies.
• Drive the selection, implementation, and adoption of scalable systems and processes for financial management and reporting, including ERP platforms and dashboards.

WHO YOU ARE

• You are an enthusiastic champion for Healthy Learners’ mission and values. You are inspired to scale a proven solution to improve the health of children through school-based community health. You thrive on a team that values humility, emotional intelligence, a willingness to learn, and a hunger for continuous growth and improvement.
• You are a strategic and growth-oriented finance leader with international nonprofit experience. You bring 15+ years of progressive nonprofit financial leadership, with demonstrated skill in budgeting, modeling, accounting, compliance, and financial planning, ideally at organizations experiencing growth and scale.
• You are a trusted thought partner to executive leadership. You bring a strategic lens to financial decision-making, helping to shape organizational priorities, inform long-term planning, and translate vision into operational plans. You offer high-level insight while staying connected to day-to-day execution.
• You are a forward-looking strategist and systems thinker who connects financial planning to organizational impact. You design adaptive financial structures and implement scalable systems, processes, and policies that support programmatic growth, clarity, and accountability.
• You are an effective communicator who builds trust across diverse audiences. You translate complex financial concepts into accessible language, fostering alignment and shared understanding. You engage stakeholders across teams and backgrounds with clarity, empathy, and intention.
• You are a thoughtful people leader who builds and develops high-performing teams. You bring out the best in others by leveraging their strengths, setting clear expectations, and creating a culture of ownership and accountability.
• You are a resourceful, action-oriented operator with strong technical skills and analytical rigor. You anticipate needs, test scenarios, and drive progress using data, with experience in ERP platforms and dashboards to support informed, sustainable decision-making.
• You thrive in dynamic, high-growth environments and inspire others to embrace change. You build strong cross-functional partnerships and rally teams across departments, cultures, and time zones around shared goals.

Other desired qualifications, experience, and knowledge include:

• Master’s degree in business administration or related area
• Experience working in global health, education, or international development, particularly in a scaling organization
• Experience and/or knowledge of working with country governments in Sub-Saharan Africa