The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) is a key member of the Executive Leadership Team at Cure SMA. The CFO is responsible for the financial and accounting operations of the organization and ensuring its financial health and sustainability. This role oversees all financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, and analysis for the organization and the Board. In addition, this role will be responsible for leading audit activities. The CFO works closely with the President, Chief Operating Officer (COO), Chief Development Officer (CDO), Chief Scientific Officer (CSO), Sr. VP, Community Support (SVP-CS), and the Board of Directors to develop and implement financial strategies that support the organization’s mission and goals.
As Cure SMA embarks on an ambitious strategic plan through 2030, the CFO will play a central role in positioning the organization for sustainable growth, building reserves to secure our future, and aligning financial resources with strategic priorities. This leader will be instrumental in ensuring that the organization has the financial infrastructure, capacity, and vision to support innovation, programmatic expansion, and long-term impact.
The CFO will be actively engaged in the daily financial operations while building the systems, team, and strategies to support Cure SMA’s long-term growth.
Requirements
Essential Function/Responsibility with associated competencies:
Strategic Planning and Leadership
This role requires a leader who can think strategically while executing tactically — both setting financial direction and performing critical day-to-day financial work.
- Serve as a key architect in advancing Cure SMA’s 2030 Strategic Plan by aligning financial strategies with organizational priorities, including investments in infrastructure, talent, and innovation.
- Collaborate closely with the CDO to align revenue strategies with financial planning, ensuring that fundraising goals are supported by sound financial modeling and infrastructure.
- Serve as the primary staff liaison to the Finance Committee, The CFO will lead preparation and presentation of all financial reports, budgets, forecasts, audits, and long-term financial plans.
- Provide strategic analysis, guidance, and recommendations to support the Committee’s oversight and governance responsibilities.
- Lead efforts to build and manage organizational reserves and endowment funds to ensure long-term sustainability and financial resilience.
- Provide leadership, mentorship, and professional development to the finance team, fostering a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
- Work closely with other senior leaders to develop strategies that enhance organizational sustainability and impact.
- Serve as the primary staff liaison to the Audit Committee by providing financial statements, schedules, and operational documentation for the annual audit, while ensuring clear coordination on compliance-related matters.
- Identify and pursue new funding models, revenue diversification opportunities, and strategic financial partnerships that support long-term mission growth.
- Anticipate emerging trends and risks and advise the Board and Executive Team on proactive strategies to position the organization for continued success.
Financial Management
- Develop and implement financial strategies that support Cure SMA’s mission and long-term strategic goals, while maintaining a hands-on role in day-to-day financial operations and processes.
- Oversee all financial operations, including accounting, budgeting, forecasting, and financial analysis.
- Ensure the accuracy and completeness of financial records, including the general ledger, accounts payable and receivable, payroll, and other financial systems.
- Prepare and present actionable financial reports, analyses, and recommendations to the Finance Committee, and provide executive level summary reports to the full Board of Directors to support informed decision-making. Partner across all departments within Cure SMA to provide financial information that supports decision making for their departments.
- Ensure compliance with all financial reporting and regulatory requirements, including tax filings, audits, and other legal obligations.
- Develop and maintain strong internal financial controls and policies to safeguard assets, ensure accuracy of reporting, and support compliance with GAAP.
- Manage relationships with external partners such as banks, auditors, and financial service providers.
- Lead a finance and accounting department of 3 individuals. Provide coaching, oversight and development of the team.
Budgeting and Forecasting
- Lead the annual budgeting process in collaboration with department heads to create realistic, achievable budgets.
- Establish a metric based budgeting approach that also enables tracking of success measures to hit the financial objectives of the organization.
- Monitor actual performance against budget and provide timely updates, insights, and variance analyses to leadership and the Board of Directors.
- Develop and maintain long-term financial forecasting models to support strategic planning, scenario analysis, and resource allocation decisions aligned with the 2030 Strategic Plan.
- Collaborate with Executive Leadership to integrate revenue projections from all funding streams into long-range budgets and forecasts to support strategic decision-making.
- Build and maintain financial models, tools, and reporting dashboards to support real-time decision-making and organizational agility.
Tax Filing and Compliance
- Partner closely with the Director of Finance and relevant Department Heads to prepare and complete the annual financial audit, including compiling all required financial schedules, payroll and facilities data, SOC reports, and other supporting documentation needed by auditors.
- Lead the preparation and filing of the annual Form 990 in collaboration with the Director of Finance and external tax advisors, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and compliance with all applicable regulations.
- Oversee all tax filings and compliance processes to ensure adherence to applicable Federal and State laws and regulations to maintain not for profit status.
- Manage relationships with auditors and other finance compliance-related partners to maintain transparency and integrity in financial reporting.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field; MBA or CPA strongly preferred.
- At least 10 years of progressively responsible experience in financial management, with at least 5 years in a nonprofit organization.
- Proven track record of developing and implementing financial strategies, managing budgets, and overseeing financial reporting and compliance.
- Experience collaborating with fundraising/development teams to support revenue growth strategies.
- Ability to thrive in a hands-on role, balancing strategic leadership with direct ownership of financial operations and deliverables.
- Strong leadership and management skills, with building and leading high-performing teams.
- Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to communicate financial information to non-financial stakeholders.
- Passion for the mission and work of the organization.
- Passionate interest in mentoring others and working as a team.
The position requires strong analytical, communication, and negotiating skills, good judgment in making decisions independently, and an ability to establish and maintain positive professional working relationships with a wide range of internal and external partners. The CFO will make high-stakes decisions that directly impact the organization’s long-term sustainability and growth trajectory, requiring sound judgment, strategic foresight, and the ability to balance risk and opportunity.
Work is generally sedentary in nature, but requires walking, sitting, traveling, and occasionally standing, bending, reaching, lifting boxes, and unloading supplies. Requires ability to lift 25 pounds or less.
The physical environment characteristics described here are representative of those employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
This role involves occasional domestic travel for conferences, board meetings, and visits to headquarters.
The pay range for this position is $175,000 to $205,000 annually. The actual base pay offered may vary depending on multiple factors including job-related knowledge/skills, experience, business needs, geographical location, and internal equity.
Our employee benefits include the following:
- Medical, dental, and vision.
- Short- and long-term disability insurance.
- Basic life insurance.
- Voluntary life insurance.
- AD&D insurance.
- Health Care, Dependent Care, and Limited Purpose FSAs
- 401K plan with company match.
This requisition is expected to stay active for 45 days but may close earlier if a successful candidate is selected or business necessity dictates. Interested candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible to ensure consideration. Resume and Cover Letter Required.
