THE ORGANIZATION:
Founded in 1906, Children’s Institute (CII) supports approximately 30,000 children and families annually in achieving emotional well-being and educational success, which build pathways to economic mobility and lifelong health.
CII helps children and families discover strengths and develop skills that create enduring success. Because violence and adversity impact learning, behavior, and health, CII is committed to their prevention, fostering supportive and caring relationships, and reversing the effects of toxic stress.
Using a whole family approach, CII offers education, counseling services, parenting support, community convening spaces, and enrichment programs at its early education centers, K-12 schools, and neighborhood hubs. CII engages children and families in their homes and communities, in person and virtually, developing resources and partnerships to ensure children, youth, families, and neighbors achieve their dreams and goals.
CII works with communities where decades of underinvestment and discriminatory policies perpetuate poverty and limit opportunities. CII promotes investment in children, families, and communities by training professionals on effective practice models, advancing equitable public policies and amplifying community voice.
Programs & Services:
Behavioral Health & Wellness
As a leader in trauma-informed care, CII provides counseling services to children, adolescents, transition-aged youth and parents. Evidence-based practices include Parent-Child Interaction Therapy, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Child-Parent Psychotherapy, among others. CII does whatever it takes to serve the whole family because when families do better, children do better.
Early Childhood Education
CII’s early education programs engage children in learning experiences that foster emotional well-being, language and literacy, and healthy development. Through these programs, children are prepared to become lifelong learners and parents are empowered to be active participants in their child’s education – building a strong foundation for future success.
Community Schools
CII partners with a select group of schools and offers comprehensive, campus-wide, trauma-informed services and supports for all students and parents, including mental health services, after-school and enrichment activities, parent workshops, and family resource centers.
Project Fatherhood
Providing comprehensive parenting skills to men in caregiving roles, Project Fatherhood uses an innovative support group model where dads learn to be more loving, responsible parents and active participants in their children’s lives.
Community Health
Lifelong health is the result of creating a network of holistic support for children and families. CII supports individuals in achieving educational success and emotional wellbeing while also supporting the coordination of physical and mental health care services. The Community Health programs support care coordination, system navigation, and a full range support for health services to improve day-to-day living and wellbeing.
To learn more about Children’s Institute, please visit: www.childrensinstitute.org.
THE OPPORTUNITY:
Children’s Institute is seeking a collaborative, creative, and forward-thinking finance professional with a strong service mentality as its next Chief Financial Officer. This is a senior executive position with significant responsibility and impact. The agency’s annual operating budget is $100 million.
Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) as a member of the executive team, the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) is responsible for CII’s overall financial strategy, stewarding the agency’s resources and assessing performance against its budget and strategic plan.
Working closely with the CEO, Board of Directors and the executive team as a strategic business partner, the CFO advises agency leaders on their financial plans and economic models. The CFO oversees policies, systems, and processes to provide timely and accurate financial and operational information and makes actionable strategic and operational recommendations. The CFO is accountable for the performance of the Finance and Operations departments, comprising 40+ staff members, and provides direct oversight and guidance to the leaders of those teams. The CFO also staffs the Finance, Audit, and Investment committees of the Board of Trustees.
Essential responsibilities of the position include:
Financial Strategy and Planning
Develop and implement financial strategies aligned with the agency’s goals; oversee the preparation of the annual budget, financial and cash flow forecasts, and multi-year financial plans and scenarios; provide financial insights and recommendations to the CEO and the Board of Trustees.
Financial Management
Monitor and analyze financial performance, identifying areas for improvement and risk mitigation, including all insurance policies; oversee accounting (purchasing, A/P, A/R) and fiscal reporting; ensure compliance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, Uniform Guidance, internal fiscal policies, funder, regulatory, and Office of Management and Budget audit and cost accounting requirements; develop and implement financial controls, policies and procedures; and coordinate all audit and tax filing activities.
Resource Allocation and Efficiency
Optimize resource allocation to maximize the agency’s impact; collaborate with program leaders to develop financial models and evaluate the financial viability of existing and new projects or initiatives; conduct cost-benefit analyses and recommend strategies for cost optimization and revenue generation; improve processes, including implementing enabling technologies, system management and integration.
Operational Leadership
Oversee and direct essential operational functions and support services including facilities management, contract management, compliance, independent contractors and health and safety.
Board & External Relations
Inform the Board’s Finance, Audit, and Investment committees about issues and trends affecting CII’s business, serving as their primary staff contact. Assist in establishing yearly objectives and committee meeting agendas, and selecting outside consultants (auditors, investment advisors, bankers). Represent CII at provider associations, conferences and in other professional settings.
Policy & Business Relations
Liaise with vendors and funders to advocate for and negotiate contract terms and conditions (e.g., payments, reimbursements, and rates). Serve as fiscal agent for federal grants and complete required trainings and certifications.
Team Leadership and Development
Provide strong leadership and guidance to the finance, accounting and operations teams, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement. Mentor and develop staff, promoting professional growth and succession planning. Promote a high level of financial literacy across the organization, ensuring all stakeholders understand financial reports.
DESIRED CHARACTERISTICS:
The successful candidate will be an experienced finance leader with a track record of success in a complex, dynamic environment. The CFO should demonstrate initiative, curiosity, accountability and results-oriented organizational and leadership abilities with a capacity to work both independently and as part of a team. The CFO must have excellent interpersonal skills and be a tactful and persuasive communicator, both verbally and in writing. The successful candidate will establish positive relationships and exhibit confidence with the Board of Trustees, staff, outside consultants, and other key stakeholders. Focused on continuous improvement, the CFO must be detail-oriented with a focus on the accuracy and quality of all departmental work product, and be a model of integrity and fairness with high ethical standards. Flexibility, creativity, compassion, dedication, humility, and energy are key attributes.
CAREER TRACK LEADING TO THIS POSITION:
Competitive candidates will ideally bring some combination of the following experience and skills:
EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE:
Any combination of training and experience that would provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the required qualifications would be:
COMPENSATION:
The annual salary range for this position is $260,000 to $300,000 plus benefits, including:
LOCATION & OTHER CONSIDERATIONS:
This is a hybrid position with the expectation of regular (at least three days per week) in-person presence at the Otis Booth Campus in the Echo Park area of Los Angeles as well as the Watts Campus and the Long Beach Center. Some travel is required.
Additional contingencies:
Commitment to DEI
CII promotes and fosters equity and inclusion in its workplace and in its communities. CII strives to embed these values in its agency-wide decisions and talent practices to create equal opportunities for everyone.
CII is committed to equal employment opportunity and makes employment decisions on the basis of merit. CII does not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived: race, color, national origin (including language use restrictions and possession of a driver’s license issued under Vehicle Code section 12801.9), ancestry, sex, religion (including religious dress and grooming practices), religious belief or observance, creed, age, gender (including gender identity, gender expression and transitioning), mental or physical disability, military and veteran status, medical condition, pregnancy (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and related medical conditions), marital status, registered domestic partner status, citizenship, sexual orientation, AIDS/HIV diagnosis, genetic characteristics or any other consideration based on applicable law.
