Chief Financial Officer

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Marillac St. Vincent Family Services | Chicago, Illinois

Reports to CEO
Status Full-Time, Exempt
Department Finance & Accounting
Leadership Team Senior Leadership Team

About Marillac St. Vincent Family Services

Our Vision

To disrupt the generational cycle of poverty for the families we serve.

Our Mission

Marillac Saint Vincent strengthens and amplifies the voices of marginalized communities – in the Vincentian spirit of service – through education and programs tailored to foster thriving families and sustainable communities in Chicago.

The Current Season at MSV 

MSV is entering an important period of transformation and growth. The organization is strengthening its financial and operating model while advancing a long-term Community Hub strategy, expanding community impact, diversifying revenue, and positioning itself for sustainable growth.

The Opportunity

The Chief Financial Officer is a key strategic partner to the CEO, Senior Leadership Team, Finance Committee, and Board of Trustees, responsible for ensuring the long-term financial strength, sustainability, and stewardship of MSV.

In addition to leading accounting, budgeting, forecasting, treasury, government contracts, financial reporting, and compliance, the CFO will translate organizational strategy into a sustainable financial plan. This leader will provide timely, transparent, and forward-looking financial information that enables leaders throughout MSV to make sound decisions and effectively steward resources.

The CFO will join MSV at a pivotal time and will play a central role in major capital and real estate initiatives, multi-year financial planning, operating discipline, risk management, and the development of a high-performing, service-oriented Finance function. As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, the CFO is expected to be an enterprise leader first and a functional expert second bringing financial rigor, sound judgment, candor, collaboration, and a deep commitment to MSV's mission and Vincentian values.

Key Responsibilities
Financial Stewardship & Operational Excellence

• Lead all financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, accounting, treasury, cash management, audit, tax, and financial reporting activities.

• Ensure timely and accurate monthly closes and management reporting, with clear visibility into year-to-date performance, forecasts, cash position, risks, and variances.

• Establish department-level budgets, budget-to-actual reporting, and tools that enable leaders to manage their financial performance.

• Develop rolling forecasts, scenario models, and sensitivity analyses to anticipate financial risks and opportunities.

• Maintain a strong internal-control environment, including clear approval authorities, procurement controls, segregation of duties, fraud prevention, and compliance.

• Oversee cash flow forecasting, liquidity, investments, debt obligations, banking relationships, and other treasury activities.

Strategic Financial Leadership & Decision Support

• Serve as a strategic thought partner to the CEO, providing candid, data-driven counsel regarding opportunities, risks, investments, and tradeoffs.

• Translate MSV's strategic priorities into 3- to 5-year financial plans and sustainable operating models.

• Provide financial analysis for new programs, partnerships, growth opportunities, workforce decisions, and major organizational investments.

• Partner with Program, Development, and Operations leaders to evaluate program economics, true cost, funding concentration, restricted and unrestricted revenue, and long-term sustainability.

• Present clear and actionable financial information to the Senior Leadership Team, Finance Committee, Executive Committee, and Board of Trustees.

Capital Strategy, Real Estate & Community Hub

• Lead financial modeling and analysis associated with MSV's long-term facilities and Community Hub strategy.

• Partner with the CEO, Board, and external advisors regarding property disposition and acquisition, financing alternatives, debt retirement, lease arrangements, and capital investments.

• Develop comprehensive sources-and-uses, cash-flow, and multi-year operating models for major capital projects.

• Evaluate financing strategies that may include philanthropy, debt, public funding, tax-credit structures, and other capital sources.

• Provide financial due diligence and scenario analysis for significant transactions and ensure sufficient liquidity and financial resilience throughout periods of organizational transition.

Government Contracts, Compliance & Risk

• Partner with Chief Program Officer and lead the financial management of government contracts, including contract budgeting, billing, cost allocation, expenditure monitoring, reporting, and compliance.

• Ensure compliance with applicable accounting standards, Uniform Guidance, tax and regulatory requirements, grant conditions, and contractual obligations.

• Serve as a key interface with external auditors and oversee the annual audit, Form 990 preparation, federal award reporting, and related compliance activities.

• Represent MSV in financial matters with banks, auditors, legal counsel, funders, government agencies, and other external partners.

Team Leadership & Organizational Partnership

• Lead, develop, and mentor a high-performing Finance team with clear expectations, strong accountability, and a service-oriented approach to supporting the organization.

• Build financial literacy across MSV and help leaders understand and own the financial implications of their decisions.

• Model constructive challenge, healthy debate, follow-through, and respect for established decision-making authority.

• Approach organizational decisions from an enterprise-wide perspective rather than solely from the Finance function.

• Demonstrate MSV's values of integrity, excellence, creativity, advocacy, respect, and empowerment in all aspects of leadership and stewardship.

What Success Looks Like

Within the first 3-6 months, a successful CFO will have:

• Established timely, reliable monthly financial reporting and strengthened financial visibility for the CEO, SLT, and Board.

• Strengthened department-level budget ownership and organizational financial accountability.

• Implemented meaningful forecasting, dashboards, and scenario planning to support decision-making.

• Developed a credible multi-year financial model aligned with MSV's strategic plan and growth priorities.

• Strengthened cash forecasting, internal controls, financial risk management, and compliance.

• Built a high-performing and service-oriented Finance team.

• Provided strong financial leadership for MSV's Community Hub, facilities, and capital strategy.

• Earned the confidence of the CEO, Senior Leadership Team, Finance Committee, and Board as a trusted strategic partner.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, or a related field required; master's degree and/or CPA strongly preferred.

• At least 10 years of progressive financial leadership experience, including significant executive or senior-level responsibility.

• Demonstrated success leading financial planning, accounting, budgeting, forecasting, cash management, audit, internal controls, and financial reporting.

• Strong experience with multi-year financial modeling, scenario planning, and translating complex financial information into clear business decisions.

• Significant experience in a nonprofit, government-funded, healthcare, education, or human-services environment strongly preferred.

• Experience with government contracts, reimbursement, cost allocation, grants management, Uniform Guidance, and compliance strongly preferred.

• Experience supporting significant capital projects, real estate transactions, debt, financing, or complex organizational change is highly desirable.

• Strong technology orientation and experience with modern financial systems, reporting tools, and integrated data environments.

Leadership Profile

• A mission-driven executive with the highest standards of financial integrity and professionalism.

• A strategic thinker who can move comfortably between enterprise-level issues and detailed financial analysis.

• A collaborative partner who communicates clearly with both financial and non-financial audiences.

• A low-ego, high-accountability leader who welcomes challenge and feedback, addresses problems directly, and follows through on commitments.

• A calm and credible presence who can provide candid counsel to the CEO and Board while maintaining strong working relationships.

• A leader who sees Finance as a partner in mission and organizational performance—not simply a control or reporting function.

• A builder of people, systems, and processes who develops team capacity and creates sustainable organizational practices.

Mission & Values

MSV’s mission is to strengthen and amplify the voices of marginalized communities – in the Vincentian spirit of service – through education and programs tailored to foster thriving families and sustainable communities in Chicago.

Our employees commit themselves to living out the core values of Integrity, Excellence, Creativity, Advocacy, Respect, and Empowerment.

Equal Opportunity

Marillac St. Vincent Family Services is committed to creating an inclusive workplace and is an equal opportunity employer. Reasonable accommodations will be provided to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the role.