Chief Financial Officer

Description:

Reporting to the President & CEO, the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) is a key member of the executive leadership team responsible for the financial health, stewardship, and long-term sustainability of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia. The CFO provides strategic financial leadership to the CEO, Board of Directors, Committees and Jewish Community Foundation, ensuring sound decision-making, strong controls, responsible resource management, and alignment with the organizations mission and priorities.

This position oversees financial planning, budgeting, accounting, reporting, audit, compliance, risk management, investments, cash management, capital planning, financial systems, data governance, and technology oversight. The ideal candidate is a strategic, collaborative, mission-driven leader who can translate financial information into actionable insight, strengthen organizational performance, and support philanthropic growth.

The Chief Financial Officer will be responsible for the following:

Strategic Financial Leadership

• Advise the CEO, executive leadership, Board, Finance Committee, Audit Committee, Investment Committee, and other leadership groups on financial strategy, resource allocation, risk, capital priorities, and long-term sustainability.
• Develop financial strategies, models, forecasts, and scenario analyses that support the strategic plan, annual priorities, philanthropic growth, and major organizational decisions.
• Evaluate programs, initiatives, technology investments, capital commitments, and philanthropic opportunities from a financial and operational perspective.
• Promote a culture of financial accountability, transparency, shared stewardship, and informed decision-making across the organization.

Financial Management and Reporting

• Lead accounting, budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting, cash flow, reserves, working capital, and financial analysis.
• Ensure accurate and timely monthly, quarterly, and annual reporting, including meaningful analysis of budget variances, trends, risks, and opportunities.
• Maintain strong financial policies, procedures, internal controls, and systems to safeguard assets and support responsible financial management.
• Oversee accounting for restricted, unrestricted, campaign, grant, endowment, donor-advised, and foundation-related funds.
• Develop dashboards and reporting tools that integrate financial, fundraising, endowment, grant-making, and programmatic performance information.
• Ensure accurate and timely monthly, quarterly, and annual financial reporting.
• Develop and oversee the annual operating budget and multi-year financial projections.
• Monitor organizational performance against budget and provide meaningful analysis of variances, trends, risks, and opportunities.
• Oversee cash flow management, liquidity, reserves, working capital, and financial capacity for current and future obligations.
• Ensure the integrity and accuracy of the organization's financial records and the proper accounting for restricted, unrestricted, campaign, grant, endowment, and foundation-related funds.

Board, Audit, Compliance, and Risk

• Serve as the primary financial resource to the CEO, Board of Directors, Finance Committee, Audit Committee, Investment Committee, and other relevant leadership groups.
• Prepare and present clear financial reports, analyses, dashboards, and recommendations that support governance, fiduciary oversight, donor confidence, and community transparency.
• Oversee the annual independent audit and serve as the primary liaison with external auditors.
• Ensure compliance with accounting standards, regulatory and tax requirements, grant requirements, donor restrictions, investment policies, and organizational policies.
• Identify and mitigate financial, operational, technology, data, regulatory, insurance, and reputational risks.

Investments, Foundation, and Revenue Strategy

• Oversee investment portfolios, reserves, endowment-related assets, spending policies, liquidity, risk, asset allocation, and other financial assets in partnership with advisors and Board committees.
• Partner closely with the Jewish Community Foundation to ensure strong stewardship, reporting, compliance, and integration of endowment, restricted, supporting foundation, donor-advised, and other philanthropic assets.
• Support Financial Resource Development with revenue projections, campaign forecasting, pledge analysis and timely collections, gift administration, donor reporting, fund accounting, and campaign performance analytics.
• Provide financial expertise related to major gifts, planned giving vehicles, donor-restricted assets, endowment commitments, and long-term philanthropic sustainability.
• Monitor investment performance, liquidity, risk, asset allocation, spending policies, and adherence to organizational investment policies.
• Ensure accurate financial tracking, reconciliation, reporting, and analysis of annual campaign, unrestricted, restricted, planned giving, foundation, endowment, grant, and special campaign revenue.

Capital, Technology, and Data Oversight

• Lead financial planning for capital projects, facilities, infrastructure, real estate matters, and significant technology investments, including budgets, cash flow projections, funding plans, and project monitoring.
• Provide executive oversight of technology, financial systems, enterprise data governance, cybersecurity, business continuity, disaster recovery, and administrative infrastructure.
• Oversee the selection, optimization, and integration of accounting, CRM, fundraising, foundation, grant management, reporting, and business intelligence systems.
• Ensure systems, data, and workflows support accurate reporting, strong controls, operational efficiency, donor stewardship, and informed decision-making.
• Monitor approved capital projects against budget, timeline, funding sources, and financial reporting requirements.
• Oversee the IT department's implementation of cybersecurity policies, procedures, controls, monitoring, vendor management, and incident response protocols.

Leadership and Organizational Partnership

• Lead, develop, mentor and retain a high-performing, service-oriented Finance team and provide effective oversight of IT and other assigned areas.
• Establish clear goals, expectations, accountability measures, performance standards, documentation, cross-training, and continuity plans.
• Foster collaboration, service orientation, transparency, continuous improvement, and strong working relationships across departments, volunteer leadership, donors, advisors, and community partners.
• Serve as a visible leader and ambassador for the organizations mission, values, and community commitment.
• Build strong relationships with staff, volunteer leadership, donors, community partners, professional advisors, agency partners, and other stakeholders.

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Minimum of 7 10 years of experience as a CFO, VP of Finance, or equivalent senior financial leadership role.
• Significant progressive financial management experience, including senior-level leadership experience.
• Experience overseeing budgeting, financial reporting, accounting, forecasting, audit, financial planning, and financial controls.
• Demonstrated experience providing strategic financial guidance to senior leadership and/or a Board of Directors.
• Strong analytical, financial modeling, technology, systems, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to translate complex financial, operational, technology, and data information for non-financial audiences.
• Excellent relationship-building skills and demonstrated ability to partner effectively with executives, staff, volunteer leaders, donors, advisors, and external partners.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, develop, motivate, and manage a team.
• High level of integrity, sound judgment, discretion, and commitment to financial stewardship, confidentiality, and mission-driven leadership.

Preferred

• CPA, MBA, or other advanced degree or professional certification.
• Experience in a nonprofit, philanthropic, healthcare, education, community-based, Jewish communal, or other mission-driven organization.
• Experience working with volunteer Boards and Finance, Audit, Investment, Foundation, or similar committees.
• Experience with nonprofit accounting, fund accounting, restricted funds, endowments, donor-restricted assets, grants, planned giving, and philanthropic vehicles.
• Experience with investment oversight, reserve policy, spending policy, and long-term financial planning.
• Experience overseeing information technology, enterprise systems, cybersecurity, data governance, or digital transformation initiatives.
• Experience integrating fundraising, CRM, donor management, foundation, grant management, business intelligence, and accounting systems.
• Experience managing capital projects, facilities investments, real estate transactions, financing strategies, or major infrastructure initiatives.

Overview

Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia offers a competitive compensation and benefits package, including a hybrid work schedule, medical, dental, vision, prescription drug program, life insurance, generous paid time off and 403b retirement savings program.

Our Mission

The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia mobilizes financial and volunteer resources to care for those in need locally, support Israel and global Jewry, and secure a vibrant Jewish future.

Commitment to Diversity

We deeply value the diversity of insight, perspective, and experience brought by people from backgrounds typically underrepresented in Jewish institutions. This includes Black, Latinx, and Asian people, Black Jews, Jews of Color, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and gender non-conforming people, and people with disabilities. We also welcome applications from people of diverse religious, spiritual, and cultural backgrounds.

About the Organization:

Since 1901, the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia has served as the hub of the regions Jewish communities, providing an infrastructure of support for Jewish people and organizations in need. Through grants, emergency funding, restricted gifts, endowments, and our partnership with the Foundation for Jewish Day Schools, we care for those in need, combat antisemitism and global crisis, and strengthen Jewish identity.

Benefits

Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia offers a competitive compensation and benefits package, including a hybrid work schedule, medical, dental, vision, prescription drug program, life insurance, generous paid time off and 403b retirement savings program.

PIf15202a7ed8c-26289-41515906