Chief Financial Officer

The Opportunity

A search is being conducted to identify and recruit candidates to fill the role of Chief Financial Officer (CFO). This is an exciting and transformative leadership opportunity. The CFO chosen to join the Liberation Programs team will be part of a complex behavioral healthcare organization that is rapidly growing and poised to continue as an innovative service provider across the State of Connecticut.

The new CFO must work collaboratively with the CEO and executive leadership team to address a challenging landscape marked by regulatory and compliance demands, potential federal funding uncertainties, increasing competition, and workforce shortages.

This is a tremendous opportunity given Liberation's excellent reputation for providing "state of the art " comprehensive services to an ever-increasing number of local and regional residents in need of substance use and behavioral health care. Its CEO, John Hamilton, is known throughout Connecticut and nationally as a leader in this field, and Liberation's staff and Board are as passionate and caring as its CEO. The strong community support Liberation receives reflects how important its services are to the communities it serves and to the State.

The Role

Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), the CFO plays a critical role in supporting the CEO in overseeing the financial operations of the organization. The CFO acts as a strategic partner to the CEO and financial leader across the organization, ensuring the organization's financial health and compliance while working closely with the CEO and executive leadership team to execute the financial vision and strategy.

The CFO aligns priorities to ensure financial initiatives support the CEO's and Board's broader vision and objectives. In this role, you will gain exposure to board meetings, community partners, and key stakeholders - supporting the CEO by delivering reliable results and flagging potential risks or opportunities. You will establish a shared commitment with the CEO, Board, and executive leadership team to the organization's success, fostering a strong, purposeful, collaborative partnership.

With a proven track record in financial planning, budgeting, accounting, and regulatory compliance, the CFO serves as both an operational steward and a strategic advisor. The position requires deep knowledge of nonprofit accounting, an understanding of Connecticut's behavioral health landscape, the ability to manage risk, and the skill to communicate complex financial information clearly to executives, board members, funders, and external stakeholders.

In order to support Liberation Programs' growth and innovative nature, the CFO needs strong systems integration skills and the ability to collaborate closely with Operations, Quality, and IT to stabilize and improve the EHR system.

The Community - Bridgeport, Connecticut

Bridgeport is the largest city in Connecticut and part of the Greater Bridgeport metropolitan area. Historically a major industrial and manufacturing center, Bridgeport has diversified culturally and economically over time. Located on the Long Island Sound, Bridgeport is known as the "Park City " because of its extensive park system, and is one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse cities in the United States.

Initially settled as a farming and shipbuilding community, Bridgeport became heavily industrialized in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Today it is home to institutions such as the University of Bridgeport, Fairfield University, Housatonic Community College, part of Sacred Heart University, and Connecticut's only zoo.

In recent years, Bridgeport has undertaken ongoing downtown and neighborhood redevelopment efforts, including streetscape enhancements like the Park Avenue Streetscape Project, expanded parks and public art programs, and capital improvements to strengthen the city's livability. Bridgeport's education ecosystem - spanning public pre-K-12 schools, career and vocational education, private and alternative schools, and higher education - is currently undergoing significant transformation to improve facilities, student outcomes, and system effectiveness.

Experience & Education

• Progressive experience in financial management, including 3 years in a senior leadership role
• Strong knowledge of GAAP, audit processes, grants management, and compliance standards
• Advanced organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple tasks
• Excellent communication, analytical, and critical thinking skills
• Proficiency with financial systems required; experience with EHR implementation a plus
• Demonstrated nonprofit accounting and fiscal management experience
• Experience working with Federal and State grant funding as well as Medicaid/Medicare
• Experience in behavioral healthcare and/or primary healthcare and/or substance use treatment programs is a plus
• Experience overseeing capital improvements and development is a plus
• Bachelor's degree in finance, accounting, business administration, or economics; an MBA or CPA/CMA certification preferred