Chief Financial Officer (Houston)

Santa Maria Hostel is a Houston area nonprofit that provides critical and life changing services for low-income, indigent women age 18 and above and their children from Harris and the surrounding 12 counties. Serving the community for the last seventy years, Santa Maria Hostel’s mission is to empower women and their families to lead healthy, successful, productive and self-fulfilling lives by offering vital services and life changing support along a pathway to success through recovery.

The women at Santa Maria Hostel face many challenges to their recovery, including histories of trauma, criminal justice and Children’s Protective Services involvement, homelessness or housing instability, and co-occurring mental and physical health issues. Santa Maria Hostel supports the entire family on their recovery journey.

Ever evolving, Santa Maria Hostel endeavors to meet the needs of those it serves by expanding and refining its continuum of care and delivering services with professionalism and compassion.

Position Summary

The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) serves as a key member of the executive leadership team and is responsible for the overall financial health, strategy, and fiscal compliance of the organization, with an annual operating budget of approximately $14 million. The CFO provides strategic fiscal, fiduciary, and financial leadership in alignment with the mission of the organization, ensures sound fiscal management, and maintains the financial systems and controls necessary to support a complex, government-funded, multi-site healthcare nonprofit.

This role requires significant nonprofit sector experience and a deep understanding of the financial, regulatory, and operational needs of mission-driven organizations. The CFO reports directly to the Chief Executive Officer and works closely with the Board of Directors and its Finance and Audit Committees. The CFO currently has three direct reports across fiscal management, purchasing/AP/AR, accounting/payroll, and contracts.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Financial Leadership

• Partner with the CEO and senior leadership to ensure the financial health and sustainability of the organization and develop strategic, financial, and risk management plans, including economic modeling for program expansion, funding diversification, and service growth
• Provide financial projections, budget forecasts, scenario planning, risk-adjusted analysis, and guidance on funding opportunities to support decision-making and sustainable growth
• Advise the Board on financial performance, risks, opportunities, and long-term fiscal health and sustainability
• Support capital planning, debt management, reserve strategies, and financial analysis related to facility improvements and expansion initiatives

Financial Management and Reporting

• Oversee all accounting operations, including accounts payable/receivable, payroll, general ledger, cash flow, debt, investments, and banking relationships
• Prepare and present accurate, timely financial statements in accordance with GAAP and nonprofit reporting standards, including ASC 958
• Develop and monitor key performance indicators across sites and programs; provide variance analysis and corrective action recommendations
• Maintain strong internal controls and ensure financial policies and procedures are current, documented, and consistently applied
• Oversee treasury management, bank administration, cash management, and investment accounts; optimize debt and grant capital in collaboration with the leadership team

Budgeting and Forecasting

• Lead the annual budget development process with program and department leaders; create multi-year projections and forecasts that incorporate risk scenarios, insurance costs, and strategic priorities
• Conduct scenario analysis to support financial planning, resource allocation, and sustainable growth
• Monitor budget-to-actual performance and provide guidance to site and program directors to strengthen financial management and accountability
• Support leaders in understanding and effectively managing their departmental and program budgets

Government Funding and Grant Compliance

• Manage financial reporting for federal, state, and local grants and contracts, including compliance with Uniform Guidance, cost allocation methodologies, and indirect cost rate requirements
• Coordinate with program staff to ensure proper tracking, documentation, and reporting of restricted and grant-funded resources
• Oversee Medicaid cost reports, reimbursement structures, and other funding-related reporting requirements
• Serve as the primary liaison with government funders and regulatory agencies, ensuring compliance with applicable federal, state, and local requirements

Risk Management, Insurance, Audit and Compliance

• Develop and implement a risk management framework integrating financial, operational, cybersecurity, privacy, and insurance risks
• Lead identification, assessment, mitigation, and monitoring of key risks, including funding volatility, regulatory changes, cyber threats, and multi-site operations
• Oversee insurance portfolio, broker relationships, renewals, claims management, risk mitigation strategies, and adequate coverage across operations, facilities, contracts, and programs
• Lead annual independent audit, Single Audit, IRS Form 990 compilation and review, risk assessments, and insurance compliance reviews
• Ensure compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local financial regulations and reporting requirements; monitor regulatory changes in nonprofit healthcare finance, risk, and insurance

Multi-Site Operations

• Support financial planning and accountability for organizational growth, expansion projects, and future site development
• Implement financial, risk, insurance, billing, and cybersecurity reporting systems for multi-site accountability
• Develop and implement cost allocation methodologies that accurately reflect multi-site operations and shared services for efficiencies and risk mitigation across locations
• Provide financial tools and support to site leadership

Team Leadership and Development

• Recruit, supervise, mentor, and develop the finance/accounting/risk team; build organizational financial risk literacy
• Foster a culture of accountability, transparency, accuracy, continuous improvement, and collaboration within the finance and accounting team and organization as a whole
• Provide executive oversight of vendor relationships, third-party contract risk assessments, and insurance verification processes in partnership with operational and departmental leadership
• Partner with Human Resources leadership regarding payroll administration, employee benefits, workforce planning, and annual benefit renewals

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or related field
• 7–10+ years progressive financial management; 3–5+ years senior nonprofit leadership
• Expertise and demonstrated experience in nonprofit financial management, including fund accounting, government grants/contracts compliance, risk and crisis management, and contractual oversight
• Experience with federal/state-funded programs in healthcare/nonprofit settings and cost allocation methodologies across multiple public and private cost centers and sites
• Proficiency in nonprofit software, such as MIP
• Excellent analytical, communication, and presentation skills, including translating complex financial information for non-financial audiences
• Experience supporting organizational growth, expansion, restructuring, or large-scale change management
• Experience presenting to nonprofit Boards, Finance Committees, and Audit Committees

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in Accounting, Finance, MBA, or MHA
• CPA certification a plus
• Healthcare/FQHC experience, including Medicaid billing/cost reporting
• Multi-site nonprofit operations, compliance, cybersecurity/privacy risk management, EHR frameworks, and insurance contract management/renewals

Competencies

• Strategic Vision: Aligns financial strategy with organization mission and goals
• Integrity: Demonstrates the highest ethical standards in financial stewardship
• Leadership: Develops a high-performing finance and accounting team
• Collaboration: Builds internal and external partnerships that support fiscal sustainability
• Risk Awareness: Proactively identifies and mitigates enterprise risks
• Adaptability: Thrives in a dynamic, mission-driven environment with evolving funding, regulatory, and operational needs
• Detail-Oriented: Ensures precision, thoroughness, and accuracy in reporting, compliance, and contract enforcement

Compensation and Benefits

Santa Maria Hostel offers competitive compensation commensurate with experience and an attractive benefit package.