Chief Financial Officer

Job Description

Job Description

Community Access was founded in 1974 to provide housing and support for people being discharged from psychiatric institutions. Today, we are one of the leading providers of supportive and affordable housing in New York City, and the originators of an integrated housing model which has become a best practice nationally: affordable housing where families live alongside people living with mental health concerns. Our staff work daily to support thousands of New Yorkers through supportive and affordable housing, peer-driven residential crisis support programs, training, advocacy, supported education, mobile treatment and other healing-focused services.

Position Overview

The Chief Financial Officer is responsible for the financial leadership, stewardship, and long-term sustainability of Community Access and its property and real estate development affiliated entities. Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer and working closely with the Board of Directors’ Finance and Audit Committee, the CFO serves as a senior organizational leader and one of the CEO's principal strategic partners.

Community Access operates through a finance model in which an outsourced fiscal services provider performs core accounting, contract administration, accounts payable, and treasury functions. The CFO is therefore accountable not only for the technical quality of the finance function, but also for setting direction, integrating financial work with organizational priorities, holding internal and external partners accountable, and ensuring that decisions and deliverables move to completion.

Schedule and Location

This is a hybrid position with three days per week in our Community Access Main Office and two days working remotely.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Financial Leadership

• Serve as a trusted advisor to the CEO, Senior Management Team, Board, and Finance and Audit Committee on financial strategy, organizational performance, capital planning, growth, and risk.
• Translate complex financial information into concise, decision-ready analysis and clear recommendations.
• Anticipate emerging financial, operational, and regulatory issues; surface them early with practical options and a recommended course of action.
• Support long-range planning and scenario analysis, including the financial implications of new programs, real estate initiatives, agency and real estate reserves, partnerships, and changes in public funding.
• Partner with the Real Estate Development to evaluate project feasibility, organizational risk, and long-term financial sustainability.

Financial Stewardship, Controls, and Risk

• Ensure the financial integrity and sustainability of Community Access and its affiliated entities.
• Oversee annual budgets totaling $78 million, forecasts, cash flow, treasury, investments, lines of credit, insurance renewal negotiations, audits, tax filings, and required financial and regulatory reporting.
• Maintain effective internal controls, fiscal policies, approval structures, and risk-management protocols.
• Ensure timely, accurate, and transparent reporting to management, the Board, funders, lenders, investors, auditors, and government partners.
• Build Dashboards, KPIs and other reporting tools that enhance agency decision-making.

Leadership of the Outsourced Finance Function

• Provide strategic direction and active, hands-on oversight to the outsourced fiscal services provider, including the controller, assistant controller, treasury, contract administration, and accounts payable functions.
• Establish clear priorities, deadlines, service expectations, and accountability for deliverables.
• Resolve barriers, escalate concerns when necessary, and ensure that outsourced work is fully integrated with Community Access's operational and strategic needs.
• Maintain a clear division of responsibility between the CFO, the outsourced provider, and internal leaders while retaining ultimate accountability for the finance function.

Execution and Organizational Accountability

• Own key financial and organizational commitments from assignment through completion, with clear milestones, responsible parties, and deadlines.
• Prioritize competing demands, distinguish urgent from important work, and ensure that critical deliverables do not quietly stall.
• Communicate delays, dependencies, and risks early, together with a proposed recovery plan or decision request.
• Create dependable management rhythms that support follow-through, including financial calendars, status tracking, and timely escalation.

Board and External Stakeholder Leadership

• Serve as the principal management liaison to the Finance and Audit Committee and support effective Board oversight.
• Prepare and present clear, accurate, and appropriately concise financial materials that frame decisions, risks, and recommended actions.
• Build and maintain trusted relationships with auditors, banks, investment advisors, lenders, investors, government agencies, insurers, and other financial partners.
• Represent Community Access with credibility, sound judgment, and transparency.

Cross-Functional and People Leadership

• Partner with Real Estate Development, Property Management, Programs, Development and Communications, Human Resources, and other departments to align financial strategy with mission and operations.
• Provide senior managers with useful analysis and guidance that strengthen budget ownership and decision-making.
• Supervise the Purchasing and Entitlements functions, establishing clear priorities, accountability, and staff development expectations.
• Contribute fully to the Senior Management Team and to an organizational culture of professionalism, responsiveness, equity, accuracy, and accountability.

Leadership Profile

The successful candidate will be an accomplished financial executive who combines technical depth with strong judgment, organizational leadership, and the ability to create momentum in a complex, mission-driven environment. The profile below is intended to distinguish the leadership qualities essential to success from the baseline technical qualifications of the role.

Strategic Partner

• Thinks beyond the finance department and understands how financial choices advance or constrain mission, operations, people, and growth.
• Provides candid, independent advice to the CEO while remaining collaborative and solutions oriented.
• Brings a point of view and a recommendation, not only information or identification of problems.

Disciplined Executor

• Demonstrates consistent ownership and follow-through. Creates clarity about priorities, next steps, accountability, and deadlines.
• Operates with an appropriate sense of urgency while preserving rigor, accuracy, and sound controls.

Sound and Timely Judgment

• Makes well-reasoned decisions in conditions of complexity or incomplete information.
• Knows when additional analysis will materially improve a decision and when it will only delay progress.
• Escalates consequential risks promptly and distinguishes matters requiring CEO or Board involvement from those the CFO should resolve independently.

Proactive and Transparent Communicator

• Surfaces relevant information early, including uncomfortable facts, conflicts and delays in matters under review.
• Communicates clearly and concisely with financial and non-financial audiences.
• Closes loops, confirms decisions, and ensures that stakeholders understand ownership and next steps.

Leader Through Influence

• Effectively directs an outsourced finance team and works across organizational boundaries.
• Sets high standards, gives clear feedback, and holds partners and staff accountable while maintaining productive relationships.
• Build credibility through competence, consistency, integrity, and respect.

Executive and Board Presence

• Inspires confidence with the CEO, Board, auditors, lenders, investors, and public-sector partners.
• Is well prepared, concise, composed, and responsive in meetings.
• Frames financial information around the decisions and governance responsibilities of the audience.

Mission and Values Alignment

• Demonstrates a genuine commitment to Community Access's mission and to the dignity of the people it serves.
• Understands that strong financial stewardship is integral to mission impact.
• Models’ respectful communication, professionalism, flexibility, responsiveness, strategic leadership, and racial equity.

Preferred Experience and Qualifications

• Senior financial leadership experience in a complex nonprofit, affordable housing, real estate, healthcare, human services, or comparably regulated organization.
• Demonstrated responsibility for budgeting, forecasting, cash management, treasury, audit, tax compliance, internal controls, investments, and Board reporting.
• Experience working with outsourced financial service providers, shared-service structures, or other matrixed operating models.
• Experience supporting a Board and Finance or Audit Committee and communicating with external auditors, banks, lenders, investors, and government funders.
• Knowledge of nonprofit accounting, government grants and contracts, affordable housing finance, real estate affiliates, tax-credit structures and property tax exemption programs (including Article XI and 420-c) required.
• CPA or equivalent depth of financial training and experience strongly preferred.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills and a demonstrated record of leading complex work to timely completion.

Job Qualifications

• Understanding and appreciation of, and commitment to the philosophy and mission of Community Access.
• Senior financial leadership experience in a complex nonprofit, affordable housing, real estate, healthcare, human services, or comparably regulated organization.
• Demonstrated responsibility for budgeting, forecasting, cash management, treasury, audit, tax compliance, internal controls, investments, and Board reporting.
• Experience working with outsourced financial service providers, shared-service structures, or other matrixed operating models.
• Experience supporting a Board and Finance or Audit Committee and communicating with external auditors, banks, lenders, investors, and government funders.
• Knowledge of nonprofit accounting, government grants and contracts, affordable housing finance, real estate affiliates, tax-credit structures and property tax exemption programs (including Article XI and 420-c) required.
• CPA or equivalent depth of financial training and experience strongly preferred.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills and a demonstrated record of leading complex work to timely completion.

Bilingual candidates are encouraged to apply.

Interested candidates should apply on

Community Access is an Equal Opportunity Employer. M/F/D/V.

Women, People of Color and Members of the LGBT community are strongly encouraged to apply.

We are dedicated to a workforce where at least 51% of our employees identify as

having a personal experience using mental health services.