This is a remote position.
About the Organization
Our client is a nationally recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit research and consulting organization headquartered in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. For more than five decades, the organization has advanced its field through evidence, innovation, and practice. It partners with public-sector agencies, government funders, and philanthropic organizations nationwide through applied research, technical assistance, and advisory services, and operates with approximately 30 fully remote professional staff.
The organization is executing a deliberate, well-funded strategic pivot from a primarily grant-funded research institution to a more diversified, revenue-generating enterprise spanning applied research and evaluation, advisory and consulting services, and technology-enabled products. This transformation represents a fundamental shift in how the organization generates revenue, delivers value, and sustains long-term impact—and the incoming CFO will serve as a central architect of that next chapter.
The CFO is the organization's senior leader for finance, operations, HR, compliance, and administration—and a trusted business partner to the President and CEO in shaping its next chapter. This role sits at the intersection of nonprofit stewardship and commercial enterprise development. On one side, it carries full accountability for the financial management, federal grant compliance, HR, governance, and administrative infrastructure of a long-established nonprofit. On the other, it requires the business acumen, financial creativity, and entrepreneurial judgment to help design and sustain entirely new revenue-generating business lines.
This is a hands-on role within a lean organization. The CFO will both set financial strategy and directly execute operational finance responsibilities as needed. The ideal candidate brings deep familiarity with federal grant financial management, nonprofit GAAP, and the regulatory environment governing federally funded research and technical assistance organizations—along with the commercial instincts and financial creativity to build pricing models, contract structures, and unit economics for new consulting and technology-enabled businesses from the ground up.
- Reports directly to the President and CEO.
- Directly supervises four finance and grants management staff members.
- Coordinates day-to-day operational administration with the Business Operations Manager, who supports facilities administration, IT vendor relationships, and HR vendor relationships.
- Serves as the primary financial liaison to the Board of Directors and the board of an affiliated entity.
- Partners with program, business development, and product leadership on proposal budgeting, indirect cost application, post-award financial management, and financial structuring and revenue modeling for the organization's consulting and technology-enabled lines of business.
- Coordinates with outside legal counsel on grant compliance, board governance, and general corporate matters.
Finance and Administrative Team
The CFO leads a four-person finance and grants management team with established expertise across accounting, federal grants compliance, and contracts administration. The team includes a staff accountant and a senior accounting manager who oversee day-to-day bookkeeping, financial operations, payroll processing, and accounting support functions in QuickBooks. Grant financial compliance and funder reporting—including drawdowns, budget tracking, and 2 CFR 200 compliance across the full federal award portfolio—are led by a director-level grants professional with deep institutional knowledge. Pre- and post-award grants and contracts administration, including indirect cost compliance and subcontract management, is led by a senior manager with substantial federal grants and contracts experience. The CFO provides direct supervision, strategic direction, and quality oversight across all four roles, while coordinating closely with the Business Operations Manager on cross-functional matters involving HR administration, vendor management, and organizational systems.
Business Strategy and New Revenue Development
- Serve as a financial and strategic partner to the CEO in designing and scaling the organization's revenue-generating business lines across research, advisory services, and technology-enabled products
- Build financial models, pricing frameworks, and margin analyses for new consulting and product offerings where no historical benchmarks exist
- Develop unit economics and financial sustainability projections for technology-enabled products, including customer acquisition cost, lifetime value, and break-even modeling
- Design pricing structures and contract frameworks for consulting engagements, including fixed-fee, time-and-materials, and retainer models
- Advise on make-vs-buy and build-vs-partner decisions as the organization's technology and product capabilities develop
- Translate strategic priorities into sprint budgets and multi-year financial plans that reflect realistic revenue ramp assumptions and cost structures
- Identify financial risks and opportunities in the organization's business model pivot and proactively surface them to the CEO and board
Team Leadership and Management
• Directly manage a team of four finance and grants management staff, providing day-to-day supervision, performance feedback, and professional development support
• Allocate work across the team consistent with individual roles, skill levels, and organizational priorities, adjusting assignments as the portfolio evolves
• Foster a collaborative, high-accountability team culture appropriate to a fully remote environment
• Coordinate closely with the Business Operations Manager on cross-functional matters involving HR administration, vendor management, and systems
• Support onboarding and training of new finance staff through growth or turnover
Federal Grant Financial Management
- Oversee all financial aspects of the organization's federal award portfolio, ensuring compliance with 2 CFR Part 200 (Uniform Guidance) and applicable agency-specific requirements
- Manage the negotiation, maintenance, and annual renewal of the organization's Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA), including rate proposals submitted to the cognizant federal agency
- Prepare and process federal financial reports and drawdown requests, applying correct overhead and fringe benefit rates across all active awards
- Advise project directors on allowability, allocability, and reasonableness of costs under 2 CFR 200.403, 200.405, and 200.460
- Monitor subrecipient financial activity and fulfill pass-through entity obligations under 2 CFR 200.331
- Maintain working familiarity with award-specific terms and conditions across federal and private foundation awards
Financial Reporting and Accounting
• Maintain the general ledger and oversee all accounting operations in QuickBooks
• Prepare and/or review and approve monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements in accordance with nonprofit GAAP, including functional expense allocation across program, management and general, and fundraising categories
• Produce the annual Statement of Functional Expenses and coordinate with the external auditor for the annual single audit and Form 990 preparation
• Maintain accurate fringe benefit rate calculations and apply them consistently across payroll allocations and grant budgets
• Track budget-to-actual performance across all cost centers and report variances to leadership and the board at least monthly
Budgeting and Financial Planning
• Lead the annual organizational budget process and maintain rolling financial projections across programmatic, administrative, and fundraising areas
- Oversee the development and management of project-level budgets for grant proposals and advisory service engagements, including cost models using the organization's approved fringe and indirect cost rates
• Provide financial modeling and scenario analysis to support strategic decisions including new business development, staffing, and partnership structures
Contracts and Compliance
- Review and negotiate professional services agreements, subcontracts, and vendor contracts across the organization's business lines, coordinating with outside counsel as appropriate
- Design and standardize contract structures for advisory services engagements and technology licensing agreements
- Support preparation of sole source justifications, cost and price analyses, and procurement documentation required under 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart D
- Ensure compliance with IRC Section 4958 excess benefit transaction rules, including compensation reasonableness documentation for disqualified persons
- Manage multi-state business registration and licensing requirements as NPI pursues work in new jurisdictions
Human Resources and Administration
- Partner with the Business Operations Manager and the organization's outsourced HR vendor to ensure accurate and timely payroll processing and benefits administration for all staff
- Oversee employee benefits programs including health, dental, vision, and retirement, in coordination with the outsourced HR vendor
- Manage the annual safe harbor executive compensation review process for IRS compliance
- Advise on workforce planning and compensation strategy as the organization adds consulting, product, and technical staff
Technology and Operations
- Serve as financial and administrative co-owner of the organization's core operational platforms — QuickBooks, ClickTime, BambooHR, TalentLMS, and SharePoint — with the support of the Business Operations Manager and in coordination with the CIO.
- Support the organization's AI governance program, including maintenance of the AI Acceptable Use Policy, Approved Tools Register, and staff training on responsible AI use
- Manage banking relationships and maintain appropriate internal controls over cash management and disbursements
- Advise on technology infrastructure decisions as the organization's product development efforts scale
Board and Governance
- Present financial reports to the Board of Directors and the board of an affiliated entity at each quarterly board meeting
- Deliver monthly financial reports to the Finance Committee
- Support board governance matters including bylaw compliance, conflict of interest policy administration, and multi-state registration requirements
- Draft and finalize board meeting minutes following each meeting
- Coordinate with outside counsel on board and governance matters as needed
CEO Advisory and Strategic Support
• Serve as the CEO's primary internal partner and sounding board across finance, operations, HR, compliance, and strategy
• Proactively identify and communicate risks, opportunities, and tradeoffs before they require reactive decisions
• Co-develop board and funder presentations including financial narrative for grant, consulting, and product revenue asks
• Track organizational KPI compliance across all three business lines and coordinate staff actions to meet performance targets
Required
- Active CPA license required
- Minimum of 10 years of progressive financial management experience, including at least 5 years in a senior finance leadership role
- Demonstrated experience managing federal grant finances under 2 CFR Part 200, including NICRA application, federal financial reporting, and single audit compliance
- Demonstrated experience building financial infrastructure for a revenue-generating services or product business, including consulting, professional services, SaaS, or comparable models
- Proven ability to build financial models, pricing frameworks, and unit economics for new business lines from scratch (i.e. startup experience)
- Strong working knowledge of nonprofit GAAP, functional expense allocation, and Form 990 reporting
- Experience reviewing and negotiating professional services agreements and subcontracts
- Proficiency in QuickBooks and financial reporting tools
- Ability to operate effectively in a lean, fully remote organization with high individual accountability
Strongly Preferred
- MBA or other graduate degree in business, finance, accounting, or a related field strongly preferred, given the strategic finance and business development dimensions of the role
- Experience in a research, consulting, or technical assistance nonprofit serving federal and non-federal funders and clients
- Familiarity with NICRA negotiation and indirect cost rate proposal preparation
- Experience pricing and structuring contracts for consulting, advisory, or technology services
- Exposure to SaaS business models, subscription revenue, and product unit economics
- Experience supporting affiliated entity structures and multi-entity board governance
- Comfort with AI tools and demonstrated ability to evaluate and govern their use in an organizational context
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Financial creativity and business imagination — the ability to model scenarios that do not yet exist and build financial infrastructure for business lines still taking shape
- Entrepreneurial instinct balanced with nonprofit discipline — comfort operating at the intersection of mission and margin
- Exceptional attention to regulatory detail and a strong compliance orientation
- Strong written communication skills including board minutes, pricing proposals, HR communications, and executive correspondence
- Ability to advise the CEO in real time with candor and confidence
- Comfort with ambiguity and rapid organizational change
- Strong alignment with the organization's mission and genuine interest in the public sector and related stakeholder environment
Compensation and Benefits
They offer a competitive salary commensurate with experience. Benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance; a retirement plan with employer contribution; generous paid leave; and a fully remote work environment. Salary range and additional benefit details will be shared with candidates selected for interviews.
Our client is an equal opportunity employer committed to building a diverse and inclusive team.
