Chief Finance and Operations Officer
15 days ago
Chicago
Job Description About One Million Degrees: One Million Degrees accelerates community college students’ progress on career pathways to economic mobility. Over 60% of students who start community college do not complete a degree or successfully transfer to a four-year institution. However, 84% of jobs in the US require skills training beyond high school. OMD’s holistic support model is designed to support community college students as they work toward degrees and careers. From personal and academic coaches to financial assistance and professional development, OMD helps community college students succeed in school, work, and life, transforming their futures and the futures of those around them for generations. The OMD student support model is rooted in evaluation and evidence: A randomized controlled trial conducted with the University of Chicago Inclusive Economy Lab shows that OMD scholars are 70% more likely to enroll, 94% more likely to persist, 73% more likely to earn a degree. Currently, OMD serves scholars in all 7 of the City Colleges of Chicago (CCC) and is scaling to reach nearly 3,000 Chicago students by 2026. In addition to its unique CCC partnership, OMD partners with employers across industries to build on-ramps to in-demand jobs through internships and apprenticeships. Alongside this direct service work in Chicago, OMD is also experiencing rapid growth working with higher education institutions and additional partners across Illinois and nationwide, supporting them to build holistic student support models. Through this growing body of work, OMD continues to have a profound impact in Chicagoland while becoming a national model for sustainable, scalable, and systemic change. OMD Values: OMD is deeply committed to our core values, as demonstrated in the work we do, our approach to change and growth, and our commitment to our staff. * Equity: We address historical and existing systemic inequities by taking a holistic approach to supporting students on their path to economic mobility. * Excellence: We hold ourselves to a high bar and provide exceptional support so that students are empowered to achieve their ambitions. * Community: We unite around putting students first, collaborating with partners, and celebrating our collective wins. * Learning: We each adapt to a changing world and refine our approach to support students, community members, staff, and stakeholders along the way. * Amplify: We advocate for our students and share what we've learned as leaders in the field. Position Summary: One Million Degrees (OMD) seeks a strategic, data-informed, and operationally innovative Chief Finance and Operations Officer (CFOO) to steward the organization’s financial health and operational excellence into the future. Reporting directly to the CEO, the CFOO will serve as a key member of the executive leadership team, providing oversight of finance, accounting, human resources, compliance, technology, and facilities while driving new systems, policies, and initiatives that enhance efficiency and impact. The ideal candidate is a seasoned leader who thrives in fast-paced environments, embraces change, and brings a strategic mindset to scaling organizations. Partnering closely with the CEO, the CFOO will play a pivotal role in shaping OMD’s strategic plan, ensuring the organization is positioned to meet growing needs, expand its reach, and deepen its impact on scholars’ economic mobility. This includes fostering a culture of accountability and innovation while serving as a primary liaison to the Board of Directors on financial and operational matters. Grounded in OMD’s commitment to social and racial justice, the CFOO will lead with vision, collaboration, and integrity, building on OMD’s strong history while advancing its infrastructure and operational capacity to meet future opportunities and scale aspirations. This is a unique opportunity for an accomplished financial and operations leader to join a mission-driven, rapidly scaling organization and help transform the lives of students nationwide. Specific duties and responsibilities include: * Providing ultimate oversight to the organization's financial, administrative, and human resources activities; * Working with Leadership Team colleagues to establish the organizational operations strategy and evaluate progress against strategic goals; * Overseeing annual operating budget currently $14M, working closely with finance team to ensure excellent fiscal stewardship and transparency, ensuring strategic budget forecasting and annual planning, and conducting financial modeling and analysis to support current and emerging bodies of work; * Auditing, implementing, and maintaining existing internal systems, moving existing systems from a manual to an automated approach; * Providing oversight to public funding and grant management activities, and reviewing and systematizing a growing portfolio of Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) to ensure alignment with organizational strategy, operational feasibility, and compliance standards; * Offering insight to interdepartmental initiatives while developing consultative working relationships throughout the organization; * Managing OMD’s facilities and lease agreements, negotiating where appropriate; * Driving knowledge management activities and processes to improve quality and efficiency of operations; * Ensuring excellence in core HR functions including supporting the employee lifecycle, performance management, and benefits administration; * Ensuring optimal software platforms and technology infrastructure; * Managing relationship with OMD legal counsel; * Ensuring that key functions are operating in conjunction with one another to maximize impact; * Implementing strategic changes based on data, circumstances, and sound reasoning; * Collaborating with, mentoring, and supporting staff over the Finance, Operations, Technology, Compliance and Human Resources functions including labor responsibilities as OMD is partially unionized; * Leading and developing a high functioning team that embodies a culture of service excellence and achieves performance expectations; and * Overseeing other responsibilities as they arise, such as timely and accurate financial and regulatory reporting, contract review, indirect cost rate negotiation, oversight of defined contribution retirement plan and reporting, institutional operating and capital budget planning and oversight, cash forecasting, and board finance committee engagement. Qualifications and Requirements: The ideal candidate will have the following professional and personal background: * Bachelor's degree in business-related field required, and MBA or professional certification such as CPA or CFA preferred * Proven experience as a CFO, COO, or senior finance/operations leader in a nonprofit or mission-driven organization, and 7+ years of management experience * Deep expertise in nonprofit finance, accounting, and compliance * Demonstrated success in scaling organizations and leading change * Strong strategic thinking and analytical skills; fluent in data-informed management * Exceptional communication and leadership abilities * Strong collaborative spirit, embodying a team player and enterprise success-focused mindset * Experience working closely with a Board of Directors Additionally, a successful candidate will have the following skills, competencies, and characteristics: Financial & Operational Expertise * Proven experience overseeing core business functions – finance, human resources, information technology, facilities, and compliance – in a scaling organization, and a track record in budgeting, forecasting, and long-term financial planning. * Rigor and insight needed to build out systems, policies, and infrastructure that enable stability and growth, particularly in resource-constrained or evolving environments. * Strong financial acumen to ensure rigorous accounting and compliance while aligning resources with long-term organizational strategy and growth. * Experience overseeing annual financial audits and additional financial reporting requirements, and in driving a culture of compliance to ensure audit readiness. * Proven ability to take an end-to-end view of operations, redesigning and integrating cross-functional systems and processes to drive organizational efficiency and impact, and a track record of driving transformation. * Experience leading complex organizational change, bringing staff along in transitions while ensuring adoption and accountability. * Uses data, metrics, and analysis to drive continuous improvement and guide organizational decision-making. * Collaborative partner to senior leadership and the Board, ensuring transparency and operational excellence. Strategic & Visionary Leadership * Adept at setting long-term goals, forecasting future needs, and navigating ambiguity. * Decisive yet collaborative in setting priorities, delegating, and ensuring accountability. * Creative problem solver who can simplify complexity and overcome obstacles to achieve goals. * Entrepreneurial mindset with the ability to adapt strategies as the organization grows. Equity-Driven Change Agent * Brings a builder’s mindset to establish foundational tools, like standard operating procedures, employee handbooks, vendor agreements, and team calendars, and leads teams through operational change with transparency, consistency, and care. * Experienced leading change and executing strategy in complex environments. * Balances collaboration with decisiveness to drive progress efficiently. * Champions equity, inclusion, and belonging in organizational systems and culture. * Inspires innovation and entrepreneurial thinking across teams. Team Leadership & Culture Building * Skilled coach and facilitator who develops high-performing, mission-driven teams. * Fluency in HR practices for managing both unionized and unaffiliated staff. * Fosters transparency, empowerment, and accountability while valuing staff voice. * Deeply committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in practice and culture. * Builds trust and strong relationships with staff, partners, and Board members. * Maintains clarity and composure in high-stakes moments, and demonstrates executive presence, political astuteness, and the judgment needed to manage complexity. Mission Alignment * Passionate about OMD’s mission to advance economic mobility. * Leads with empathy, respect, integrity, and authenticity. * Motivated to address systemic inequities and support student success. Compensation & Benefits: * Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. The salary range for this role is $180,000 - $205,000 plus annual bonus eligibility.* * Full Health Benefits – Provided for all full-time employees, including medical, dental, and vision. OMD pays 100% of individual’s basic monthly health premium and 80% dependent coverage. * Employee assistance program, which offers confidential emotional support, work-life solutions, legal guidance, financial resources, and more. * Retirement Benefits – For full-time employees, OMD matches retirement contributions up to 4% of total salary. * Generous Paid Time Off Policy – OMD has 12 paid holidays and offers up to 15 days PTO in year one; in addition to two weeks paid time off for winter break. * Compensatory time for designated duties performed outside of normal work hours**. * Monthly cell phone and internet reimbursement up to $50/month. * 12 weeks of paid parental leave for birthing and non-birthing parents. * Professional Learning Opportunities – OMD supports employee development in areas relevant to professional and organizational goals and will pay for training such as workshops and conferences as agreed upon by the employee and supervisor. * Hybrid Work Schedule – Currently one in-office day required per week; other days can be remote (in-person day set by you and your manager), and additional in-office days may be needed based on organizational priorities. *To allow OMD to set salaries based on market data and internal equity, and to ensure fair and equal pay for every role, we offer our best offer first. **All employees are expected to work a set number of Saturdays and evening hours per year due to organizational-wide events. One Million Degrees is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage applications from all individuals regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation, and evaluate all candidates based on merit. Powered by JazzHR 5jGxb2BWef
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