Chief Financial Officer

GHJ Search and Staffing has been exclusively retained by Wellnest to find their next Chief Financial Officer.

ABOUT WELLNEST :

Founded in 1924, Wellnest has been on the leading edge of mental health and supportive services for children and families.

Wellnest pioneered early intervention programs for the 0-5 population, intensive services for at-risk children and families, skills-based mental health and housing services for young adults 16-25, and promotes collaborations with primary care providers in bringing whole-person care to the children and families in community settings.

Wellnest’s Socially Integrated Service model is designed to address the whole child, from 0-25, the entire family, and their communities.

Through blended evidence-based clinical practices, Wellnest addresses the effects of early childhood trauma and offers youth development programs and TAY housing to enable children and youth to develop coping skills, self-esteem, and stability;

and family support services to build on family strengths to promote healthy families. To achieve this end, we work in partnership with the family and engage the larger community particularly schools and other youth service providers as we recognize that children need functional families and healthy communities to thrive.

ROLE SUMMARY :

The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) plays a vital role in shaping the organization's financial future. Reporting to the President and CEO, the CFO is a strategic partner in maximizing value creation and responsible for overseeing all financial operations, including audits, contract administration, capital planning, real estate development projects and related public and private funding transactions for affordable housing, construction of permanent supportive, interim housing, and department of mental health billing & reconciliation.

With a budget of over $33M, the CFO leads the development of the company's financial strategy and provides guidance on all financial matters, making recommendations, and suggesting proactive strategies to keep the organization financially sound.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES :

ORGANIZATIONAL & THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

Oversees budget development and implementation, cash flow forecasting, and the development, implementation, and monitoring of short and long-term fiscal strategic goals and other operational metrics.

Works closely with President & CEO, Executive, Leadership Team and Board to review monthly and quarterly financial reports, dashboard, KPI’s, identifying investment opportunities and risk.

• Effectively works with President & CEO on investment opportunities and managing mergers and acquisitions and develops plans for growth to increase company profit.
• Reviews key legal agreements, including mortgages, loan documents, subordination agreement and guarantees as part of a financing and construction loan closing that may involve Low Income Housing Tax Credits, Historic Tax Credits, New Markets Tax Credits, bond financing, public subsidies, and contracts.
• Effectively manage Wellnest’s permanent supportive and interim housing contracts, property management overseeing housing developments on behalf of Wellnest,
• Works closely with President & CEO on construction projects managing land acquisition, pre-development & land entitlement, development & construction, post-construction & operation including financing and / or capital stack (both equity and debt) to finance construction projects and loans.
• Actively participates in all internal planning regarding growth plans and program expansion to ensure alignment of staffing, outreach, and training plans with financial projections.
• Collaborates with the President & CEO and Executive Leadership Team to develop and implement industry-wide best-practice policies and procedures and internal controls, in accordance with COSO, GAAP, OMB and other public and private Contract regulations.
• Effectively manages relationships with executive team, senior leadership team, board members, banks, donors, government agencies, vendors, consultants, and other internal and external stakeholders.
• Directly oversees the Finance, Accounting and IS Support teams.
• Effectively manages the successful utilization of multiple county, state and federal contracts supporting mental health and housing services, i.

e., DMH, DHCS, DCFS, DPSS, H & HHH, etc. Effectively manages philanthropic activities of Wellnest in partnership with the President & CEO, Advancement Department & Board.

FINANCIAL ACUMEN & OVERSIGHT

• Presents clear, relevant, and actionable financial information across all organizational levels.
• Proactively develops transparent forecasting capabilities that enable senior leadership to make data-driven, forward-thinking decisions in a multiprogram environment that also accounts for risk.
• Oversees all accounts, ledgers, and reporting systems, ensuring compliance with regulatory and audit requirements.
• Maintains internal control safeguards and coordinates all audit and tax return activities.
• Manages the preparation of all financial reports, outlooks, and forecasts; designs and produces management reports and financial statements in accordance with GAAP and donor requirements.
• Provides strategic guidance to evaluate, eliminate, and / or improve manual or low-tech procedures and processes that impede efficiency.

COLLABORATIVE & TRUST BUILDING LEADER

• Fosters trust and collaboration among team members and possesses the ability to create buy-in with varied stakeholder groups, managing through change with flexibility and poise.
• Provides guidance and direction to engage and support team members at all levels while ensuring a culture of accountability.
• Supports the training and development of the Finance and IS Support teams to promote their professional growth and effectiveness in working with county and state mental health, housing, and private insurance contracts.

QUALIFICATIONS :

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• A Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, from an accredited college or university is required.
• A minimum of ten (10) years of progressive accounting or finance experience and at least five years of senior financial leadership experience are required.
• Accomplished experience in a mid to large-size non-profit organization preferred. Experience managing multiple county and state-wide contracts, with LA County Department of Mental Health contract preferred.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, AND REGISTRATIONS

An active Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license in California is preferred.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• A strong commitment to advancing Wellnest’s mission.
• Deep familiarity working with multiple funding sources, including local, State, and federal funding; as well as annual giving and special event charitable donations, private grant funding, and capital campaigns.
• In-depth knowledge of GAAP, uniform guidance, internal control framework provided by COSO framework, and federal, state, and local regulations regarding provisions of mental health and housing services, and real estate fiscal administration.
• Experience with taking in data from diverse departments, from contract management, philanthropy, procurement and IT to marketing and logistics, to easily identify problems and find then implement solutions.
• The ability to use critical-thinking skills to solve complex problems and plan for the future.
• Ability to manage time wisely and inspire others to do the same, delegate tasks, motivate employees and make good decisions.
• Strong ability to identify risk easily and find ways to mitigate before to prevent crisis level management. When crises are unavoidable, CFO can effectively work with various departments to contain and control crisis situations, including compliance, IT, security and human resources.
• Ability to welcome change and implement and integrate technology to improve accuracy, increase productivity, and create efficiencies.
• Experience in implementing ERP systems and familiar with MIP Fund Accounting Software, Paycom or other HRIS and EHRS systems is preferred.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• A proven track record of honesty and high standards for ethical business practices.
• Demonstrate cultural competence and sensitivity with diverse groups across lines of race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, class, ability, gender, and other identifiers.
• Strong written and oral communication skills with the ability to communicate with diverse stakeholders, from those who work on behalf of Wellnest to other executives and investors, both verbally and in writing.
• Ability to assess decisions, considering liability, financial implications, and other possible future impacts to the organization.
• Capable of resolving unexpected and / or complex problems expeditiously.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to build and cultivate effective relationships with target audiences to accomplish established goals.
• Proficiency with technology, including the Microsoft Office suite (e.g., Word, PPT, and Outlook), with advanced Microsoft Excel skills.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS :

• Annual Salary Range : $180,000 - $225,000
• Wellnest offers a personalized benefits package from available medical, dental, and vision coverage plans and employer-paid life insurance.
• Wellnest employees benefit from an employer-sponsored 401(k) company match of up to 4% and profit-sharing contribution benefit of up to 5%.

Wellnest is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Wellnest is exclusively partnering on this search with GHJ Search and Staffing. No agency referrals please.