Chief Operating & Financial Officer

Created in 2019, when Foundation Center and GuideStar joined forces, Candid offers the most comprehensive source of data about the social sector. Candid is used by foundations, companies, non-profits, and researchers – connecting people who want to change the world to the resources they need to do it.

Best known for its Foundation Directory and GuideStar tools, the organization helps to provide transparency and data on the trillions of dollars deployed every year in the social sector around the world. With a budget of approximately $40 million and 200 employees, Candid is at an exciting moment of growth and change – with innovative tools on the horizon, all focused on realizing the vision of a social sector capable of tackling the critical challenges and opportunities of our time. To learn more about Candid, visit their website here.

The Chief Operating and Finance Officer (COFO) is a newly envisioned strategic leadership role who will serve both as the overall lead for the operational functions that enable Candid's work and a critical thought partner and advisor to the CEO. As a key member of the executive team reporting to the CEO, the COFO will coach, mentor, and directly manage four leaders (and a total team of 22): Director of Financial Planning & Analysis, Director of Accounting & Controller, VP Talent, and VP Planning.

The COFO will be directly responsible for leading and evolving the finance, people, strategic, and planning functions that are core to deliver on Candid's mission. This includes accountability for the financial health and stability of the organization; nurturing talent including recruitment, retention, and overall engagement; strategic direction and priorities (in conjunction with the CEO); and both organization-wide and executive team processes and planning. The COFO will advise on all fiscal matters, providing leadership to guide Candid's financial activities including annual and long-term planning, accounting, budgeting, forecasting, analysis, risk management, compliance, and funding.

This is an ideal opportunity for a strategic, collaborative, empathetic, and forward-thinking leader to contribute to making the social sector more efficient, effective, and equitable.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Organizational Leadership

• Serve as a critical thought partner to the CEO and key member of the Executive Team, taking a leadership role in defining, prioritizing, and executing on organizational strategy, in partnership with VP Planning
• Translate Candid's strategy into operational and financial plans, effectively communicate with and engage staff, and oversee overall implementation
• Provide strategic recommendations on strategic shifts and new opportunities to the CEO, Executive Team, and Board based on financial projections and cost/benefit analysis
• Set the agenda for weekly virtual meetings and approximately monthly in-person retreats

Strategic Finance

• Advise, manage, and implement Candid's fiduciary responsibilities including development of long-term financial planning strategies, annual budgeting, and monthly/quarterly forecasting process
• Oversee Candid's accounting and financial planning functions, including monthly, quarterly and year end close. Ensure best practices for internal controls
• Monitor and manage portfolio of investment reserves with Candid's Finance & Investment committee and Outsourced Chief Investment Officer (OCIO)
• Support and make presentations to the Candid Board of Directors and act as principal staff liaison to the Finance & Investment Committee and Audit Committee
• Engage with auditors on annual financial, IT, and benefit plan audits, 990 and other matters as needed

Talent & Operations

• Assess finance, talent, and planning systems and processes; identify opportunities for improvement, and design and implement best practices to efficiently meet organizational needs
• Design and implement enterprise risk management strategy; map and track risks; model best practices regarding risk management
• Provide strategic leadership, in partnership with VP Talent, on attracting, retaining, developing, and engaging top talent
• Engage in other strategic projects as necessary

• 20+ total years of experience, with 5+ years of executive leadership experience after demonstrating progressive successes through multiple financial and operational roles, preferably in a mission-driven setting
• Experience overseeing multiple operational functions in a large, complex organization, including implementation of administrative systems
• Deep finance expertise, including financial modeling, budgeting and forecasting; understanding of fund accounting and subscription revenue highly preferred
• MBA preferred but not required
• Clear and effective communicator with extensive experience presenting to executives and boards
• Strong team leadership skills, with high emotional intelligence, and a passion for coaching and developing leaders
• A highly collaborative and transparent leader who is able to balance being inclusive and decisive
• Demonstrated success leveraging exceptional strategic thinking and creative problem-solving skills to improve systems and processes, navigate complexity, overcome challenges, and achieve impact
• Demonstrated success in working with teams of diverse, strong, creative people to achieve common goals; demonstrated ability to lead peers through influence rather than authority
• Ability to think out of the box; comfortable navigating uncertainty and change
• Knowledge of and work experience in the social sector preferred; if coming from a for-profit, should have board experience with a large global or national nonprofit including participation on a finance or audit committee
• Ability to balance the demands of big-picture strategy with a day-to-day orientation to important details
• Sensitivity and respect for racial, gender, sexual orientation, and cultural differences
• Champions and represents Candid's core values: We're driven, direct, accessible, curious, and inclusive