We are seeking a Chief Financial Officer to lead financial strategy and planning, oversee an operating budget of $7M across eight divisions, and mature our finance and accounting systems to meet the needs of recent growth and future aspirations. The CFO will work closely with the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer, senior staff, and the board of directors to support the success of this established and growing organization.
Since our campus opened in 2010, Northwest Maritime Center has been in an era of rapid growth. We started out with the beloved Wooden Boat Festival, a retail store, and local youth programs with a budget of $1.2M. Today our operations include regional maritime education programs ashore and afloat, a new Maritime High School in south Seattle, two nationally-acclaimed adventure races, our region’s sailing magazine of record, a bustling campus serving locals and visitors, and - most recently - the Swan hotel, all with an operating budget of over $7M. This growth has increased the complexity of our operation, as well as our need for sophisticated financial management, planning, and reporting.
In this new role for NWMC, the CFO is part of building our capacity to successfully execute our plans and keep our organization healthy for years to come. Our team is excited to take our financial planning and management to the next level - to learn from someone with experience and co-create systems that support the work we all do.
We are seeking an experienced financial leader who:
Is a whiz at making order out of complexity
Loves being part of a team working towards shared goals - able to listen well and hear differing points of view from our direct reports, our colleagues, our constituents, our community, and our board
Able to present GAAP, FASB, and other acronymed subjects to an audience of intelligent laypeople and make them at least understandable and ideally fun
Understands that there is efficiency in growth and collaboratively leans in to improve existing systems and processes
Is a willing partner in helping a wide range of collaborators understand and support NWMC’s financial success
Will help us drive toward simplicity, as well as better understand, track, and assess our major business drivers
Can hold onto the big picture while keeping the details in line
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:
Organizational Leadership
Be the lead financial mind in the organization. Work with senior leadership to create strategies for financial health, then proactively monitor and update those strategies as needed
Assist the organization in understanding risks to best support the entrepreneurial spirit of NWMC leadership
Lead, inspire, support, and collaborate with a talented and ambitious team of 4 to meet financial needs, develop their potential, and sustain a thriving department
Partner with colleagues and embrace the concept that finance is a customer service department in support of the entire organization and its goals and strategies
Participate in organizational policy development as a member of the leadership team
Planning and Policy
In collaboration with NWMC leadership, develop and implement financial strategies and policies across the organization
Manage long-term budgetary planning in alignment with the mission and decision principals
Engage the Finance Committee of NWMC’s board of directors to review short-, medium-, and long-term financial plans and projections, and provide the information they need for their fiduciary responsibilities
Represent the organization to financial partners, including financial institutions, investors, foundation executives, auditors, public officials, etc.
Finance
Lead cash flow planning and ensure the availability of funds as needed
Oversee cash, investment, and asset management
Develop and utilize forward-looking, predictive models and activity-based financial analyses to provide insight into the organization’s operations and business plans
Ensure timeliness, accuracy, and usefulness of financial and management reporting for federal and state funders, foundations, as well as NWMC leadership and board of directors; direct the preparation and communication of monthly and annual financial statements
Remain up to date on nonprofit audit best practices and state and federal law regarding nonprofit operations
Work as part of the leadership team to assess the business impacts of proposed shifts to activity
Accounting and Administration
Lead the finance department to ensure proper maintenance of all accounting systems and functions
Ensure timeliness, accuracy, and usefulness of financial and management reporting for leadership, board, and funders
Ensure legal and regulatory compliance regarding all financial functions
Ensure maintenance of appropriate internal controls and financial procedures
Coordinate audits and proper filing of tax returns
Other duties as assigned
GENERAL OPERATIONS
While this position’s primary responsibility is in financial planning and oversight, the Chief Financial Officer will work as part of the NWMC team to ensure smooth operations for the organization as a whole. This could include providing information to visitors to the Maritime Center and helping out in projects and events that require all-hands-on-deck, to helping tie up a vessel coming into our dock because you happen to be standing there. We all pitch in for the heavy lifting now and then—sometimes this is metaphorical; occasionally we all have to actually help lift something heavy.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Previous experience in a senior financial-management position, partnering with executive staff, resulting in the development and implementation of creative financial management strategies
Experience working with large or complex budgets of at least $5 million
Knowledge and understanding of Non-Profit OMB regulations 2 CFR Part 200: Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards
Knowledge of GAAP, FASB, and AICPA standards of conduct
Strong leadership and management skills, with experience building and leading high-performing teams
Excellent analytical and abstract reasoning skills, plus excellent organization skills
HELPFUL QUALIFICATIONS
A CPA and/or MBA would be a plus
Experience in or knowledge of nonprofit accounting, including sophisticated fund and grant accounting, compliance, and reporting
Experience with financial systems implementations and upgrades, familiarity with MSFT Dynamics-Business Central a plus
Inspired by or connected to our maritime mission
APPLICATION PROCESS
Submit your resume and cover letter to apply@nwmaritime.org, with “CFO” in the subject line or through the online application.
Deadline for applications: Open until filled
WORK LOCATION & SCHEDULE
Position will require regular onsite work; some work can be done remotely if desired. For the first 90 days, there is an expectation that all work will be onsite, with the potential to move into a hybrid agreement to accommodate workflows.
Main NWMC Offices are located at 431 Water St., Port Townsend, WA 98368
Position is full-time, 40 hours/week
Reports to: CEO
WAGE RANGE & BENEFITS
$110,000 to $125,000 annually, exempt
100% paid Health, Dental, Vision, and Life insurance + contributions to an HSA account
Matching contributions to a SIMPLE IRA retirement fund after 2 years of employment
Paid time off: vacation accrual (initially at 2 weeks per year), 17 paid holidays in a calendar year, & 10+ days of sick time accrued per year
Full details on benefits
WHY YOU WANT TO WORK HERE
There are rare moments when organizations have the combination of a talented and motivated staff, an engaged board, a healthy and productive work culture, are executing well on existing programs but still innovating and looking for the next step—we’re in that moment, and it’s exciting.
As we look ahead to the next 5-10 years, we are working towards aligning our programs more concretely around environmental stewardship, workforce development, and our relationship to our unique region’s land, water, and people. We are actively working to implement the commitments of our Antiracism and Inclusion Statement across our signature events and education programs, as well as finding ways to pair the opportunities of the maritime industry with the need to address systemic oppression in communities of color. We’re also planning for investments in our fleet and facilities both in Port Townsend and in the Seattle area. Plus, there’s all of the fun stuff like kids’ programs, festivals, and adventure races. Our waterfront campus is vibrant, with a multitude of compelling activities and a lot of excellence. In the words of one of our board members: “We don’t do B work.”
On top of it all, you’d get to work on the water in Port Townsend: natural beauty, heritage buildings, arts community, wooden boats, zero traffic jams, and plenty of nature to social distance in. While we are truly a regionally serving organization, the Northwest Maritime Center’s relative scale to our small hometown means that the effects of our success can be observed in the success of our community. You’ll be doing meaningful work and your efforts will make a tangible difference.
Right team, right moment, the right momentum, and the chance to move the needle for inclusive prosperity of a small town and for the region as a whole: That’s why we get excited to come to work in the morning, and that’s why we think you should want to be here too.
NWMC is committed to equal employment opportunity, striving towards being an antiracist and inclusive organization. We value the diversity of our staff and the communities that we serve, which includes a spectrum of racial, cultural, religious, sexual and gender identities, and abilities. We strongly encourage applications from people who have not seen themselves represented in the industry.