Chief Financial Officer

Chief Financial Officer - Lyons, Nebraska The Center for Rural Affairs is seeking a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to lead the Center's financial strategy, manage fiscal health, and oversee all finance and accounting operations. This role is opening due to the retirement of the current CFO, expected May of 2026. The position will be based in Lyons, Nebraska, with office attendance at least 3 days per week. Key responsibilities include financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, risk management, compliance, and reporting, as well as acting as a strategic advisor to the Executive Director and board on growth, investments, and long-term planning to ensure financial stability for the organization and its lending portfolio.  The Center for Rural Affairs is a community-based organization with programs in lending, community development, and policy. The organization is an intermediary lender for the Small Business Administration, the United States Department of Agriculture, and the Nebraska Department of Economic Development. The CFO’s responsibilities extend to the Center for Rural Affairs Community Capital, an affiliated Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) certified by the Department of Treasury, as well as to the Granary Foundation, an affiliated endowment fund. Together, the three affiliated entities have an annual budget of $10 million and total assets of $63 million, including $25 million in loans outstanding. The organization is funded through a mix of grants, donations, and earned income.   The CFO role includes developing the strategies, tactics, and performance goals required to achieve targeted financial objectives while building relationships with key internal stakeholders, regulators, auditors, contractors, and other external partners. Additionally, the CFO will plan, develop, organize, implement, direct, forecast, and evaluate the Center’s community-based loan programs, including annual risk ratings of the health, performance, and risks within the portfolio. Who we are The Center for Rural Affairs is a dynamic, energetic non-profit organization working to build a better rural future for all. We’ve done this work for more than 50 years and we do it from rural places with a flexible work environment. The Center focuses on capital access, community capacity, and policy advocacy strategies with work in areas of food systems, community resources, small business support, and environment and resilience. The Center’s work is rooted in our mission-aligned values. We believe that a diversity of people and ideas strengthens our work, our workplace, and our communities. We take equal opportunity seriously and we welcome applicants from a variety of backgrounds. Additional information can be found at Check to see if our Mission and Values match yours, and read about our work and see how awesome it is to work at the Center!  What you’ll do The Chief Financial Officer will report to the Executive Director and will work closely with the Chief Lending Officer, General Counsel, Chief of Programs, and other members of the Center team to meet the responsibilities of the role. The CFO is responsible for the following: You will assist the Executive Director with developing a financial strategy and implementation that helps advance the Center’s mission. You will correspond with the Executive Director and Board of Directors regarding the Center budget, finances, and status of the loan portfolio, as well as provide support to senior leadership with programmatic budget oversight. You will direct a team of accounting, finance, and loan operations staff, including vendors and contractors assisting in similar areas, and serve as team leader by selecting, onboarding, motivating, guiding, reviewing, and developing team members. You will provide ongoing management of the Center’s fiscal sponsorship relationships. You will supervise the annual outside audit, along with any funder reviews. You will support the General Counsel to identify and manage business risks and insurance requirements, including staff benefit programs. You will be a primary member of the loan review committee, reviewing and approving new loans. You will be the key contact within the operation and management of the Center’s Granary Foundation and its Board of Directors. You will be a leader in continually incorporating the Center's Values into internal processes, external programming and communications, and work relationships. Who you are & keys to success (the must-haves) To be successful in this job, you will excel in five areas: Relationship-building: You develop and maintain strong, collaborative working relationships with team members, across the organization, and with a diverse group of stakeholders. You know how to build alliances and find points of collaboration even when there are competing interests. Drive to achieve results: You have a track record of accomplishing ambitious goals and getting results even when there are obstacles. You set a high bar and meet it because you think three (or 30) steps ahead to anticipate hurdles and come up with pragmatic solutions. You plan backward and involve stakeholders appropriately. Inclusive leadership and management: You approach leadership with a collaborative mindset of “power with” rather than “power over” and regularly include others in decision-making. You seek out those who have the experience to guide, advise, and plan how you approach the work. Financial Management and Reporting: You oversee the organization's financial management, prepare financial reports for a variety of purposes, manage risks, and provide information and support for a variety of organizational functions. Commitment to the Center’s Mission and Values: You are aligned with and committed to the Center’s Vision, Mission and Values. You recognize how your own identities show up in the work, and welcome, reflect on, and act on feedback with an eye toward continuous learning about differences to overcome barriers. You recognize that investment in communities, people, and entrepreneurship are pathways to better outcomes. If you were here right now, you would be: Reviewing financial reports and providing insights and forecasting to key staff and board members. Collaborating with the Chief of Programs and program directors to develop project budgets and fulfill financial reporting requirements for grants and contracts. Analyzing the Center’s growing loan portfolio to identify areas of risk and strategies to mitigate risk while fulfilling our community development mission. Managing the Center’s investments, cash holdings, and loans to generate revenue to support the Center. Guiding day-to-day accounting and financial management of the organization, including helping staff members solve problems, implement systems, and provide quality control oversight.  You have experience with the following: You have ten or more years of experience in a progressively responsible financial leadership role. You have extensive knowledge of generally accepted nonprofit accounting principles, budgeting, and grant administration. You have experience in loan underwriting and loan administration, or similar experience in assessing business financial health, business risk, contract management, and compliance oversight. You are self-confident in networking, presentation, and negotiation skills, and passionate about building formal and informal networks, exchanging ideas and resources, and reaching goals. You are a planner and can align and prioritize work to meet commitments and organizational goals. You can work effectively with diverse groups of individuals and value differences. You are an effective communicator and have the ability to convey an image that is consistent with effective leadership and the organization’s values. You are willing and able to travel to various sites across Nebraska or throughout the region as needed. What else you should know This is a full-time exempt position based at least 3 days per week in Lyons, Nebraska. The Chief Financial Officer is a member of the Leadership Team. It is preferable for the selected candidate to start no later than May 1, 2026. Compensation and benefits: This position has a salary range of $90,000-$138,000 with top-notch benefits that have a cash value of $10,000 to $29,500, depending on family status and tenure with the Center. Benefits include employer-sponsored health, dental and vision coverage, employer contributions to a Health Savings Account, 6% employer matching contributions to a retirement plan, a fantastic Employee Assistance Program, 12 paid holidays plus paid time off between Christmas Eve and New Year's Day, Friday Summer Hours from May through August, and vacation and sick pay. The Center for Rural Affairs is an Equal Opportunity Employer and participates in E-Verify, is committed to the full inclusion of all individuals, and takes steps to ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. How to apply If you would like to work for an organization that has a national reputation as one of the top organizations in the country working to make rural communities more vibrant, apply by sending your resume, cover letter, and three professional references by clicking here.  In the cover letter, please include:  How your personal and/or professional experiences have positioned you for success in this role and any additional work, skills, or expertise you want us to know about. Please describe how your past leadership roles make you the right candidate for this role. Let us know how you heard about this position and why you want to work for the Center. recblid 7eurzcf6jizvt1nrib4jgdvczuiolk

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