Chief Financial Officer

About the role

The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) is responsible for the organization's financial strategy, stewardship, integrity, and long-term sustainability. The CFO provides enterprise-wide leadership across accounting, financial planning and analysis, treasury, investments, capital structure, loan portfolio finance, tax and regulatory reporting, internal controls, audit, and financial risk management.

The CFO serves as a strategic partner to the President & CEO, COO, Board of Directors (BOD), and management team, translating complex financial, portfolio, and market information into decisions regarding resource allocation, pricing, liquidity, reserves, capital deployment, investments, and organizational risk.

The CFO leads budgeting and multi-year financial planning, financial reporting, BOD and committee governance, and financial controls, while overseeing the performance and sustainability of INvestEd’s lending and refinancing activities, including portfolio analytics, credit performance, loan loss reserves, funding structures, servicing economics, and new products and partnerships.

This role requires technical depth, executive judgment, a collaborative leadership style, and an authentic commitment to INvestEd's mission and statewide impact.

Responsibilities

• Financial Strategy & Enterprise Leadership
  • Develop and execute INvestEd’s long-term financial strategy, advising the President & CEO, COO, BOD, and management team on financial sustainability, capital structure, resource allocation, pricing, investment priorities, and enterprise risk.
  • Lead financial modeling and scenario planning for strategic initiatives, partnerships, new loan products, mission programs, acquisitions, and asset transactions, translating financial and market data into clear recommendations for executive and BOD decision-making.
  • Partner with executive leadership to incorporate financial considerations into organizational planning and major decisions, including assessing the impact of economic and capital-market conditions, interest rates, and credit cycles on INvestEd’s balance sheet, loan portfolio, and long-term financial plan.
• Accounting, Reporting, Budgeting, and Controls
  • Oversee accounting, financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, cash management, and financial administration, including the annual operating and capital budget process, rolling forecasts, and multi-year financial plans.
  • Ensure timely and accurate financial reporting and maintain strong internal controls, financial policies, approval authorities, and documentation; oversee annual independent audit, tax and regulatory filings, coordination with external auditors, advisors, and service providers.
  • Drive continuous improvement and appropriate automation across finance processes, systems, data architecture, and reporting tools to strengthen efficiency, accuracy, and financial oversight.
• Loan Portfolio Finance & Credit Performance
  • Provide financial leadership for INvestEd’s private education loan and refinancing portfolios, including profitability, credit performance, pricing, funding, liquidity, and long-term sustainability.
  • Monitor portfolio performance and risk, including originations, disbursements, delinquencies, defaults, prepayments, recoveries, servicing costs, net interest margin, and portfolio concentration; oversee reserve methodologies, stress testing, credit loss analysis, and capital adequacy.
  • Evaluate the financial impact and risk of new products, underwriting changes, servicing arrangements, capital sources, and lending partnerships, collaborating across internal teams and external service providers to support responsible lending and accurate financial execution.
• Treasury, Investments, Capital, & Liquidity
  • Lead treasury strategy, cash forecasting, liquidity management, reserve policy, investment oversight, and the prudent deployment of organizational assets, including compliance with investment policies, debt covenants, reserve requirements, and restrictions on designated or restricted funds.
  • Assess and manage interest-rate, liquidity, counterparty, market, and funding risks, and support debt issuance, refinancing, credit facilities, securitization, structured funding, and other capital transactions aligned with INvestEd’s strategy.
  • Manage relationships with banks, trustees, investment managers, rating agencies, lenders, capital providers, and other financial counterparties.
• Governance, Audit, Compliance, & Risk Management
  • Serve as the primary finance liaison to the BOD and relevant committees, providing clear financial reporting, forecasts, portfolio and liquidity trends, risk analysis, and recommendations to support informed governance and strategic decision-making.
  • Partner with the COO and other leaders to maintain an integrated enterprise risk framework addressing financial, credit, operational, regulatory, cybersecurity, vendor, and reputational risks.
  • Ensure compliance with nonprofit, lending, tax, accounting, financial reporting, and regulatory requirements; maintain effective relationships with auditors, regulators, counsel, consultants, and other advisors, and oversee timely remediation of identified findings or control gaps.
• External Representation and Strategic Partnerships
  • Represent INvestEd with financial institutions, capital providers, investment partners, auditors, regulators, public officials, education partners, and other external stakeholders, clearly communicating the organization’s financial model, stewardship practices, and mission impact.
  • Develop and support strategic relationships that strengthen INvestEd’s financial capacity, mission reach, market credibility, and long-term sustainability while promoting transparency, prudent financial management, and responsible lending.
• Leadership/Organizational Capability
  • Build, lead, mentor, and retain a high-performing finance organization, establishing clear roles, performance expectations, succession plans, and professional development priorities across finance functions.
  • Promote a culture of integrity, accountability, constructive challenge, disciplined analysis, responsiveness, and continuous improvement, ensuring finance capabilities, systems, and staffing evolve with organizational and regulatory needs.
  • Collaborate effectively with the COO, CMO, operational leaders, program teams, and external partners while maintaining appropriate financial independence, controls, and accountability.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, economics, business administration, or a related field required.
• At least 10 years of progressively responsible financial leadership experience, including significant experience in a senior finance role with enterprise-wide responsibility.
• Demonstrated experience leading financial strategy, accounting, budgeting and forecasting, treasury, investments, audit, internal controls, and BOD reporting within a complex organization.
• Experience in lending, banking, consumer finance, public finance, nonprofit finance, asset management, insurance, or another regulated financial environment; education finance or student lending experience preferred.
• Strong understanding of loan portfolio economics, credit performance, reserves, liquidity, capital deployment, interest-rate risk, financial modeling, and scenario analysis.
• Deep knowledge of generally accepted accounting principles, audit practices, internal controls, tax and regulatory reporting, and governance requirements applicable to nonprofit or public-benefit organizations.
• Demonstrated ability to present complex financial information to executive leadership, BOD, and establish credibility with auditors, regulators, financial institutions, investment managers, capital providers, and other external stakeholders.
• Proven success building and developing high-performing teams and improving financial systems, processes, controls, reporting, forecasting, and analytical capabilities through effective use of technology.
• Exceptional integrity and judgment, with a collaborative leadership style and ability to identify risk, challenge assumptions, influence across functions, and support INvestEd’s mission and long-term interests.

Preferred Qualifications

• CPA strongly preferred.
• MBA, CFA, MPA, or other relevant advanced degree or professional credential is desirable.

Benefits

• Competitive executive compensation package, including base salary and a performance-based incentive opportunity.
• Comprehensive benefits program.

Pay

Compensation range: $200,000 - $240,000

Annual bonus opportunity.

Schedule

Office environment, with remote/work-from-home days. Deadline-oriented.