Chief Financial Officer; CFO

The Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association (WFAA) is recruiting for a Chief Financial Officer (CFO). The role reports to the President and CEO and is a member of the Senior Leadership Team.

• Assesses organizational performance against both the annual budget and the organization’s long-term strategy.
• Develops tools and systems to provide critical financial and operational information to the President and CEO and makes actionable recommendations.
• Advises the President and CEO on recommendations for key business model parameters such as the institutional advancement fees, spend plan, chargeback rates, enterprise-level liquidity management and interest payments on the short-term investment pool (STIP).
• Develops financial business plans and forecasts in alignment with organizational strategy.

• Advises the President and CEO on setting appropriate risk levels for the short-term investment pool (STIP) and owns the financial risk management system and processes in alignment with CEO direction.
• Directs the development, implementation and maintenance of financial policies and accounting controls; ensures compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and standards.
• Serves as an in-house compliance expert; analyzes, interprets, and implements FASB and other regulatory directives, and proposes changes to improve or enhance current accounting practices.
• Coordinates closely with the Foundation’s investment team (WISIMCO) on risk management, internal controls, and compliance matters.

• Oversees all financial accounts, ledgers, and reporting systems, ensuring compliance with appropriate GAAP and regulatory requirements.
• Maintains internal control safeguards and coordinates all audit activities.
• Oversees budgeting and the implementation of budgets to monitor progress and present financial metrics both internally and externally.

• Leads, supervises, and develops staff, fostering a shared vision, acting as a role model, and demonstrating the Foundation’s values.
• Works effectively across a matrixed environment, partnering with campus finance departments and other internal stakeholders to build trust, alignment, and effective gift fund stewardship.
• Builds and maintains strong, collaborative relationships with the Senior Leadership Team, Finance Team, and WISIMCO to support shared goals and effective decision‑making.

• Advises the President and CEO on the appropriate rate of growth in advancement operations and levels of reserves, while ensuring the business model can deliver on long-range objectives.
• Develops and utilizes forward‑looking, predictive models and activity‑based financial analyses to provide insight into operations and business plans.
• Designs, implements, and maintains operating policies and procedures to ensure gift/other revenue transactions are recorded in the customer relationship management (CRM) system on an accurate and timely basis, consistent with donor intent, core WFAA objectives, and industry standards.

• Provides strategic oversight of the STIP and oversees consolidated investment accounting and reporting across WFAA’s investment pools, applying a strong understanding of financial markets and serving in an internal fiduciary role.
• Oversees asset‑liability management for the STIP, implementing approved risk parameters, including asset allocation across tiers, ensuring alignment between investment strategy, liquidity needs, and financial obligations within a complex financial environment.
• Coordinates with WISIMCO on the spending distribution and liquidity planning and ensures investment results are accurately integrated into the consolidated financial statements and regulatory reporting.

• Engages the President and CEO and the Budget committee of the Board of Directors to develop short, medium, and long‑term financial plans and projections.
• Serves as the primary liaison to the Budget and Audit Committees and STIP subcommittee.
• Delivers clear financial…