Chief Financial Officer

Socket.dev; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 280,000 - 350,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance.

Employer retirement plan with company

Transit pass

Education allowance up to $1,500/year

Job summary

Bellwether Housing in Seattle, WA seeks a highly skilled Chief Financial Officer to lead its financial function for a premier nonprofit housing provider. The CFO will guide financial planning, risk management, and resource allocation, reporting to the CEO and Board, and supervising a four-person finance and IT team.

You will oversee accounting, tax, audits, regulatory compliance, and strategic financing, including LIHTC and HUD funding, to strengthen Bellwether’s mission and steward its assets

Qualifications

• Undergrad degree required; graduate degree preferred.
• 10+ years senior financial management experience.
• Experience with fund accounting and LIHTC/HUD financing.
• Ability to lead a cross-functional finance team.
• Proven governance, risk management, and regulatory compliance.

Responsibilities

• Advise CEO and Board on finances and assets.
• Oversee monthly financial statements and analyses.
• Lead budgeting and long-term planning.
• Manage treasury, investments, and banking relationships.
• Oversee audits and regulatory compliance.

Skills

Financial leadership

Strategic thinking

Governance & risk

Team mentoring

Executive collaboration

Education

Undergraduate degree

Graduate degree in Business/Finance/Real Estate

Tools

Yardi

Microsoft Excel

ERP systems

Job description

Who We Are:

Bellwether Housing was founded in 1980 to create housing in downtown Seattle so city workers could live close to their jobs. After over 45 years of success and growth, Bellwether is the Puget Sound region's largest nonprofit affordable housing provider. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Bellwether Housing builds and manages high-quality affordable housing so that people of diverse backgrounds and incomes thrive in urban King County’s high-cost housing market.

Bellwether Housing serves over 7,000 residents annually in more than 3,500 apartments across 38 properties, with 600 more homes under construction. Its Bellwether’s properties are near job centers, schools, childcare, and community amenities in vibrant, transit-rich neighborhoods. The organization serves families, households recovering from homelessness, seniors, immigrants, preschool teachers and social workers, and young people just starting out. Living at Bellwether, residents gain access to the resources and prosperity of their surrounding communities and, in turn, cultivate a more inclusive andequitablecity.

Through the development, ownership, and operation of affordable housing properties, and support of residents through its resident services program, Bellwether Housing has been a trailblazer in transforming the lives of lower-income individuals and families in the region. Bellwether is a leader in state and local housing policy issues, an innovator in financing and housing development strategies, and a trusted partner to a diverse array of organizations in its community, while providing real estate development services to other mission-driven nonprofits around Western Washington.

Bellwether Housing wasalsonamed among Puget Sound Business Journals Best Workplaces for 2026!

SalaryRange:$280,000 - $350,000depending on experience and qualifications.

The posted salary reflects thetargetpay range for this position. Offers made to qualified candidates will be made within this range and will bedeterminedbyvarious factorsincluding knowledge, skills, experience, qualifications, location, and other factors that would be critical to success in this role.

Position Overview:

We areseekinga highly skilled,principled,and engaged professional to lead its financial function. The organization takes seriously its leadership role in exemplifying best practices in the financial function of affordable housing.

The Chief Financial Officer is a key member of Bellwether’s Executive Management Team, providing leadership and guidance to the organization on financial planning risk management, and resource allocation issues. The CFO offers strategic thoughtpartnershipon all business matters for the organization.

The CFO oversees all financial, accounting, and information technology activity of Bellwether and its affiliates, including, but not limited to, ensuring systems for financial controls and regulatory compliance are in place; overseeing accounting, tax and financial reporting functions; advising other leaders on real estate financing and government contracts, and overseeing corporate and partnership structuring; overseeing organization and building budgeting and asset management; overseeing treasury and cash flow and enterprise-level financing activity; maintaining relationships with financial partners; providing leadership in planning and policy development; overseeing financial information systems and administration; overseeing risk management; and sharing in the oversight of appropriate legal matters.

They will directly supervise four team members: Controller, Director of Finance, Director of Information Technology, and the Director of Asset Management.

Bellwether’s organizational culture reflects its genuine commitment to mission and a caring, expert workforce. The new CFO will ensure cross-departmental communication and organization-wide financial discipline.

This is an exciting opportunity for a committed, hard-working,and self-motivated professional to join the leadership of an organization that is regionally premier and nationally recognized.

Your Impact:

Financial Management:

• Advise and support the CEO and Board of Directors on issues related to Bellwether’s finances and assets

• Staff the Finance and Audit Committee of the Board of Directors

• Advise and support Executive Management Team members on financial concerns related to their departments and programs

• Play a leadership role in Executive Management Team and Board of Directors meetings

• Oversee Controller’s management of Bellwether’s accounting staff in the completion of all accounting responsibilities

• Oversee the preparation and distribution of monthly financial statements and create accompanying performance analysis and commentary

• Analyze financial statements; prepare reports for the CEO, the Board of Directors, and staff leaders

• Oversee all internal and external audits

• Ensure compliance with all financial covenants

Budgeting, Planning, and Policy Development

• Oversee the annual budgeting process, as well as long term financial planning for the organization and monitor budget compliance

• Oversee development of building operations budgets

• Play financial leadership role in developing long and short-term organizational strategies and business plans

• Create financial forecasts, models or analyses as needed orrequiredto support both short-term decision making and longer-term strategic planning

• Play financial leadership role in corporate policy development

Finance, Treasury, Cash Flow, & Investor Relations

• Oversee enterprise-level financing strategies,activitiesand banking relationships

• Oversee cash and investments to appropriately balance risk, return and liquidity

• Represent the organization, along with other Executive Management Team members, to financial partners including financial institutions, investors, foundation executives, public officials, and others

Asset Management

• Through supervising the Director of Asset Management, oversee asset management activities,including:

• portfolio recapitalizations and asset management plans

• legal, regulatory and partnership compliance for all properties

• analysis of property financial and other performance indicators

• preparation and submission of quarterly and annual reports to investors and lenders

Business Management

• Oversee structuring and administration of corporate and partnership entities

• Assistwith financial issues related to housing development, including tax-credit finance underwriting and structuring

• Oversee government contracts, including budget development, financial reporting, complianceoversightand related tasks

• Oversee planning,administeringand monitoring risk management activities

• Provide leadership and oversight, along with other directors, of risk management and insurance activities

• Manage, along with other Executive Management Team members, attorney relationships and monitor pending and potential litigation within sphere of control

AdditionalResponsibilities

• Provide leadership in the management and development of Bellwether Housing

• Participate in advocacy and fundraising activities related to the organization whenappropriate

• Other responsibilities as required by the CEO, Board ofDirectorsand Executive ManagementTeamcolleagues

QUALIFICATIONS / EXPERIENCE

Minimumrequirements:

• An undergraduate degree isrequired. A graduate degree in Business, Finance, RealEstateor another similar field is preferred.

• Commitment to working on behalf of the communities Bellwether Housing serves and supporting Bellwether’s mission and culture

• Ten years of senior levelfinancial managementexperience

• Eight years of broad-based business management experience

• Proven ability to manage the finances of an organization with a multi-million-dollar budget

• Experience with fund accounting software system

• Experience in partnership accounting and public finance

• Experience with property financial asset management

• Experience with financial risk identification and mitigation

• Demonstratedability to provide organizational leadership as a member of the Executive Management Team; able to develop organizational capacity in financial function

• Experience leading, managing and mentoring a team of high performing staff in functional areas under the CFO’s purview

Highly desirable, notrequired:

• Experience in the fields of affordable housing, propertymanagementand/or real estate

• Experience in the nonprofit sector

• Experience with programs such as low-income housing tax credits (LIHTC) and HUD financing

Who You Are:

To be successfulin this role, you willhave:

• The highest level of professionalism,stewardshipand integrity in executing the CFO role

• Excellent leadership skills with the ability to make well-reasoned decisions as part of a high performing team

• Demonstrated management skills, able to mentor, motivate and hold team accountable

• Technical knowledge to lead the financial function of an extremely complex and sophisticated organization

• Demonstrated ability to combine macro strategic, policy and planning perspective with attention to details,controlsand other micro concerns

• Excellent interpersonal skills; promptly provides feedback to staff for professional development

• Excellent oral, and written communication skills; proactively communicates with the CEO, other senior leaders, direct reports, and whenappropriate, Board members

• Well-developed organizational skills and attention to detail; ability to prioritize work effectively and adjust to multiple demands

• Ability to balance financial goals and missional goals

• Experience working effectively and collegially with a diverse staff

• Understands employee performance metrics and professional development

• Proficiencywith financial accounting systems (experience with Yardi a plus)

• Excellent computer skills including word processing, spreadsheets,databasesand a working knowledge of information technology, both existing and emerging

To be successful in this role, you willbe:

• Highly collaborative with other leaders within their own team and across departments

• A strategic thinker and organization builder

• A seasoned financial leader capable of both big picture thinking and directing tactical implementation; able to "connect the dots" of disparate lines of Bellwether's business

• Adaptable and able to meet the demands of an organization with a complex underlying financial and legal structure with a substantial real estate portfolio

• Highly motivated, with the ability to work independently, take initiative, and follow tasks through to completion

• Calm and unflappable in times of stress and pressure

• Able to positively respond to strong personalities,maintaina sense of humor; show up with confidence and humility

What We Offer:

• Competitive compensationaccompanied by a generous benefits package.

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.

• A403(b)-retirementplan with an employer match, guiding you towards a prosperous future.

• Fuel for your personal and professional development with up to $1,500 in employer-paid continuing education per year.

• An ORCA Transit Pass to navigate the city with ease.

• Up to 24paid days off in your first year, prorated personal days renewed annually,and 8 paid office closure days.

• The chance to be part of a transformative mission, leaving a mark on the lives of those we serve in our communities.

At Bellwether Housing, you will elevate your career in a role that's as rewarding as it is impactful, where you’ll be part of a movement that is helping shape the future of affordable housing in the Greater Puget Sound Area and where diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are the pillars of our success.

Bellwether Housing embraces a workplace that is diverse,equitable, and inclusive, and is dedicated to building a team that is made up of a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, experiences, and skills that reflect the populations we serve.Weare committed to being an anti-racist organization,while acknowledging we have a long way to go. You can learn more about our DEI work onour website.

Work Authorization:

All applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. We are unable to sponsor employment visas.

Bellwether Housing is an equal opportunity employer. We will not discriminate based on race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal,state,or local laws.We support the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) toreasonably accommodateall qualified applicants [and employees] by providing reasonable accommodations to people with disabilities.To request Reasonable Accommodation for the application or interviewprocess,please contact [e-mail].

Note: This role requires successful completion of a background checkin accordance withSeattle’s Fair Chance Employment Ordinance.