Job Description

For more than 75 years, Highlights for Children has been at the forefront of children education with our coined term, Fun with a Purpose! We believe Children are the World's Most Important People. We help children become their best selves by publishing content and creating experiences that engage, delight, and foster joyful learning.

Chief Financial Officer

The CFO of Highlights for Children has the opportunity to lead the finance function for one of the most beloved children's brands in the country. More than a magazine, Highlights has grown to include multiple operating units with varied business models serving both consumer and institutional markets, in the US and abroad. The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) will be responsible for providing overall strategic and operational direction to the finance, treasury and accounting functions. This leader will assist the CEO in establishing financial and strategic objectives as well as operating policies and procedures, metrics tied to financial strategy, and monitoring control systems for financial business goals. This role reports to the CEO and partners closely with company Presidents, Sr. Vice Presidents, and the Chief Human Resource Officer and key external service providers.

Core Responsibilities:

1. Planning

• Assist in formulating the company's future direction and supporting tactical initiatives
• Monitor and direct the implementation of strategic business plans
• Develop financial strategies for corporation and business units
• Manage the capital request and strategic/financial planning processes
• Develop financial and operational performance measures that support the company's strategic direction and report on progress against those measures

1. Operations

• Participate in key decisions as a member of the executive management team
• Maintain in-depth relations with all members of the executive team
• Lead the finance and accounting functions and mentor direct reports
• Oversee the financial operations of subsidiary companies
• Manage vendor relationships on ongoing outsourced work
• Engage in business and corporate development, financial analysis, due diligence and in negotiation of acquisitions and partnerships

1. Financial Information

• Engages in strategic conversations with the board of directors
• Reports financial results to the board of directors

1. Risk Management

• Understand and mitigate key elements of the company's risk profile
• Ensure that the company complies with all legal and regulatory requirements
• Maintain relations with external auditors and investigate their findings and recommendations

1. Funding

• Monitor cash balances and cash forecasts and maintain appropriate liquidity levels
• Arrange for appropriate financing
• Invest excess funds consistently with company's strategic goals

Qualifications:

• Master's degree in accounting or business administration, or equivalent business experience
• 15+ years of progressively responsible experience for a mid-market organization or division of a large corporation
• B2B and B2C experience required, digital/e-commerce experience preferred
• Strategic in nature
  • Demonstrated ability to identify and lead practical, actionable business ideas designed to grow and improve the business year over year
  • Ability to make connections across business models, markets, and customers; ability to see "whole picture" of value creation and business performance.
  • Sees potential innovation and opportunity within existing and in white spaces
  • Raises strategic bar for every business leader and function
  • Can balance thinking across different time horizons and multiple metrics
• High level of written and oral communication skills
  • Can communicate complex results to whole company
  • Can manage sensitive negotiations internally and externally
  • Both shapes and communicates vision of company to create alignment
  • Strong in asking and explaining the why, understands and frames context
  • Proven ability to calm and inspire confidence in a crisis
  • Mission driven with a passion for Highlights purpose
• Demonstrated success as financial leader
  • Can lead up and across through influence, debate, empathy, and clarity
  • Can lead high performing team to deliver and consistently improve accounting and finance "table steaks" activity and functions
  • Can lead beyond finance and accounting: potential to lead IT infrastructure, IT business enablement, operations, M&A, P&L.
  • Ability to deploy both breakthrough mindsets and continuous improvement approaches
  • Facilitative and collaborative leadership approach with high executional expectations; ability to work horizontally in collaboration with business unit executives and senior team.
  • Can act in CEO role as interim in an emergency and successor candidate
  • Aptitude to understand value related to IP and Brand with associated nuances
  • Curious, rigorous, learning mindset, willing to question, reflective and deliberate
• Knowledge of educational publishing, direct to consumer, digital, e-commerce and international business experience preferred

Physical Requirements:

• Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Must be able to lift-up to 15 pounds at times.

Reasonable Accommodation Notice Federal law requires employers to provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities. Please tell us if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job or to perform your job. Examples of reasonable accommodation include making a change to the application process or work procedures, providing documents in an alternate format, using a sign language interpreter, or using specialized equipment.

What Highlights Can Offer You:

• Free Fridays and Meeting-Free Zone
• Parental Leave of Absence
• Growing Family Benefits
• Care & Compassion Benefit
• Highlight Helps
• 401K Match Program, 100% Vested Immediately
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Employee Assistance Program
• EAP Program
• Calm - Mental Health Fitness
• Volunteer Time Off

If you don't meet every single requirement listed, we encourage you to apply anyway. Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every qualification. Highlights for Children is committed to build a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace that fuels our innovation. So, if you are drawn to this role and your past experiences do not align perfectly to the job description, submit your application with us!

Job Tags

Interim role, Immediate start,

Similar Jobs